Green Living Can Be Deadly (A Blossom Valley Mystery) Read Online Free

happened?” She shook her head as if trying to clear her mind.
    I gulped. “I think Wendy’s dead,” I said for what seemed the millionth time, though I was still having trouble accepting the meaning of the words.
    “This is so horrible!” Kimmie wailed. “Who did this to her?” Tears pooled along her lower eyelids.
    I patted her back. “I don’t know, but the police are on their way. Just relax until they get here.”
    An older couple wandered over, probably drawn to the sight of us sitting on the ground. Maybe they thought we were participating in a green-living demonstration, showing how the closer you sat to the ground, the less you contributed to global warming. The gray-haired woman lifted the tent flap, spotted Wendy’s body, and shrieked.
    I struggled to my feet, careful not to look at poor Wendy again. “Please stay back. There’s been an accident.”
    “That don’t look like no accident,” the man said.
    I completely agreed, but now was not the time to offer details. I positioned myself in front of the tent flap so no one could enter the booth. Simultaneously I patted the top of Kimmie’s head with my free hand, as though she were a well-behaved Labrador, not a woman bordering on shock.
    Three more people stopped before the tent, and I swallowed a curse. Now everyone showed up for the festival?
    “What’s going on?” a man asked. “What happened to that lady?” Guess I wasn’t blocking their view as much as I thought.
    I could hear sirens in the distance, growing louder. Thank goodness. I spotted a cluster of people down by the food booths and sent up a quick prayer that the authorities would reach Wendy’s booth before they did.
    If anything, it was a tie.
    As the paramedics rushed up on one side, the large group approached from the other.
    “Is someone hurt?” a woman in the pack asked.
    “What’re they doing here?” another said.
    I focused on the paramedics, particularly the one holding the medical kit.
    “Kimmie here fainted after . . .” I looked into the tent once more. “Well, after she found Wendy.”
    The paramedic dropped his bag and knelt next to Kimmie, while the other headed inside the tent.
    “How are you feeling now?” the paramedic asked Kimmie.
    I moved out of the way and sidled over to where Zennia waited behind her table.
    She stood with her large bowl of corn salad, several small paper cups lined up before it with samples, which no one was interested in trying. All available customers were too busy watching the paramedics work. I almost tried some so she wouldn’t feel slighted, but the idea of eating right now made my stomach roil.
    “That poor woman’s dead, isn’t she?” Zennia said.
    I pressed a hand to my face. “I’m almost positive, but the paramedics will make sure.”
    “And Kimmie?”
    “She’ll be fine. The shock of finding her old friend must have overwhelmed her for a minute. I know it knocked me back a step.”
    Zennia looked close to tears. “Was she your friend, too?”
    I thought again about our junior-high days, trying on clothes together, gossiping about the latest boy band. “Once upon a time. I haven’t seen her in years, not since high school.” I felt pressure build behind my eyes.
    A hand settled on my shoulder. “Hey, Dana, how’s it going?”
    A rush of warmth ran through my body as I turned around to greet Jason. We’d been dating on and off since we met at the farm. Lately things had become more serious between us. We’d even had “the talk” about being exclusive and had a standing date every Saturday night, if not more often.
    As always, seeing his dimples made me smile, even at a time like this. I hugged him, leaning into his thin, muscular body and relishing the moment of comfort on this cool, dreary afternoon.
    He released me and studied my face. His green eyes were filled with concern. “Are you all right?”
    “I think so.” I suddenly wished I had a chair. Then I noticed the notepad in his hand. “Are