Killer Breakfast Specials (A Sage and Dash Cozy Mystery Book 2) Read Free

started. “I’m jotting this stuff down and can pass along your suggestions, but I make baked goods. I’m hoping to get some favorite flavors. Do you prefer cranberry-orange, blueberry, or something else? If you could fill this out with your three top choices, I’ll keep it in mind when I send in the goodies.”
    “I want Fruity Pebbles in my muffins. I don’t care how you sneak them in. Or Cap’n Crunch. I’m tired of mushy oatmeal day after day.” A familiar tune was played.
    “How about steak?”
    “I want chocolate pudding.”
    Rosie sighed.
    This wasn’t going quite how she expected. She thought she’d quickly go from room to room, take a short survey and be on her way. Not so much.
    “If I have to listen to Frank chewing and smacking his lips one more time, I’m going to knock his teeth out.” An old man hobbled to the front of the group. He turned to glare at Frank. “Do you hear me, Frank?”
    A nurse came and disbanded the lively crew. “It’s time for Bingo,” she said, and then scooted them along.
    Rosie sat on one of the now empty chairs. Everything was non-descript. No bright colors, no pretty art on the walls, just gray and brown, drab walls, drab halls, and a punch of color with the ever so lovely green vinyl chairs. This place left her feeling more down than up. Maybe she’d suggest-
    “Excuse me,” Mrs. Owens said and sat down. She sighed. “Have you seen my son? He’s in trouble again.”
    “No, I’m sorry, I haven’t.”
    The older woman leaned in close. “Well, I know what he did. I know what you did, too, and you’ll never get away with it,” she hissed.
    Rosie nodded politely and got out of there as fast as she could. As she sat in her car, guilt crept over her. She didn’t want to go back. It was another world. Would that be her fate? Her mother’s? Eating oatmeal, wanting Fruity Pebbles and chocolate pudding, instead of banana?
    Depressed, Rosie started her car. That’s when it hit her. She went back inside and found Mrs. Owens. “I know what they did, too.”
    “You saw her?” Mrs. Owen’s eyes shot open wide. “And she smelled to high heaven, that cheap perfume. And who wears so much?”
    “What did she do?”
    She lowered her voice. “I think the nurse is trying to kill me. She’s trying to kill us all. She took out poor Mr. Jones.”
    “Who?”
    Mrs. Owens glanced over her shoulder, then put a finger to her lips. “She’s feeding us poison. We’re all going to die. I should go before she hears me, or I’ll be next.”
    Rosie sighed. Okay, so it wasn’t as easy as asking a paranoid woman a simple question, but again, the mention of the perfume. Maybe she should go talk to Twyla and Lila, since they were obviously visiting their father, or at least one of them was. She’d check the guest book and see if she could figure out which daughter had been in that day.
    …it solved nothing. Both were in. Not long after the other. Her mind was playing tricks on her. Why would they want to hurt their own father? Maybe it was something in the food, but not in her muffins. Rosie shook her head. No, she wasn’t getting sucked into something like this again. Last time, the entire thing got out of hand. It was probably old age. Mr. Jones was eighty. It’s not like he was a spring chicken. It’s probably just an overreaction by his kids.

Chapter 5
     
    When Rosie got back to the restaurant, it was all locked up. She glanced around, checking things, but there was no sign of her mother. Once inside, there was a note on the counter. Oh boy, she’d gotten into it with Sheriff Snyder again. Why?
    Apparently, she’d be spending the night in the town’s jail after taking a swing at the man. Gary Snyder would jump at the chance to lock up Rosie’s mom, and she obviously gave him reason.
    Rosie dropped down onto a counter stool and sighed. Not again. Why, Mom? Why?
    Standing back up after taking a few deep breaths to keep from losing it, she walked the two blocks