Death By Chocolate 6 (Mystery and Women Sleuths) (Josiah Reynolds Mysteries) Read Free

promise.”
    “You’ll study on what I said?” I begged.
    “I’ll bend my mind around it.”
    “Ain’t fittin’. Ain’t fittin’.”
    I knew that my beautiful daughter was playing with matches and she was going to set herself on fire.

3
    I served poached Cumberland River rainbow trout on a bed of polenta, with side dishes of wilted spinach flavored with bacon grease, and honey-glazed carrots. Dessert was a homemade cheesecake prepared with Kentucky-made soft goat cheese with a drizzling of pureed raspberries.
    “It’s been a long time since I’ve had one of your home-cooked meals, Josiah,” commented Officer Kelly.
    “Thank you. Asa helped me, as I can’t stand for long periods of time.”
    “Well, you both did a tremendous job. I’m really enjoying eating this. We usually don’t have time to cook a really good meal . . . with the kids and all. It’s just ‘get something hot on the table that the boys will eat.’ You know how it is when you’re busy.”
    “Too bad your family is not here to join us,” I said.
    Asa shot me a dirty look.
    “The wife took the boys to her parents for the holidays, since I had to work.”
    “I’m sorry to hear that,” I replied, thinking Kelly had just told me a big whopper. “So that means you’ll be alone for Thanksgiving?”
    “I’m sorry to say I will be,” Kelly gave me a big grin, “unless you give me sanctuary.”
    “I will always have food and a roof for my good friend and the savior of that mangy mutt who has buried his snout in your lap.”
    Kelly gave a loud hoot while rubbing Baby’s ears.
    Baby responded by swallowing a large amount of saliva as he looked up adoring at Kelly.
    Asa advised, “You can push him away. He just wants something to fall from your plate.”
    “That’s not it. Baby knows that Kelly saved him and is giving him much deserved doggy love.”
    “I don’t mind, Asa,” assured Kelly. “I love the attention. We’re old buddies, aren’t we, Baby?”
    Baby swallowed again, and flicked his nose with his long raspy wet tongue before licking Kelly’s hands.
    “Ooooh, Mother, see what Baby’s done. He’s got drool all over Kelly.”
    “Asa, it’s okay,” repeated Kelly, grinning. “Really.”
    I kind of got the idea that Kelly loved the ruckus centering on him as I rose to get a wet dishtowel.
    Breaking his concentration on Kelly, Baby followed me into the kitchen and then back again to the table . . . a two-hundred-pound shadow thudding behind me.
    “Here you go, Kelly,” I said, handing him the wet cloth. “Baby, leave Kelly alone. He’s trying to eat.”
    Asa opened the patio door and pushed Baby out. We were finally able to enjoy our food in peace.
    “Kelly, the rainbow trout was caught by Dwight Wheelwright. He always gives me about six to a dozen trout when he goes on his fishing trips. He takes several a year. I guess I should say ‘gave’ instead of ‘gives’. Any break in the case?”
    Kelly took a bite of his cheesecake before committing himself. “It’s the darndest case I’ve ever worked on. We can’t come to any conclusion. Right now, it’s a cold case, as we have nothing to decide whether his disappearance was foul play, an accident or that Dwight just walked away.”
    “You don’t think he left town without saying a word to anyone. That doesn’t seem like Dwight to leave his family high and dry.”
    Asa spoke up. “People do walk away from their lives all the time.”
    “Was something going on in Dwight’s life that would make him just up and leave?”
    Kelly shook his head. “We talked to dozens of people – friends, relatives and no one had a bad word to say about Dwight. Hard working. Loyal family man. Good to his mother.
    “We couldn’t find any evidence of gambling, bad debts, women, drinking . . . nothing. Dwight was as clean as they come. I think the most trouble he got into was several speeding tickets. He liked to put the pedal to the metal.”
    “Ginny told me that Dwight