Death Stretch Read Free

us, radiating welcome warmth. Even though spring bloomed outside, my bones ached from delayed shock.
    Mona promised the hot chocolate we ordered would only take a minute but that sixty seconds sounded like a long wait. If you've ever been present when someone died, you know how I felt. Shaken, not stirred.
    Ginger placed her hand over mine. “You okay?”
    Nodding, I bit into a truffle dusted with cayenne. The creamy ganache melted in my mouth while the spice reminded me I still lived and was glad of it.
    My friend glanced at the chocolates beautifully displayed on a square white plate but didn't touch a single one. “This wasn't supposed to happen. I never thought you'd get caught up in my mess. It should have been simple. Find the blackmailer and report him to the cops before anyone found out.”
    By “anyone” she meant her husband, Rob. By my count, he didn't deserve her discretion.
    “Ginger, you've saved my butt more often than I can remember. I'll have your back whenever you need help. Stop worrying and eat a truffle before I eat yours too.”
    She didn't move, not a millimeter, and her stillness scared me. God, gruff humor hadn't worked to make her feel better. Time to up the ante.
    I placed my hand over hers and squeezed. “Ginger, we're the Demonic Duo.” I waited. The corners of her lips twitched but she remained quiet. “Don't make me say it.”
    Ginger's lips curved up. “Say it.”
    “I really hate it when you make me go girly.”
    “Say it or I'll never share chocolate with you again.” Despite her almost smile, tears welled in her brown eyes.
    Oh, crap.
    Grasping her hand, I took a deep breath and spoke past my dry throat. Declaring love out loud was not easy for me. I'd rather show it and Ginger knew that.
    “I love you, Ginger. Don't do this, please.”
    Mona, the owner of Chocolate Fix, plopped two mugs of hot chocolate in front of us. “Don't do what?”
    The hot drink, made with half-and-half, shaved Belgian chocolate and topped with real whipped cream, called to me like a siren to sailors. Not too sweet, smooth and silky, the rich confection had me ready to beach myself on the nearest rocky shore. I licked off my cream mustache before answering. “Get upset about what happened at the Yoga Studio.”
    Mona slid her generous curves onto a nearby chair and picked up the truffle Ginger and I planned to split. She noticed my raised eyebrow and shrugged. “I'll give you another one. Now, tell me, were you there when Morgan died?”
    Ginger's mouth dropped open. “You know what happened already?”
    “Your other classmates came in after the cops took their statements. What took you so long? I had to hear the news from some snarky blonde.” Not waiting for an answer, she turned her attention to me. “I heard you tried to save him.”
    A nod seemed a good enough answer.
    “Too bad. If I'd been there, I'd have told you not to bother.”
    A jolt ran through me, my spine straightened. This was a Mona I'd never seen before. Her eyes held fire, her cheeks stained a mottled pink and her breathing heavy. What the...?
    Mona leaned closer. “The man was trouble.” Her voice dropped. “His beauty was only skin deep, if you know what I mean.”
    Even though Mona was a long-time friend, this was Ginger’s story. Her quickie affair with Morgan wouldn’t just destroy her marriage. It could also land her in jail.
    I caught Ginger's shadowed expression and stalled. “I'd never met Morgan before today. I'd seen him around, but that’s it.”
    Mona sniffed. “You didn't miss much. Not unless you wanted to get screwed. The talk around town made him a maestro in bed.”
    Her face turned candy apple red. Huh? Maybe she was one of Morgan’s multitudes.
    Nah, I was pretty sure Mona didn't like men enough to exchange saliva with one. The blush must've come from the odd sense of decorum I'd noticed before. Odd because Mona had founded an original Hippie commune out west before moving to our little North