Tomato Basil Murder: Book 7 in The Darling Deli Series Read Online Free Page A

a few minutes later, her heart pounding from the exertion, and quickly refilled Maverick’s water bowl and scooped a cup of kibble into his bowl. While he ate, she hurried down the hall to the bathroom. A glance at her watch showed her that she would have just enough time for a shower before she was due to meet the real estate agent, Madeline, at the house on Morel Street. She was eager to see what the inside of the beautiful little house looked like, but had to keep reminding herself that she likely wouldn’t be able to afford it and that she shouldn’t get her hopes up. Like Madeline said, it won’t hurt to look , she thought.
    A few minutes later, feeling clean and refreshed, her leg muscles pleasantly tired from the morning’s jog, she said her goodbyes to Maverick and grabbed her purse, feeling optimistic as she walked out the door. It was finally time to start rebuilding her life.
    She found the house easily, even though she had forgotten to write down the address. Slowing down as she eased the car along the curved driveway, she took her time to admire the thick woods between the house and the road. If she did end up living here, she would have ample privacy, that was certain. She rolled down the windows, and the smells of the forest rushed into her car. The day was overcast, and the ozone scent of looming rain seemed stronger than ever out here in the wilderness. I wonder if it will storm later , she thought. If so, it would mean a slow day at the deli.
    Madeline was already there, parked by the house and waving as Moira came up the driveway. There was a white pickup truck parked next to her, and the deli owner worried for a moment about who it could possibly be. Was someone else here to look at the house too? Then she saw the Maple Creek Landscaping and Yard Care sign printed on the side of the truck and relaxed.
    She turned her own car off and got out, looking around. She noticed a few things that she hadn’t when she had seen the house the other day, including the sound of a softly burbling creek, and what looked like a large dog run attached to the back of the house. Perfect for Maverick , she thought. He would love being able to run around outside without a leash on, and she wouldn’t have to worry about him wandering away if he was in a run.
    Someone came around the back of the house carrying a pair of pruning shears and wearing a baseball cap pulled low over his face. He was wearing a band tee-shirt and ripped jeans. Moira waved to him, but he either didn’t see her or chose to ignore her; he turned his attention to one of the bushes that had a few scraggly branches beginning to grow out.
    “Hi, Moira,” Madeline called to her. She strode over and shook hands with Moira. “That’s just Ben, I thought it would be a good idea to get the yard cleaned up a bit so you can see its real potential.”
    “Well, it certainly looks magnificent already,” Moira said. She wondered if the young man would be willing to continue with the yard work if she ended up buying the house. She certainly wouldn’t have time for it herself.
    “Shall we go in?” the real estate agent asked. “Or would you rather look at the yard more first?”
    “Let’s go in,” Moira said. “I can’t wait to see what the interior is like.”
    She followed the real estate agent up the front steps, wiping her feet on the mat just inside the door before taking in the interior. The front door opened into a hallway, with what looked like the kitchen at the other end. To her left was a beautiful sitting room with large windows that looked out into the garden. Everything was covered with a layer of dust, but Moira could imagine what it would look like after a few days of cleaning and some furniture.
    She followed Madeline through the house, pausing in each room as she looked around. The office had bookshelves built into the wall, and the kitchen had an attached mudroom that opened to the fenced-in dog run. Upstairs were two large bedrooms