An Ex to Grind in Deadwood (Deadwood Humorous Mystery Book 5) Paperback – September 4, 2014 Read Online Free

sheen, reminding me of the little balls of hail bouncing on the lawn.
    “I said no calls.” He held the phone up to his ear. “What did she tell you, Nyce?”
    I jammed my hands on my hips, hitting him with a glare of my own. Why did he assume I was on the phone with Doc? It could have been a client or my boss. And what happened to my bodyguard running interference for me?
    The detective’s gaze narrowed as Doc told him something that I hoped wasn’t the truth. “I’m sure I don’t need to tell you to keep this information to yourself for the time being.”
    “Doc isn’t going to say a word,” I said under my breath. Nobody kept secrets like Doc. He hid a doozy of his own that would ruin his livelihood as a financial planner if it were leaked.
    Cooper’s head cocked to the side as he listened some more, then he snorted. “As a matter of fact, she did.”
    I did what? What had Doc told the detective about me? I held out my hand for my phone.
    Cooper smirked at my hand, my phone still pressed against his ear. “Sounds good. I’ll see you Wednesday night. It’s your turn to bring the beer.” He handed the phone back to me. “Say goodbye, Parker.”
    I took my phone. “What did you tell him, Doc?”
    “Nothing he doesn’t already know.”
    “Parker!” Detective Cooper wasn’t playing nice today.
    “You’re being extra pissy this afternoon, Detective,” I poked him in the shoulder. “And here I was kind enough to bring you more work to help you feel useful.”
    That went over like a six-hundred-pound pole vaulter.
    Cooper’s eyes narrowed into two coin slots. “I’m going to count to five, Parker. One.”
    Doc chuckled in my ear. “Call me when Cooper’s done chewing on you.”
    “Two.”
    I squinted back at the detective. “Will you look up the definition of excessive force , Doc? I think we’re crossing over the ‘reasonably necessary’ line here.”
    “Three.”
    “I’ll bring you some bandages tonight and stitch your wounds,” Doc said.
    “Four.”
    Anything involving his hands touching my skin sounded like a brilliant plan, especially after the day I’d had. “I … ”
    “Five.” Cooper reached for the phone.
    I ducked his grasp. “I gotta go, Doc.”
    “Be careful, Trouble.” Doc hung up.
    I lowered the phone. “Happy now?”
    Cooper snatched my phone from me and shoved it in his front pocket. “ Now I am.” He pointed at the floorboards. “Stand here and talk to nobody, understand?”
    “I have a right to free speech.”
    “Consider it temporarily revoked.” He stalked back inside, tearing a piece of police tape loose on the way.
    Harvey joined me back on the porch a few huff-filled moments later.
    “What happened to you?” I attacked. “You were supposed to be running interference for me.”
    “Whoa, tiger. Retract those saber teeth.” He held up both hands in defense. “I had to drain the sleepy weasel.”
    I groaned. “Why does that not surprise me?”
    “My ornery old prostate got stubborn and dammed up the flow.” He checked his zipper.
    “I don’t like your ornery prostate.” The last time it got uppity, I had landed in jail.
    “That makes two of us.” He pulled on his suspenders, grinning. “What’d I miss?”
    “I got busted by Cooper for talking to Doc.”
    “I told you so.”
    I wrinkled my lip at him. “Whose bathroom did you use?” I lowered my voice. “The dead woman’s?”
    “No. There’s some young whippersnapper standing guard at the door. A new kid.”
    I raised both eyebrows. “You don’t know his name?” Harvey knew everyone in town, and their parents, aunts, uncles, and cousins—especially the kissing ones.
    “Well, he and I haven’t shared water at the same trough yet, but give me a week or two.”
    “So he wouldn’t let you in?” It would be out of character for Harvey not to try to sneak a peek at what Detective Cooper was up to behind closed doors.
    “Not even for two free tickets to the next mud wrestling