Read Sweet Taffy and Murder: Sweet Taffy Cozy Mysteries Book #1 for Free Online Page B

flashlight at his hip and then opened the door in the kitchen that Taffy had guessed led to the basement.
    “Would you mind letting me know if you see any trunks or antiques while you’re down there?” said Taffy. He didn’t answer as he followed his beam of light and descended into darkness.
    He was odd, and slightly creepy. Taffy wished Ethan was here. She didn’t like being in the house alone with Bill.
    She grabbed a bucket, mop, broom, and dustpan and headed back to the front of the house to clean up the cat-food mess. She’d left the door open, and as she approached, she noticed a dark mass crouched on the threshold.
    “Midnight?” The cat looked up, licking his chops. He stared at her with reflecting amber eyes. The collar at his neck clinked. She crept forward slowly, not wanting to scare him. He stayed where he was, watching her for a moment, before going back to licking up the splattered food. Taffy was almost close enough to pet him now. Kneeling, she reached out to touch his silky coat. Just before her fingertips made contact, Midnight’s fur went straight up and he turned and bolted. Taffy heard the floor creak and turned to see Bill looming over her.
    “You scared me again!” She scrambled to her feet. “The cat, too!”
    “Got to adjust the wiring on the outside now.” He stepped around her. “Almost done.”
    By the time Taffy had gathered up the broken shards, Bill was back on the front steps.
    “Try a switch now,” he said before spitting into the bushes. A dark drop trickled down his chin. He rubbed it away. Was he chewing tobacco? Gross.
    Taffy reached for the entry switch. The foyer lit up with warm light and pushed the oncoming night back toward the trees.
    She smiled gratefully. “Thank you.”
    Bill shrugged off her thanks and glanced through the doorway again. Then with a troubled look on his face, he cast his eyes on his boots. Taffy sensed he wanted to talk.
    “What was it like? When you found her?”
    He lifted his ball cap, shoved his fingers through his matted hair, and replaced the cap.
    “One of the worst days of my life.”
    “You knew her well?”
    “I think better than anyone else in this town.”
    “Do you think she was killed by her bowling ball?”
    He stared at Taffy for a long, cold second.
    He shrugged. “That’s what the police said.”
    “What do you think happened?”
    He shrugged. “I gotta go now. I’ll send the invoice by mail.”
    He turned and stepped away from the pool of light on the stairs.
    Taffy watched Bill’s truck pull away, and then after he was gone, she stood a bit longer, waiting to see if Midnight would reappear.
    She called across the dark lawn. “Kitty, kitty, kitty.” But the distant hooting of an owl was the only response.
    Midnight was clearly on the prowl for the night. Taffy shut the front door and proceeded to turn on all the light switches in the house (minus the attic and basement).
    She plugged her phone into the newly coursing electricity. While her phone charged, she started a bath in the claw-foot tub. Rifling around for bubble bath, she found some rose-scented bath salts. She dumped those in the water and then felt the temperature. Stone cold! She turned off the taps and dialed Ethan’s number.
    “The hot water tank has to heat up first,” he explained to her.
    “What is that and where, and how darn long is that going to take?”
    Ethan chuckled. “It’s probably in the basement, and its job is to heat your hot water. I’m guessing it will take an hour or two.”
    Taffy refrained from swearing into the phone.
    “Hey, are you doing okay?” said Ethan.
    “At the moment, I’m too mad to be scared.”
    He chuckled again, and the sound started to make Taffy’s frustration melt a little.
    “Did Midnight ever show up?” he asked.
    “For a little while. Bill scared him off.”
    “He’ll be back.”
    “Bill, or the cat?”
    “Probably both, but I’m guessing not at the same time.”
    “Bill was acting kind of