“I’m listening.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
LINDA DUCKED under a clump of white paper carnations, and walked into Sullivan’s office to take a breather from the crowd. All the business neighbors had shown up, with some extras. The young waitress from the Waffle House had stopped by...she had taken a special interest in Maggie and Jarrod, which Linda appreciated.
Klo was there, of course, and Stone. They were always good company. Grim was there and Linda watched him watch her sister....there was something going on there that she couldn’t put her finger on. It wasn’t an affair—in fact, it was almost the opposite. The two of them seemed to enjoy a shared animosity toward each other. It was....strange.
Maria Munoza was there, although she stayed on the fringes of the conversations. The woman was nothing if not mysterious.
Dunk Duncan had arrived and although he’d said he would “take the library off their hands,” it was clear he was there to see Octavia. It was probably the only good thing about Octavia leaving Lexington, Linda thought, because she was afraid if Octavia stayed, another marriage might be compromised. And Dunk seemed like the kind of man who would never leave his wife.
She turned a small circle around Sullivan’s office. Closing his agency felt like burying him all over again...he’d had such high hopes for building something for his family.
But even the ficus tree next to the window had died, which seemed like a sign.
The new tenant had already mounted a big sign over the storefront. Klo didn’t know who was taking over, just that they would be moving in tomorrow. The sign was covered with a white tarp, but if its size was any indication of the new owner’s plans, then the business was sure to be a success.
“Why are you hiding in here?”
She turned to see Oakley at the door. She smiled. “I’m not hiding...just thinking...remembering. Thank you for coming.” She gave him an impulsive hug.
His hand was warm on her back, his embrace comforting and just so...good.
She pulled back. “And thank you for my new job.”
He beamed. “Glad to help.”
The door opened and Octavia’s face appeared. “Linda, can you guys come outside, I have an announcement to make.”
“Sounds very intriguing,” Linda said.
They all crowded out onto the sidewalk below the big sign. It was still daylight, with customers coming and going from the other businesses. They attracted attention as Octavia passed out champagne flutes. A few passersby wandered down.
“Do you know what’s going on?” Oakley whispered.
“I have no idea.”
His hand hovered at the small of her back, and it wasn’t unwelcome.
“Everyone,” Octavia said, “I have an announcement to make about a new job.”
Linda blinked in surprise.
“Dunk, can you come up to help me with this?”
The tall man moved to stand next to her, his body language proprietary. Whatever the announcement was, he seemed in on it...and that made Linda nervous.
Octavia lifted her glass. “I’d like everyone to join me in toasting a new venture in investigative work.”
Linda frowned. Where was this going?
Octavia grabbed a tie around one end of the covered sign. “Dunk, will you get the other end?”
Dunk’s expression changed from smug to confused, like the rest of them. Linda realized that whatever had just happened, it was not what he had planned. But he went along.
“On three,” she said. “One, two, three.” They yanked the ties at the same time and the tarp fell to reveal TWO GUYS DETECTIVE AGENCY.
“My sister Linda and I are going to have our own investigative agency!”
“What?” Dunk said.
“What?” Oakley said.
“What?” Linda said. She looked at Octavia, utterly confused.
But everyone else cheered and lifted their glasses in a happy salute. Octavia came running over to Linda. “What do you think, sis?”
Linda finally found her voice. “I...I...I think you should’ve asked me first.”
Octavia’s smile dimmed. “I was afraid you would talk me out of it. I thought it would be better if I tried to talk you into it.” Then her animation returned. “With my marketing know-how and your connections to the police department—”
“Wait a minute. Oakley isn’t my personal connection.” Indeed, standing a few feet away, he did not look pleased at the prospect of them starting their own agency. Her mind reeled. She and Octavia couldn’t work together side by side, long term—they were too different. “And besides, I’m starting a new job in a few days.”
“A boring job,” Octavia said. “Is that what you want to do day in and day out, work at a bank? Handle other people’s money, when we could be making our own money, and building a business together?”
Linda shook her head. “I just don’t think this is going to work. I’m sorry.”
Octavia’s shoulders fell in disappointment, but she nodded. “I’m sorry, too.”
“It’s a beautiful sign, though. And it looks expensive.”
“It was.”
Linda frowned. “How did you pay for it?”
Octavia didn’t answer, but her hand floated to her neck for a split second, and Linda realized she wasn’t wearing her jewelry...and hadn’t been for a couple of days.
“You sold your jewelry to pay for this sign?”
Octavia lifted her hands. “What can I say? I’m all in.”
Linda’s heart expanded. If her sister was so committed to the joint venture, the least she could do was try. “Then so am I.”
Octavia’s face lit up. “Really?”
Linda nodded, then pulled her into a hug. “I didn’t want to go work in a bank anyway.”
They laughed, then clinked their glasses together.
“To sisterhood,” Octavia said.
Linda smiled. “I’ll drink to that.”
-The End-
Don’t miss the next book in the
TWO GUYS DETECTIVE AGENCY series, coming late 2013!
A note from the author
Thank you so very much for taking the time to read the first book in my new mystery series TWO GUYS DETECTIVE AGENCY! I so hope you enjoyed it. I’m thrilled to be writing a P.I. series, which I’ve wanted to do since I took the coursework to become a private investigator 15 years ago. (I received a 95% on my shooting range exam.) And I’m happy to be setting the story in my old stomping grounds of Lexington, Kentucky, where I worked for many years and still have close ties. Since I’ll be living vicariously through Linda and Octavia, I’m planning many more adventures for them, and I hope you’ll come along.
And good news: TWO GUYS DETECTIVE AGENCY has been optioned for TV series development! All good wishes appreciated as it’s being shopped to networks. I’ll be posting updates on my website.
If you enjoyed TWO GUYS DETECTIVE AGENCY and feel inclined to leave an Amazon review, I would appreciate it very much!
And are you signed up to receive notices of my future book releases? If not, please click here to enter your email address. I promise not to flood you with emails and I will never share or sell your address. And you can unsubscribe at any time.
Also, although I can’t count the times this book has been edited and proofed, I am human, so if you do spot a typo, please email me at [email protected] to let me know! Thanks again for your time and interest, and for telling your friends about my books. If you’d like to know more about some of my other books, please scroll ahead to the next section.
Happy reading!
Stephanie Bond
Other works by Stephanie Bond
If you enjoyed TWO GUYS DETECTIVE AGENCY, check out I THINK I LOVE YOU, another story about sisters! In I THINK I LOVE YOU, sisters share everything in their closets—including the skeletons!
"With its energetic prose and cozy Southern setting, this read is a sterling source of laughs and lighthearted fun." --Publi
shers Weekly
"The only reader I wouldn't recommend I THINK I LOVE YOU to is one who doesn't like to have a good time." --All About Romance
Click here to download a sample or to order I THINK I LOVE YOU from Amazon!
* * *
And for another full-length humorous romantic mystery, try OUR HUSBAND, my best-selling book to-date. In OUR HUSBAND, three women find out they have one thing in common! And when their magnanimous hubby dies suddenly, the motley trio of women have to band together to find a killer.
"Bond's fun and frothy story keeps the plot twists coming." -Publishers Weekly
"Only another woman could understand and write a novel that brings these three together in the worst of circumstances and make it a witty and sexy plot about women and friendship." -Beachlife
"The story is well-written and paced, with unforgettable characters, snappy dialogue, and plenty of plot twists and turns." -AOL Romance Fiction Forum
Click here to download a sample or to order OUR HUSBAND from Amazon!
About the Author
Stephanie Bond was five years deep into a corporate career in computer programming and pursuing an MBA at night when an instructor remarked she had a flair for writing and suggested she submit material to academic journals. But Stephanie was more interested in writing fiction—more specifically, romance and mystery novels. After writing in her spare time for two years, she sold her first manuscript, a romantic comedy, to Harlequin Books. After selling ten additional projects to two publishers, she left her corporate job to write fiction full-time. To-date, Stephanie has more than sixty published novels to her name, including the popular BODY MOVERS humorous mystery series. Look for the TWO GUYS DETECTIVE AGENCY series beginning in 2013. For more information on all of her books, visit www.stephaniebond.com .
Copyright information
Without limiting the rights under copyright(s) reserved above and below, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior permission of the copyright owner.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
The scanning, uploading, and distributing of this book via the internet or via any other means without the permission of the copyright owner is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials that might damage your electronic devices. Your support of the author's rights is appreciated.
Copyright 2013 by Stephanie Bond, Inc.
Cover by Andrew Brown at clicktwicedesign.com
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Title Page
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
A note from the author
Other works by Stephanie Bond
About the Author
Copyright information
Two Guys Detective Agency (humorous mystery series--book 1) Page 20