Double Dip Dilemma: A Cozy Mystery (Caesars Creek Mystery Series Book 5) Read Free Page A

said with his mouth full of Chocolate Explosion. He stared at his laptop screen.
     
    Sammy walked over to him and looked at the screen. “What is it? Oh my gosh!”
     
    Stormi tossed the dishtowel she was using to wipe down the counter over her shoulder. “Good grief younguns…what is it?”
     
    Sammy pointed to the screen. “It’s the Caesars Creek Gazette online website. It says the police suspect foul play in this morning’s accident on Main Street.”
     
    At that moment, Paige and Bruce walked into the shoppe. “So I guess you’ve heard,” Paige said as Bruce took a seat at the table next to Brandon, Colton and I.
     
    “Just now,” Stormi answered.
     
    A few customers came in and I walked around the counter to take their orders as the others carried on their conversation. Winchester decided it was too noisy not to get into the mix and rose from his bed and promptly jumped into Brandon’s lap.
     
    Paige took a seat at Bruce’s table. “Mrs. Morgan said she had no brakes. I wonder if someone cut them.”
     
    Sammy pulled another full bag out of the trash receptacle in the rear of the shoppe. “That’s what I said.”
     
    “But who would cut the brake line on her car?” Bruce asked.
     
    Colton wiped his mouth with a napkin. “I know who she’ll blame.”
     
    Everyone turned to look at Colton. Stormi wasn’t much on patience. “Spill it kid.”
     
    Paige rolled her eyes. “Did anyone ever tell you how subtle you are?” She asked.
     
    Stormi looked at her as if she had two heads. “No.”
     
    Bruce muffled a chuckle and waved a hand at Colton. “Proceed son.”
     
    Colton turned off his computer and shut the laptop closed. “Jeremy Morgan is my best friend and Sandra is his step mom. His dad left his mom for Sandra several years ago. Jeremy’s mom wanted to move to New York, but Jeremy and his little brother Joshua didn’t want to be uprooted so they stayed on with their dad. Thing is, Sandra doesn’t like Jeremy although she will tolerate Joshua…maybe because he’s younger.”
     
    “How old is Joshua?” Stormi asked.
     
    “He just turned 13,” Colton answered. “Anyway there’s been a lot of fighting between Jeremy and Sandra. She keeps trying to talk his dad into shipping him off to NY but Jeremy wants to stay here, at least until he graduates. Caesars Creek is all he’s ever known. There’s no love lost between the two, so I’m betting she will blame Jeremy.”
     
    Stormi stood up. “Maybe she cut them herself.”
     
    Bruce shifted in his seat. “Storm, that’s crazy talk. You really think she would put herself in jeopardy like that. Pretty peculiar behavior if she did.”
     
    “She’s kind of wacko,” Sammy said. “I’ve met her a few times when Colton and I have gone over to Jeremy’s house.”
     
    “How do you mean?” Paige asked.
     
    “She’s so hateful to Jeremy, but in the same instant, she’ll be all goo-goo with Joshua. It’s somewhat sickening. I think she’s trying to put a wedge between them.”
     
    “Is she?” Stormi asked as she gathered the small vases of flowers I had arranged on each of my tables.
     
    Sammy looked at Colton. “I don’t think so do you Colton?”
     
    Colton stood up and took his now empty cup and plastic spoon to the trash bin. “No…they know what she’s up to and their bond is greater than anything she can toss at them. Although Joshua’s young, he knows what she’s up to.”
     
    “That’s good,” Paige replied. “Onto a happier subject. Do we all want to sit together at the upcoming free concert around the courthouse Saturday night? We’ll bring a cooler of drinks and sandwiches.”
     
    Every year Caesars Creek holds a free country music concert on the courthouse grounds, weather permitting. There’s only been one year it was moved to the school gym because of cold temps, but this year with the Indian summer looked to be a gorgeous evening. The music was provided by local and regional talent