Read Between the Tines Read Online Free Page A

hand. "Back up. Exactly why did you come here?"
    Face strained, she peered at Adam. He gave a barely perceptible nod. She shook her head. He nodded again.
    "I can't tell you," she blurted out. "It doesn't matter anyway. It has nothing to do with finding him. Honest. I promise."
    "I'm afraid answering my question isn't optional, Ms. Plante." Mitch looked at Adam. "Please instruct your client to answer."
    "I can't. I mean, I won't." Daisy turned to face me. "I'll tell Paige and then she can tell you."
    "I can't talk." I tipped my head at Mitch.
    Daisy crossed her arms. "Then we'll just have to move to the next question."
    Mitch and Adam both seemed like they wanted to strangle Daisy. I wasn't far behind. What could she be too embarrassed to admit?
    Mitch cleared his throat. "Fine, tell Paige. But hurry up."
    Daisy grabbed my hand and dragged me out of earshot. "The suit was binding something awful, and I had to fix it."
    I laughed at what I thought I heard her say. "What?"
    She tugged on the inside of the costume molded to her body like a one-piece bathing suit. "This was riding up something fierce. Awful painful. I had to adjust it, but the principal locked up the school after I changed into the costume. I couldn't find him and say, 'excuse me, Mr. Principal but could you let me into the school. My suit is binding up.' I couldn't fix it in public, or I'd get fired for opening the costume in front of others. So I came out here where no one would see me."
    I forced back a laugh and giving my eyes an understanding scrunch, I nodded. "I see."
    "So, go tell them. I'll wait here until they know."
    "It's not a big deal, Daisy."
    She seemed ready to pour tears. "Not to you. You aren't the one the whole town will talk about when they hear."
    She had a point. This would spread through Serendipity like blight on a rose bush. I could empathize. When I'd found Bud, my name was bandied about and remained airborne until I solved the crime. I would do whatever I could to keep that from happening to Daisy. I gave her a quick hug then returned to the pair and explained her dilemma.
    Mitch howled. This was the first time I'd seen him laugh this earnestly since I'd moved back to town a little over a year ago. Who knew it took a simple clothing malfunction to make him laugh? Would have been worth the pain had I known. But I wouldn't downplay Daisy's discomfort. "This is embarrassing enough for Daisy without your chuckles. I hope you'll keep her reason for being out here just between us. Now, can we resume your questions so she can go?"
    Mitch nodded and slowly, very slowly, wound down ending with a grin.
    Curling a finger, I beckoned Daisy, who trudged our way. Her ginormous green feet flopped on the needle-covered ground, sending debris jumping when they hit. In my opinion, seeing a dejected and utterly humiliated pickle was one of the worst sights in the world.
    Mitch, however, seemed not to care. He attacked the moment she arrived. "Okay, so now we know why you were here." He paused as if fighting the grin capturing his lips. "What happened next?"
    Daisy flushed crimson. "The marketing manager at Pacific Pickles—she's my boss—already warned me once about messing up the suit, so I set the head ever so carefully on the ground and then opened up the front." She tugged at the seam running the length of the suit. "See how there are Velcro tabs all the way down? It takes forever to get in and out of this thing, but I just had to adjust it, because it was starting to. . .well, never mind. I got it open and shifted things around. Phew, it felt so good. I mean it was really—I saw the man's feet. Then I spotted the log. The poor guy. I just knew he was in trouble. I mean, how would you feel if a log fell off a tree and hit you on the head?"
    Right brow raised, Mitch stared at Daisy. "Am I supposed to believe you think the log fell off the tree?"
    "Well, not anymore, but at first I did. Why? Is that so hard to believe?"
    Mitch shook his head, and