Peggy Dulle - Liza Wilcox 02 - Apple Pots and Funeral Plots Read Online Free Page A

caused the accident,” Bill called from the back of my car.
    I joined him. “What?”
    “Looks like you blew your back left tire, probably on one of the many potholes in our great roads. Then, you crossed over to the other side and rolled down into one of our massive irrigation ditches.” He pointed to the front of my car. “That wouldn’t have been too bad, but the front of your car struck a huge cement block that someone must have tossed into the ditch. It’s probably left over from a road job.”
    “Great.” I shook my head. “Have you got a car rental place in town?”
    Bill chuckled. “It’s not that big of a town.”
    “She can always use Kate’s car,” Ted said, sarcastically.
    I glanced from Ted to Kate. “Oh, no, I couldn’t use your car.”
    She glanced at Ted, frowned and then to her dad. “I’m grounded for two weeks. I won’t be driving it.”
    Bill nodded. “That’s right, and if you sneak out after you say you’ve gone to bed again, I’ll sell it to Liza.”
    Kate’s eyes widened. “I’ll never do it again, I promise.” She grabbed her dad’s arm and smiled up at him.
    “Good girl.” He patted her head. “That’s what your dear old dad wants to hear.”
    “Well, I’m not sure about the car,” I said. “But I could use a ride into town. Can you tow my car in, too?”
    “No problem. How about I take you and the kids into town and I’ll come back tomorrow morning and get the car?”
    “That’s great.” Out of the backseat I grabbed my two bags, one with my clothes and the other with Shelby ’s food and our treats.
    As we walked up and out of the ditch, I glanced back at my car. I used my first teaching paycheck to make the down payment on that used VW. It had served me well for the last ten years, but now it was time to move on.
    We all piled into the cab of the tow truck. It was a tight fit. Shelby sat on my lap and Kate sat on Ted’s. He was the only one who looked happy.
    Bill looked at Ted and frowned. “Do you want me to take you home?”
    “No, Kate and I were walking from my house into town to get some pizza.” He smiled at Kate. “Are we still going?”
    “Of course.”
    Bill shook his head. “Nothing stops my daughter and her stomach.”
    Just then my stomach growled . Everyone looked at me. Bill laughed, “I guess your stomach needs filling up, too.”
    “I am kind of hungry. I ate lunch, but that was hours ago.”
    “Well, how about I drop your stuff at the Motor Inn and then take you all for pizza?” Bill suggested.
    “How did you know that I’m staying at the Motor Inn?” I asked.
    He patted Shelby on the head. “It’s the only place that takes dogs.”
    I wanted to add that it was where Danielle Slammers was killed too, but didn’t. I just nodded and glanced out the window. All of the local businesses were closed and dark as we drove into town. From what I could see, the fronts of the businesses looked freshly painted and their names were illuminated with brightly colored neon signs. Although the streets were deserted, they looked neat and clean.
    Kate noticed my looking around and let out a huge sigh. “Yep, they roll up the streets in Clainsworth around five every day.”
    “Except for festival nights,” Ted added.
    “Is that why you’re here?” Bill asked.
    “No. I didn’t even know about the festival.”
    “Then why the hell would you come to Clainsworth?” Kate asked and then quickly caught her dad’s disapproving eye. She grinned. “Sorry, Dad.”
    He shook his head. “You and your mouth, young lady.”
    Just then we pulled up to the Motor Inn. It looked newly painted, too, and the parking lot contained fewer potholes than the highway. Luckily, I never needed to answer the question of why I came to Clainsworth. Things were looking up. Kate and Ted got out and let Shelby and me out of the truck.
    “The pizza parlor’s just two blocks down from the inn. Are you coming?” Bill asked. Kate started giggling until her dad