Ask Anyone Read Free Page B

with that kind of down-home atmosphere. They’ll be writing this place up in Southern Living. ”
    Bobby shot a sour look at him. “The card’s not signed,” he noted.
    â€œI imagine that’s to keep you guessing,” Walker chimed in with another of those annoying grins.
    â€œLooks to me like a woman’s handwriting,” Tucker added. “Thought I smelled a trace of perfume, too.”
    â€œIs that the kind of top-notch investigative work thepeople of this county can expect from the sheriff?” Bobby inquired. “I could figure out that much.”
    â€œAny time you want to sign up to be a deputy, let me know,” Tucker retorted.
    Bobby scowled at him. “Didn’t the guard have any idea who’d hired him?”
    â€œAs a matter of fact, he did, but he wasn’t inclined to share it,” Tucker said, snatching Bobby’s cooling food from in front of him and shoveling it down.
    â€œHey,” Bobby protested, “what do you think you’re doing?”
    â€œHaving breakfast,” Tucker said blandly. “The mayor rousted me out of bed, and I’m starved. Besides, you weren’t eating it. This is the least you can do after spoiling my day off.”
    â€œI’m not the one who called, and I was going to eat that myself,” Bobby countered.
    Tucker shrugged. “It would have been too cold. Fix yourself something else. Last I heard you were a professional cook.”
    â€œI’m a chef, dammit, and that’s not the point.” Bobby sighed heavily. “Aren’t the two of you on duty? Isn’t it your job to find the woman who sent this card?”
    â€œActually, I’m not officially on duty. As for the rest, sometimes the smartest, most efficient thing a cop can do is nothing. I’m thinking the woman behind all this will find you,” Tucker said. “Got any bacon? I’m in the mood for some nice, crisp bacon.”
    â€œFix it yourself,” Bobby said, then looked toward his brother-in-law. “Since my brother is more interested infilling his stomach than using his brain, what about you? Do you have any bright ideas about this?”
    â€œTucker’s right. If someone went to this much trouble, they’re going to show up to see how it turned out,” Walker said, then added, “Damn, I’m sorry Daisy’s missing this. Your sister would have to pick this weekend to take Tommy off to Williamsburg for an educational adventure.”
    â€œThank God for small favors,” Bobby grumbled. He’d forgotten about that trip. It was the only reason his sister wasn’t in the thick of things. “Having the two of you here is bad enough. I don’t need Daisy putting in her two cents. And Tommy’d be out there right now trying to charge people to take pictures. That boy has a true entrepreneurial spirit.”
    Finally thinking of something to smile about, Bobby said to Walker, “By the way, I’ll bet you twenty bucks that those two haven’t done an educational thing since they got to Williamsburg—unless you consider riding the roller coaster at Busch Gardens to be some form of higher education.”
    â€œThat’s a sucker bet,” Walker said. “No question about it.”
    Just then the doorbell rang. Bobby frowned and didn’t make a move to answer it. He’d had about as much unwanted company as he could take this morning.
    â€œWell?” Tucker prodded when it rang again.
    â€œWell, what?”
    â€œAren’t you going to answer it? Remember what I said, that mysterious woman is likely to come lookingfor you. That could be her. Your mystery could be solved right here and now.”
    Bobby considered the possibilities. Tucker could be right. Or, more likely, it could be his father, urged to interfere by the mayor. It could even be some kid with a bunch of unanswerable questions. Or his buddy Richard, wanting some kind of a