He'd wanted to rake his lawn earlier that morning, but the trip to Daisy Ann's put the kibosh to that idea. The neighbor's little girl saw him as he got out of the truck with the kitten. She came running over.
The gods were smiling. The little girl's mother agreed to let her keep it. Deke couldn't believe his luck.
He went inside and went straight to his garage. Unlocking the cabinet that ran along the back wall, he retrieved a battered cardboard box. He removed the lid.
He changed into a baggy sleeveless tee and khaki pants and grabbed the rake. He'd barely started when a car stopped near his driveway.
A man got out. He was a stranger. Tall and pumped up. Deke knew the kind. Steroids and adrenaline.
Deke had never seen him before. He was young. Torn jeans and a dirty tee. A black ball cap was slung low over his eyes. He walked up slowly.
Deke stiffened. His left fist uncontrollably clenched.
"Help ya, padnah," Deke said, pulling a stub-nosed pistol from his belt.
The man's breath caught in his throat. He stopped in his tracks.
"Lookin' for a friend's house," he said. "Uh. Wrong street."
"Guess you better mosey on back to your car."
"Sorry, man. Didn't mean to bother you."
"No bother," Deke said.
Deke leaned on the rake and watched the car pull away.
YOU ARE READING
It's Murder at the Buy-Right
Mystery / ThrillerIt's murder at the Buy-Right, a small town grocery store, a cozy-mystery set in rural America. When a body is found behind the store in a dumpster, Daisy Ann, the cashier, is mortified. She sets out to find the killer before he strikes again.
