Trouble Vision Read Online Free Page B

fingers relatively steady. Her voice, however, shook when she finally was able to speak.
    “A bout of indigestion. Too much coffee, I guess.” She forced a grin.
    He still looked worried. “You’ve turned pale. Sure it isn’t something more serious?” He leaned forward. “You’re not having a heart attack, are you?”
    Now she was able to laugh. “No, I’m fine.” To her immense relief, the bell on the front door jingled. “Well, there goes my break. I’d better go and take care of my customer.”
    She got up, and he leapt to his feet with her. “Are you sure you’re okay?”
    “Positive.” She patted his arm. “It was nothing. I’m fine. Really. Why don’t you stay and finish your coffee.”
    “No, I’d better get back and see what Tyler is up to over there. He’s probably waiting to go home to eat.” He looked at her and smiled. “Speaking of which, when are you coming over for dinner again?”
    She turned to leave, looking back at him over her shoulder. “When you ask me.” She flapped her hand at him then headed up the aisle to the front of the shop.
    Her customer turned out to be a middle-aged woman who Clara dimly recognized as a previous shopper, though she couldn’t remember her name or what she’d bought. As the woman explained what she was looking for, Rick passed them by on his way out.
    She met his gaze just before he closed the door, and felt a surge of warmth when he winked at her and blew a kiss. It went a long way to restoring her shattered nerves, though she couldn’t quite put the incident out of her mind, and she was still thinking about it as she closed out the register at the end of her shift.
    Arriving home, she spent a few minutes doing her best to calm Tatters down before joining her mother in the living room.
    “I left a pot of stew on the stove,” Jessie said from her usual spot in front of the TV. “Put what’s left in the freezer when you’re done.”
    “I will. Thanks.” Clara crossed to the kitchen with Tatters hot on her heels.
    “I already fed the dog,” her mother called out after her. “Don’t give him any more. He’s putting on too much weight around his middle.”
    Look who’s talking.
Tatters sat down on the kitchen floor.
    Unsettled by his thoughts once more speaking in her head, Clara wagged a warning finger at him. Opening the fridge, she found a half bottle of wine and poured herself a glass. She took a hefty sip of the pinot before setting the glass down on the table.
    The stew smelled heavenly, and in spite of all the upset earlier, she was actually hungry. She ladled a good portion onto her plate and sat down at the table. Tatters settled himself at her knee, his golden gaze searching her face.
    Sighing, she fished a cube of steak off her plate and dropped it in his waiting mouth. His tail swept the floor as he licked his lips.
    She was rinsing her plate under the faucet when her cell phone buzzed. One glance confirmed what she’d expected. It was Stephanie, obviously too anxious to wait for her cousin’s nightly call.
    Ignoring the vibrations in her pocket, she finished cleaning up the dishes, then walked back out into the living room, just as the news anchor announced that the autopsy on Scott Delwyn showed no signs of foul play. “Finn’s Harbor’s chief of police, Dan Petersen, is satisfied that the death was an unfortunate accident. Questions have been raised, however, about the safety of the construction site, and all activity there will be shut down until the premises have undergone a thorough inspection.”
    “Such a dreadful shame,” Jessie murmured. “They really should be more careful. I’ve seen the way those construction workers scramble all over the scaffolding. It’s a wonder more of them don’t fall off.”
    Clara shuddered, the memory of her vision still hovering in her mind. “I’ve got some work to do on the computer,” she said as she crossed the room.
    “Well, don’t sit up half the night.” Jessie