Fran Rizer - Callie Parrish 05 - Mother Hubbard Has a Corpse in the Cupboard Read Online Free Page B

stalker kind of guy and waiting for me when I head home.”
    Speak of the devil—well, not really the devil. I hardly knew the man and couldn’t honestly call him that, but sometimes my mouth gets in front of my brain. Anyway, the phone rang and Otis answered it.
    “Middleton’s Mortuary. Otis Middleton speaking. How may I help you?” A significant pause during which he grinned like that cat in Alice in Wonderland . “Yes, as a matter of fact, she’s here right now.” He handed the receiver to me.
    “Hello.” I expected the caller to be Daddy or Jane, hopefully not Rizzie with bad news.
    “Hello, is this Miss Parrish?” Low male voice.
    “Yes, how may I help you?”
    “Are you the young lady who discovered the corpse at Mother Hubbard’s Beer Garden this afternoon?”
    “Yes, I am.” I recognized the voice then, just before he identified himself.
    “This is J. T. Patel, and I know it will sound strange, like I’m tracking you down, but I decided to be daring and call you.”
    “Is something wrong?” I asked. Otis sat there sipping tea and smirking.
    “No, I just wanted to talk to you. I told Mr. Middleton that I would telephone you tomorrow because he said you were off work today, but I decided to call and leave my number for you instead. I’m glad I reached you. Are you busy?”
    “No, I’m about to go home now. What do you need?”  
    Otis laughed silently so hard that he almost fell out of his chair.
    “I’m only in town for two weeks, and I want to take you to dinner. I understand that you don’t know me, so I would never expect you to let me pick you up to go out, but I thought we might meet at a restaurant.”
    “Are you inviting me to come back to the fair and eat corndogs with you?”
    His turn to laugh. “No, I’d like to take you to the nicest restaurant in town. All you have to do is name it?”
    Didn’t have to think twice.  
    “Andre’s.”
    I’d only been there one time. My first date with Dr. Donald. Not my ex-husband Dr. Donnie, but the Dr. Donald Walters who was now my ex-boyfriend. We’d dated off and on a few years, but never got past disagreements and his womanizing nature until a while back when we’d become intimate for the first time. We’d gone home together from my brother Bill’s wedding to Molly. From then on, we’d been together every time we were both off until a few weeks ago when his calls came to a sudden, crashing end. He didn’t answer his cell or respond to my texts, so I’d finally broke down and called him at work. The receptionist took my message, but he never returned my call.  
    “Then Andre’s it shall be.” Patel’s voice brought me back to the present.
    “I was kidding. Andre’s is very expensive.”
    “I asked you to name the best, and the best always costs more. Have you eaten? I know this is short notice, but I’d like to go tonight if possible. If not, how about tomorrow?”
    “It is sudden, but, yes, I think I’d like to have dinner with you tonight.”
    Otis raised his eyebrows.
    “Just give me directions or an address to key into my GPS and tell me what time to be there.”
    I did, and we agreed to meet in an hour.
    “Don’t you let that man know where you live, Callie,” Otis cautioned when I was off the telephone.
    “I know that.” I was a little offended. Did my boss think I was stupid? “I’m not a little girl. I’m a grown woman.”
    “I know. That’s what scares me.”
     
    • • •
     
    Anything but black. Lots of women choose a little black dress with pearls when going somewhere swanky, but since black clothing is required at work, I never wear it out socially. I’d had a quick shower and put on my newest dress, a dark purple with a gold thread through the fabric. Not having time to really do my hair, I pulled it into a sleek knot at the nape of my neck. I’d been thinking of having it cut, but the longer length worked well for a quick up-sweep. A dash of lip gloss and I was ready to go.
    Andre’s