Bourbon Creme Killer: Book 9 in The INNcredibly Sweet Series Read online

  “Would you like a cupcake and some coffee, Mr. Eckels?” Missy asked.

  Tim blinked at her for a moment. “Yes, of course I would,” he nodded, peering at her as though she’d be silly to think otherwise.

  “Coming right up,” she replied cheerily.

  She’d encountered Tim on several occasions before, and liked him, despite his social incompetence. He was straightforward, honest, and smart, and Missy sort of felt sorry for him.

  “So what’s up?” Echo paused in between bites to ask, taking a sip of her tea.

  He straightened his already rigid frame and assumed a beleaguered look. “What is up is that your insufferable neighbor and his equally appalling girlfriend verbally assaulted me when I left my home this morning, throwing threw beer cans at my head,” he regarded her soberly, his eyes huge behind his coke-bottle lenses. “The woman said that she was your friend, but I didn’t believe her for an instant, and then… she went in your house,” he confided, clearly gravely concerned. “I felt that I had to come find you and let you know.”

  Echo sighed and Missy set a luscious Pink Lemonade cupcake in front of Tim, along with a mug of coffee, a pitcher of cream, and a pot of sugar cubes. The mortician meticulously attended to his coffee, then carefully peeled the wrapper away from his cupcake, breaking the bottom of the cake off and placing it gingerly on top of the frosting so that he could take bites without getting his hands and face messy.

  “I’m sorry about that, Tim. I’ll talk to her.”

  “Then she IS your friend?” He blinked rapidly, astonished.

  “No. That is not even close to how I would describe our relationship,” Echo sighed again. “But she does happen to be staying with me temporarily.”

  “Oh dear. Well, you might have to think about cleaning your carpets, I heard some awful retching noises after she dashed inside,” he confided, taking a bite of cupcake.

  “Great. Just great,” she dropped her head into her hands.

  “Oh honey, I’m so sorry,” Missy’s hands covered her throat in horror. “I’m gonna call the carpet cleaners right now and tell them I’ll pay them extra,” she promised, dashing from the room and pulling out her phone.

  She came back a few minutes later, and Tim had gone, leaving a ten-dollar bill to cover his coffee, cupcake, and tip.

  “Oh, he didn’t have to do that. I wouldn’t have charged him anything,” Missy commented, stuffing the bill in the tip jar.

  “He insisted,” Echo replied. “Tim’s a good guy. A little misunderstood, but definitely good.”

  “It sure seems that way,” Missy agreed.

  Her phone rang and she pulled it out of her pocket, delighted when she saw who was calling.

  “Grayson, sweetie, how are you?”

  Echo watched Missy’s face changed from delighted to concerned, to frightened, in rapid succession. She caught snippets of Missy’s side of the conversation when she came back to the table after refilling her tea.

  “Are you sure? And there’s been no word? Oh, I’m so sorry honey. Yes, keep me posted. Okay… Bye.”

  Missy hung up the phone, looking stunned.

  “What is it?” Echo demanded, putting down her tea cup.

  “That was Grayson… there may not be a wedding… Sarah is missing.”

  Copyright 2016 Summer Prescott.

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