Hopscotch Homicide (Zoe Donovan Mystery Book 16) Read Online Free
Author: Kathi Daley
couldn’t have been happier.
And then there was Alex, who we’d met last Christmas, when Scooter had brought her home with him for winter break. The dark-haired, blue-eyed ten-year-old had two parents who I’m sure must love her in their own way, but they were academics who cared more about making the next big discovery in archaeology than they did about being the most awesome parents. I’m not sure any of the kids—or Zimmerman Academy, for that matter—would even be part of our lives without Alex. Prior to meeting and falling in love with her, I was certain Zoe Donovan and kids were things that didn’t mix very well, like oil and water. But Alex not only had opened my mind to the idea of being a parent, she’d opened my heart to the possibility as well.
“Other than finding Mrs. Brown’s body, how did things go at the school?” Zak asked.
“Scooter is all set to begin school next week,” I informed him. “And I ran into Gilda today. She asked me if Alex would be able to participate in the play the community theater is doing this fall.”
Gilda Reynolds owned the Bears and Beaver Gift Shop and was the director of the community theater.
“Alex did such a fantastic job in the Christmas play and she really seemed to enjoy it, so I thought I’d ask her if we can work out the logistics,” I added. “The rehearsals will be in the evenings, so it won’t interfere with school.”
“It’s fine with me,” Zak said. “I’m sure between the two of us we can juggle Scooter’s soccer games and Alex’s rehearsals.”
“Does it seem odd to you to be sitting here discussing potential scheduling conflicts for after-school activities?” I asked.
“Yeah, a little bit. But I’m excited to attend Scooter’s soccer games and Alex’s play.”
“Yeah, me too.”
“Oh, here comes a funny part.” Zak returned his attention to the television screen.
I’d seen the movie before, and while there were funny parts, I wasn’t really into watching it again. I’d pretty much made up my mind to find something to read while Zak and the kids finished the movie when my phone buzzed. It was Salinger. I decided to take it in the kitchen so as not to disturb the others.
“Salinger,” I answered.
“Donovan.”
“What’s up?”
“The coroner found a button clasped in Mrs. Brown’s hand. Upon further examination of both the body and the crime scene, it appears she was attacked first in the cafeteria, where she was making hamburger gravy. There was a large pot of gravy, and because school doesn’t open until next week, I assumed she planned to freeze it until Jim Bower informed me that the freezer was old and in the process of being replaced.”
“So why the big pot of hamburger gravy?”
“I don’t know, and neither did Bower.”
“It could be a clue,” I asserted.
“Maybe. My guess is that Mrs. Brown struggled with her attacker in the kitchen and then fled the scene. It appears as if she was running across the blacktop when she was hit from behind. At first I was thinking a bat, but the coroner believes she was hit with a large rolling pin.”
“I guess that makes sense if the altercation began in the kitchen, and the fact that she ran explains why she was outside in the rain. Did you find the murder weapon?”
“No. At this point it’s just a guess that a rolling pin was the weapon. The size and shape of the wound fits that assumption. I’m guessing the killer took it with him. I doubt we’ll find it.”
It made sense that the killer would take the rolling pin. It would be easy enough to do. A rolling pin, unlike a gun, was a fairly inconspicuous item that could easily be hidden in plain sight.
“It seems like someone would have heard them if the skirmish went on for a period of time,” I added.
“The kitchen is in the back of the building, and it appears she ran out through the back door,” Salinger pointed out. “It’s unlikely anyone in the front would have realized anything was
And then there was Alex, who we’d met last Christmas, when Scooter had brought her home with him for winter break. The dark-haired, blue-eyed ten-year-old had two parents who I’m sure must love her in their own way, but they were academics who cared more about making the next big discovery in archaeology than they did about being the most awesome parents. I’m not sure any of the kids—or Zimmerman Academy, for that matter—would even be part of our lives without Alex. Prior to meeting and falling in love with her, I was certain Zoe Donovan and kids were things that didn’t mix very well, like oil and water. But Alex not only had opened my mind to the idea of being a parent, she’d opened my heart to the possibility as well.
“Other than finding Mrs. Brown’s body, how did things go at the school?” Zak asked.
“Scooter is all set to begin school next week,” I informed him. “And I ran into Gilda today. She asked me if Alex would be able to participate in the play the community theater is doing this fall.”
Gilda Reynolds owned the Bears and Beaver Gift Shop and was the director of the community theater.
“Alex did such a fantastic job in the Christmas play and she really seemed to enjoy it, so I thought I’d ask her if we can work out the logistics,” I added. “The rehearsals will be in the evenings, so it won’t interfere with school.”
“It’s fine with me,” Zak said. “I’m sure between the two of us we can juggle Scooter’s soccer games and Alex’s rehearsals.”
“Does it seem odd to you to be sitting here discussing potential scheduling conflicts for after-school activities?” I asked.
“Yeah, a little bit. But I’m excited to attend Scooter’s soccer games and Alex’s play.”
“Yeah, me too.”
“Oh, here comes a funny part.” Zak returned his attention to the television screen.
I’d seen the movie before, and while there were funny parts, I wasn’t really into watching it again. I’d pretty much made up my mind to find something to read while Zak and the kids finished the movie when my phone buzzed. It was Salinger. I decided to take it in the kitchen so as not to disturb the others.
“Salinger,” I answered.
“Donovan.”
“What’s up?”
“The coroner found a button clasped in Mrs. Brown’s hand. Upon further examination of both the body and the crime scene, it appears she was attacked first in the cafeteria, where she was making hamburger gravy. There was a large pot of gravy, and because school doesn’t open until next week, I assumed she planned to freeze it until Jim Bower informed me that the freezer was old and in the process of being replaced.”
“So why the big pot of hamburger gravy?”
“I don’t know, and neither did Bower.”
“It could be a clue,” I asserted.
“Maybe. My guess is that Mrs. Brown struggled with her attacker in the kitchen and then fled the scene. It appears as if she was running across the blacktop when she was hit from behind. At first I was thinking a bat, but the coroner believes she was hit with a large rolling pin.”
“I guess that makes sense if the altercation began in the kitchen, and the fact that she ran explains why she was outside in the rain. Did you find the murder weapon?”
“No. At this point it’s just a guess that a rolling pin was the weapon. The size and shape of the wound fits that assumption. I’m guessing the killer took it with him. I doubt we’ll find it.”
It made sense that the killer would take the rolling pin. It would be easy enough to do. A rolling pin, unlike a gun, was a fairly inconspicuous item that could easily be hidden in plain sight.
“It seems like someone would have heard them if the skirmish went on for a period of time,” I added.
“The kitchen is in the back of the building, and it appears she ran out through the back door,” Salinger pointed out. “It’s unlikely anyone in the front would have realized anything was
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