Black Bottom Murder: A Frosted Love Cozy Mystery Book 6 (Frosted Love Mysteries) Read Free Page B

he replied, kissing her one last time before heading down
the steps toward his car. Missy waved as he drove away, disappearing inside
when he turned the corner. Toffee was delighted to see her favorite person, and
gave a more than enthusiastic greeting, her majestic plume of a tail swishing
back and forth. Missy kicked off her shoes and scratched between Toffee’s ears
affectionately until her phone rang, disturbing the moment. Thinking that it
was probably Chas, letting her know that he’d arrived home safely, she was
surprised to hear Echo’s voice on the line.
    “Missy,
I’m frightened. I don’t know what to do,” she wailed.
    “Echo,
what’s wrong?” she asked, alarmed.
    “Safflower
stormed out of here a few hours ago, and she hasn’t come back. It’s dark and
she’s in a strange place and I’m just really worried about her,” she explained,
her voice thick with tears.
    “ Just
what poor Echo needs right now, ” Missy thought, angry at Safflower’s
ongoing petulance. “Why was she upset?” she asked, trying hard to mask her
frustration.
    “Well,
I’m embarrassed to say…but when you left, she made a remark about you being
provincial or something, and when I defended you, she got angry and left,” Echo
admitted.
    Missy
sighed inwardly. She wasn’t upset by Safflower’s assessment, it took more than
a snide remark to get her goat, but she hated the fact that the selfish twit
was making Echo’s life even more difficult than it needed to be right now.
“Well, I wouldn’t be too worried,” she reassured her friend. “She probably just
needed some time to cool off. Dellville is a quiet, safe little town, I’m sure
she’ll be fine and will come back when she’s darn good and ready.”
    “I
used to think Dellville was safe, but someone did get murdered here recently,”
Echo reminded her, worried.
    “Yes,
but it’s well-known that the victim was disliked by pretty much everyone.
Safflower doesn’t even know anyone,” Missy pointed out.
    “True.
Okay…I guess I’ll just wait up for her, but if she isn’t here by morning, I’m
calling the police.”
    “Good
plan. Let me know when she’s safe,” her friend instructed.
    “I
will, thanks Missy.”
    They
hung up, and Missy headed for bed, Toffee at her heels. She read for a while,
hoping to hear from Echo, but eventually closed her book and snapped off the
bedside lamp, pulling the covers up to her neck. She tossed and turned for most
of the night, falling in and out of sleep, until Echo at last texted her around
3:30, saying that Safflower had gone out for a snack and was safe. Because of
the late hour and lack of sleep, it never occurred to Missy to reflect upon how
strange it was that a young girl had gone out in the middle of the night to
“get a snack,” returning in the wee hours of the morning. She was just glad
that Safflower was safe and Echo was relieved. Feeling better herself, she went
back to sleep and slept dreamlessly until just after dawn.

Chapter 4
     
    Missy
was baffled at the curt text that she received from Chas shortly after waking.
    “ Get
dressed, I’ll pick you up in ten minutes, ” was the cryptic message that she
received from the detective.
    She
hurriedly threw on a pair of yoga pants and a loose, warm sweatshirt, pulling
her golden curls into a hasty ponytail. She had just come back in from taking
Toffee out when Chas knocked loudly at the front door. Her heart sunk within
her when she saw the look on his face – she knew that something had happened.
    “Chas,
what’s going on?” she demanded, worried.
    “I’ll
tell you in the car,” he answered grimly. “Let’s go.”
    Missy
was aghast when she heard the reason that he had picked her up, and remained
silent for the duration of the trip, holding her fragile emotions together as
best she could. She leaped from the car when the detective pulled up in front
of her Dellville store, her heart breaking. Someone had picked the lock on the
front door,