A Ghostly Affair: A cozy mystery series (Death by Chocolate Book 3) Read Free Page B

upset. Someone's taken Toto."
    "Toto!" Maxine scooped up the plate of chocolates and guided Wendy to a table at the back. There had been a time when Maxine was sure the only person or thing Wendy truly loved was her little dog, Toto. "What makes you think  he’s been stolen?"
    "I don't think it," she said irritably. "I know it. I got up this morning and he was gone. You know that's not like him. Usually he sleeps in his own special bed next to Mummy's.”
    Maxine suppressed a shudder. She knew Wendy regarded her pet as human and referring to herself as Mummy made sense if you thought about it that way. Still…
    "So maybe he saw something outside and went to check it out."
    Wendy shook her head. "He wouldn't do that. He goes everywhere with me. If he saw something outside he was interested in he'd have barked at me to wake up."
    "Maybe you didn't hear him," Maxine said, handing her a chocolate raspberry truffle.
    She took it while continuing her story, "besides I looked everywhere for her. I even walked around our neighborhood and asked our neighbor's. Nothing, It's like he's vanished into thin air."
    "I'm so sorry," Maxine said, "have you contacted the police?"
    Wendy gave a small sob, "they took down all the details but they pretty well told me they wouldn't do anything.  If we see him we'll give you a call but we don't have the manpower to do a full scale investigation," she said rolling her eyes. "And after all I've donated to the Police Officers Charity Fund."
    "I'm sure they'll do the best they can."
    "It's not enough," Wendy said. "That's why I'm here. I need you to find him for me."
    "I'm flattered," Maxine said as she felt her heart drop. "But I'm not sure what I could do for you."
    “Keep your eyes and ears open. Do some investigating. Look at the success you’ve had in the past.”
    “But a lot of my success was knowing the people involved and being at the right place at the right time.” Or wrong place depending on how you looked at it.
    “Maybe but there were a lot of other people, including police, who were around at the same time and you were the person who solved them. All I’m asking you to do is try.” She put her hand over Maxine’s arm. “Please. I have to do everything I can to find Toto. I couldn’t forgive myself if I didn’t.”
    “I can ask Patrick. Maybe he’ll have some suggestions. I’ll do what I can Wendy, but you might be better off with a professional.”
    Wendy shook her head. “I have faith in you.”
    “I’d be perfectly OK with it.”
    Wendy looked down at the table avoiding Maxine’s eyes. “I trust you.”
    And whatever other detectives she’d contacted had turned her down. Maxine would bet her last dollar on it and felt her heart go out to Wendy. “I’ll do everything I can,” she said gently.
    Wendy looked up, hope in her eyes along with a tear which spilled over and down her cheek. “I can pay.”
    “This isn’t about money.”
    “I don’t mind. You’ll have more time to investigate.”
    Maxine shook her head. “I’ll do the best I can but I still have a business to run. Besides I’ve always done my best work while running my business.”
    “Whatever you think is best,” but Wendy’s voice had developed a customary brittleness.
    Maxine eased her out of the store as easily as she could. She had a date with Patrick tonight to learn karate. Not a real date she thought hastily. After all Patrick was a friend. They’d already done the ‘other’ and it hadn’t worked.
    He was picking her up from her small apartment. The one she rented from her Grandma Ellie who lived upstairs. Not that Grandma Ellie was what you thought of as your typical Grannie.
    She was sharper than many of Maxine’s contemporaries and far from discouraging Detective Patrick Shannon, was more likely to egg him on. If she didn’t offer to trade karate kicks with him, Maxine thought ruefully. Having taken a class at the seniors’ center and then dated the instructor for a