Read Poisoned Pin: A Cozy Mystery (Brenna Battle Book 2) for Free Online Page B

judo. I’m not just standing there pontificating about fitness or even about judo!” And thirdly, though I couldn’t bring myself to say it aloud, I hadn’t done a seminar since I stopped competing. I’d done all those seminars before I quit pursuing an Olympic or World Championship medal. I didn’t have to answer all the inevitable “quitter” questions.
    Blythe drummed her fingers lightly on her desk, a sure sign that she was deep in thought. Trying to think of how to psych me into going along with her diabolical plan, no doubt. I sat on the corner of her desk in order to give her my glare from a better angle.
    I pushed a stack of papers aside so I wouldn’t squash them. They were judo flyers—but not the same ones we’d made up for the dojo, that I’d taken with me to hand out. It looked like the free demo and trial night flyer we’d been working on, only something was very, very different.
    The heading now read, Catapult the Cop!
    “What! Is! This?”
    Blythe blinked at me innocently. I hadn’t fallen for that look since she was two and she painted pink nail polish onto all my stuffed animals’ “toes.”
    “Throw the cop? What cop, Blythe?”
    She didn’t answer. She didn’t need to. It was spelled out right there, in black and white:
    He’s no dummy, but our very own Officer Will Riggins is ready to take the fall for you. Come one, come all, and see who can put him through the floor! Olympian Brenna Battle is here to teach all the brave kids of Bonney Bay how. Officer Riggins promises no arrests will be made. Children twelve and under only .
    Blythe’s smile was timid, her voice small. “He said he’d be happy to help. That it sounded like a lot of fun.”
    How could I explain to Blythe how bad this was? I was trying to put a little distance between me and Officer Dimples, for crying out loud. I’d just acted like a jerk toward him, too. After he’d offered to do me a favor. A favor I didn’t ask for, and didn’t even know about. But I’ll bet he didn’t know that.
    “No,” I groaned. “No, we can’t do this.”
    “Is it really such a terrible thing to ask for help, Brenna? I didn’t make us sound desperate or anything. I know you have your pride. I just told him I had this really off-the-wall idea to add some fun to our free trial night.”
    Great. He probably thought it was my idea, but I’d been too shy to ask. Now he’d think I was clingy and obsessed, but too much of a wimp to act on my own.
    I thunked the stack of flyers back down on the desk. “Well, you’re just going to have to call him back and cancel.”
    Blythe crossed her arms. “I already posted about it online. And I e-mailed the flyer to the school and to Miss Ruth.” She looked down and inspected her nails, dropping her voice. “That’s probably why she called.”
    “What!”
    “It’s a challenge, Brenna. You love a challenge.”
    “I love to win .”
    “But you can’t resist a challenge.” Was that a smirk on my sweet sister’s face? The brat! She knew exactly what she was doing. Who needs a therapist when you have a pushy little sister? Maybe I should say who doesn’t need a therapist when you have a pushy little sister.
    Where was my little purple-clad fairy god-mother? I didn’t even need Prince Charming or the dress or the carriage. I’d be perfectly thrilled to be turned into a pumpkin right now.

8

    At seven-thirty-five, a slim little figure trudged up to the dojo doors, arms crossed, scowling. She uncrossed her arms only long enough to yank the door open. A white judo gi was scrunched into a messy ball and tucked under her arms. Her white belt fell to the floor. She bent to pick it up, and the pants fell out of the bundle.
    I really didn’t want to start my career as a judo coach this way. I made an attempt to act casual, let bygones be bygones, and try to get off on the right foot.
    “Hey, Sammi.” I picked the pants up and tossed them at her.
    Unfortunately, in her obstinate attempt to