"A Murder In Milburn", Book 4: Death By Ice Cream Read Online Free Page A

Harvey.”
    “Oh, I’m trying to be.” Harvey smiled. “Impresses the clients. To be honest, my drink of choice is a humble beer. Any brand, as long as it’s ice cold.”
    “I’m sure I can manage to rustle up a couple of those,” Bernard said with a smile.
    They went around back, and were greeted by a fluffy orange cat, who wound her way around Nora’s legs, insisting on having her ears scratched.
    “Oh, mind Rusky, she’s a bit of a brat.” Simone smiled. “Once you start rubbing her tummy, she’ll never let you escape. The way she demands to be served, I think she was an Egyptian pharaoh in her last birth.”
    Bernard laughed. “Simone’s a little jealous because I love Ruski more than her.” He picked up the cat and nuzzled it. “I do, don’t I?” His voice softened as he used baby-talk on the cat. “You’re a pretty cat, aren’t you? Who’s a queen? You are. Yes. You are.”
    Simone whacked him on the shoulder playfully, and laughed. “Hey, save some of that loving for me!” she teased.
    They led Nora and Harvey to the backyard and to their seats. While the front drive had made their house look grand, the backyard made it look very cozy. A string of lights emitted a soft yellow glow, while fireflies winked as they flew about. A long table made of dark wood had covered dishes and candles on it, while a few children’s toys were scattered about on the bank near the river.
    As they sat down, the screen door creaked open, and a small boy poked his head out. He was a scrawny little thing, with dark hair that stuck up in odd patches around his head, and beautiful eyes the color of melting chocolate.  
    “Hey buddy.” Bernard opened his arms to welcome him. “What are you doing here? Thought we put you to bed.”
    “I heard noises,” he said. “I couldn’t sleep. There’s someone up there, daddy.”
    “Come on, now.” Bernard cuddled the young boy and gave him a little kiss on the forehead. “Is it the monsters in your closet again?”
    “No. It was… there was a face in the window,” the boy said with a shudder. His eyes were big and tearful.
    “Oh, dear.” Simone sighed, and picked him up. “Come on, Cliff. I’ll take you upstairs.”
    “I don’t wanna go,” the boy cried. “I want my daddy.”
    “Come on, dearie.” Simone put her nose against his and rubbed. “You know we love you. We’re right here if you get scared, all right? Want me to read your favorite book to you again?”
    “Can we read about Moomoo The Elephant?” he asked.
    “All right. Let’s go. You want some water first?”
    “No.” His fears forgotten now that his mother was coming with him, Will bounded back to the door.
    “Hey, say bye to your uncle Harvey and aunt Nora first,” Simone said.
    “Bye.” Will gave Nora a shy wave, and ran off.
    Bernard watched them both go with a smile on his face. “Family,” he said as he turned back to Nora and Harvey. “Family centers a man like nothing else. Do you know, when I was 20, I thought all I wanted out of life was to travel the world? I didn’t have much ambition. Oh, I knew how to make money, but unlike my dad, I never saw the need to make too much of it. My plan in life was to do odd jobs while traveling Europe.”
    “Did you ever do it?”
    “The first year I was studying in Paris I spent a few months of the year in Portugal and Spain,” Bernard said. “Of course, once I met Simone, my plans changed a little. Now I wanted to travel the world, but with two tickets. But Simone… well, Simone was a passionate woman. She’s always loved to bring sweetness into other people’s lives. I guess I got caught up in her dream and made it my own.”
    “Ice-cream’s a funny business to go into, isn’t it?” Harvey said. “What made her do it?”
    “Oh, her grandfather and his father have always sold ice-creams,” Bernard said. “It’s a family obsession with them, I think. Bakeries, chocolate, ice-cream - anything sweet. It’s a wonder they