Sail With Me Read Free

the leather seat.   She found herself thinking of Chief O’Malley sitting in his air-conditioned office while she was cooking in the patrol car.   Her pants suit felt unbearable in the humidity and coupled with the one hundred plus degree heat she felt like a pool of sweat.   The latest weather update said it would be another four days of record temperatures before things would begin to cool down.   Delaney guzzled from her water bottle and put the car keys in her pocket, but left all the windows down.  
     
    She didn’t verbally acknowledge it, but opening the door to the Town Store and feeling the sudden burst of cold air on her face was refreshing.   She could immediately feel the beads of sweat dissipating into the air and was instantly in a better mood.   “Delaney, I was hoping the chief would send you.   You’re the only cop in town with any brains,” William said as he handed her an ice cold can of Diet Coke.   Delaney cracked the tab and hesitated just for a second before taking several gulps from the beverage.   She could feel the burn in her eyes and when she looked up at William he chuckled and said, “Brain freeze, it’s written all over your face.”   Wincing, she agreed with a nod and motioned with her hand for William to talk.  
     
    William started telling her how a group of teenagers placed a red Life Saver on the floor of his store, just in front of the refrigerator which held the milk.   The teens had pushed the candy just under the lip so it wouldn’t be stepped on.   Delaney patiently listened to his complaint and watched as William’s hands moved all around as he told his side of the story.   Delaney had learned from experience that everyone wanted the opportunity to tell their side of the story and it was better not to interrupt, just listen and take it all in while trying to pull out the important facts.   William had owned the Town Store for most of his life and he lived right above it in a little apartment by himself.   He had never married but was known to bring home a lady friend every now and then.   It was common knowledge that if you arrived at the store and found it closed, it was because he had a woman upstairs.   Seeing that this only happened a few times a year, it was more of an event than an inconvenience and provided people with something to talk about for the week.  
     
    William had stopped speaking and asked her what she was going to do.   “Well, what exactly is your complaint?” she asked.
     
    He threw up his hands and sighed, “Isn’t it obvious?   These hooligans are trying to ruin my reputation.   They placed the Life Saver on my floor, and are now telling people I don’t keep the place clean.”
     
    Delaney thought about this for a second, and then asked, “When did the kids put the candy there?”
     
    William put his hands in his pockets and looked down at his feet.   Mumbling so she could barely hear him he said, “Two months ago.”
     
    She let out a laugh, followed by, “I suggest you sweep your floor immediately and be grateful they didn’t call the health department.   I know the kids you’re talking about and when I see them I’ll have a talk with them.”   He looked at her with big doubting eyes, and she said, “Promise.”  
     

 
     
     
     
 
     
Chapter Four
     
    Delaney parked her Mini Cooper in the garage and went inside.   She was immediately attacked by Fetch, her two-year-old golden retriever.   After a quick greeting, she opened the back door and the dog took off across the yard.   She had three acres, and the invisible fence ran around the entire border of her property.   Several months after Kevin died she had received a call from an attorney.   To her utter shock, Kevin had never removed her as the beneficiary from his life insurance policy.   They had purchased equal term life policies after they were married and she immediately removed him from her policy before the divorce was even final.