“I’m sure,” I said. I couldn’t hold back the smile spreading across my face.
“You’re a big girl. That’s good. You’ll command more respect. A little tiny girlie won’t get very far in this business.”
I was pretty sure that wasn’t a compliment, but I did accept his words as approval.
“What do we do first?” I asked.
He didn’t hesitate. “You listen. Since you won’t be going anywhere for a while, I’ll stop by a few days this week and tell you about some of the cases I’ve worked on in my career. You can learn a lot by listening. Then, when you can walk good again, we’ll see what’s on the agenda. What do you say?”
I smiled from ear to ear. “I say I’m in, Mr. Baranski.”
“Oh, geez,” he said with a level of disgust. “There will be no calling me Mr. Baranski. It’s just Arnie. I know everyone calls me Big Arnie, but not to my face they don’t. Got it?”
I nodded my head. Arnie it would be.
~ ~ ~
“What can I get for you?”
Glenn and a few of the other Buxley police officers and firefighters had just won a softball game against a team from Patterson. Most of the guys had gone to Parker’s Tavern for fish and beer, but as I was still tender and avoiding crowds, we decided to grab a bite to eat at Chummy’s.
I had never been inside Chummy’s before, and I was pleasantly surprised at the retro sixties decor. It was clean and bright with an upbeat atmosphere.
“I’ll have a southwestern salad and an unsweetened tea,” I said.
Glenn placed his order. “Make mine a deluxe cheeseburger with a chocolate milkshake.”
I smiled. It was shaping up to be a very good day. I was excited to be with Glenn, and I looked forward to what the future might bring with him. In addition, Arnie had called this morning and told me to hurry up and quit my job. He needed my help full time to investigate a counterfeit shoe operation. I didn’t tell him I never went back to Buxley Mortgage after the stabbing, but I happily told him I would meet him at Parker’s on Monday morning.
A courier delivering business cards followed Arnie’s phone call. They were plain white with black lettering. My name was in the center followed by A. B. Investigations. The number to the red phone was in the lower left corner. I was officially working with Arnie Barnaski.
As we stood at the counter waiting for our food, one of the workers walked by on her way to the drive-thru window. She recognized me from my numerous trips through the drive-thru and gave me a little wave.
“Welcome to Chummy Burgers and More. Go ahead with your order,” she said cheerfully into the microphone.
The voice came through the speaker loud and clear, “I’d like two cheeseburgers and two cups of black coffee.”
She winked at me as she headed for the milkshake machine.
###
About the Author:
Maddie Cochere spent five years working for a major weight loss company by day and playing racquetball by night. Her writing career began by writing operations training manuals for both corporate and franchise weight loss centers. Children’s books came next, and Maddie spent the next twelve years in sales of children’s books. It was only natural to use her experiences from the weight loss industry and playing racquetball as inspiration for Susan in her Susan Hunter Mysteries.
Easy-breezy reading from Breezy Books!
Murder Under Construction – Two Sisters and a Journalist #1 – Jo Ravens has a knack for stumbling upon dead bodies. In this first book in the series, she finds a dead girl in a construction site and attempts to solve the murder with the help of her sister and their journalist friend.
Coming 2014!
Murder Is Where the Heart Is – Two Sisters and a Journalist #2 – Amateur private investigator, Jo Ravens, is reunited with her ex-husband when there is a murder in the family.
Be sure to check out the Susan Hunter series from Maddie Cochere:
The Susan Hunter books are not your typical mysteries, and Susan is not your typical sleuth. Often, she is simply in the wrong place at the wrong time, and things go downhill quickly. All of the books cross genres of chick lit, mystery, romance, humor, and action, bringing you a fast-paced, easy-breezy read.
Sunshine Hunter, A Susan Hunter Mystery #1 – Working in a weight-loss center by day and a racquetball club by night, Susan Hunter enjoys her life, the sport, and her friends. … When she finds out her new boyfriend of three months is actually married, she bolts with her best friend to Florida for a week. But someone has followed them, and they are now being stalked. To make matters worse, a murder has been committed back home in Carbide City, and Susan is involved. … Humorous, sometimes ominous, Sunshine Hunter is entertaining and perfect for easy, breezy reading!
Big Apple Hunter, A Susan Hunter Mystery #2 – Susan enjoys her life, racquetball, and her friends. … But now she has life-changing decisions to make. Should she accept the new position with Slimmers Weight Loss? Should she give in and move the relationship with Mick to the next level? … When Darby has business in New York City, Susan jumps at the chance to tag along, intending to indulge in a weekend of shopping. It doesn’t take her long to realize she’s being hunted in The Big Apple. And what does the stalker have to do with Darby’s new client? It becomes a matter of life-and-death when the stalker shows up in Carbide City demanding something that Susan lost in New York.
Sin City Hunter, A Susan Hunter Mystery #3 – Susan is in Las Vegas for ten days of work and play. Her parents come in from Dallas to spend some time with her and have their own fun. But fun turns to terror for Susan when a magic act goes wrong. … When a man is murdered, Susan knows who did it. Unfortunately for her, the killer knows that she knows. Her actions in Sin City ultimately put not only her own life on the line but that of Mick’s as well.
Big Easy Hunter, A Susan Hunter Mystery #4 – When Susan is accused of being a cat burglar, and a serial rapist is on the loose over by the mall, she takes off for New Orleans to attend a wedding and finds even more trouble in The Big Easy.
Windy City Hunter, A Susan Hunter Mystery #5 – It’s two weeks before Christmas. Susan and her best friend, Darby, travel to Chicago to compete in a national cooking competition. They aren’t in Chicago an hour when they stumble upon a murder crime scene. The lead detective on the case is egged on by an eager insurance investigator, and Susan and Darby quickly become suspects. To make the weekend even more complicated, one of Darby’s cooking ingredients is sabotaged during the contest, and unbeknownst to them, they befriend a local art forger. With Mick away in England, things become desperate for them in The Windy City.
Maple Leaf Hunter, A Susan Hunter Mystery #6 - Susan and Mick have a romantic weekend planned in Niagara Falls and Toronto before her big meeting with a children’s book publisher. When they decide to spend the following week at a fishing lodge on the Ottawa River, Darby, Nate, and Alex decide to come along, too. A Sasquatch, gold hunters, a kidnapping, and dangerous men all make for another unforgettable vacation for Susan.
Visit the official website of Maddie Cochere at Breezy Books:
http://www.breezybooks.com/
Maddie Cochere - Two Sisters and a Journalist 01 - Murder Under Construction Page 16