Jazz juggled him before she got one hand under his wiggly little butt and the other under his front legs. Automatically, instinctively, the puppy folded himself into her chest.
When she looked back up at Nick, her eyes were wet with tears. “Why?” she asked him.
“Because he needed the best home on the planet. Because you need to keep busy and shake away the blues. I dunno, since I’ve never personally owned a dog, but I’ve heard it from an expert that there’s nothing better for what ails you than a furry body and waggy tail.”
It was the mantra she’d always preached. She was surprised he’d been listening.
“I’ve got food and stuff in the car because I knew you wouldn’t be ready for him. And this!” Nick pulled a yellow tennis ball from his pocket and bounced it on the hardwood floor, and the puppy yapped his approval. When Nick went to get the supplies, Jazz got on the floor with the dog and rolled the ball to him. He went after it once, twice, before he snuggled up against her leg and stretched out for a nap.
She scratched one finger over his woolly head.
“Looks like you two are getting along already.” Nick set down a bag of puppy food, a fluffy dog bed, and a bag of treats on the couch. “I’m going to leave you alone to get acquainted.” He fished his car keys from his pocket and backed toward the door. “Let me know how he’s doing, all right? And maybe sometime I can stop by and visit?”
She smiled up a him. “You don’t even have to wait for a Tuesday.”
ALSO BY KYLIE LOGAN
League of Literary Ladies Mysteries
Mayhem at the Orient Express
A Tale of Two Biddies
The Legend of Sleep Harlow
And Then There Were Nuns
Chili Cook-Off Mysteries
Chili Con Carnage
Death by Devil’s Breath
Revenge of the Chili Queens
Button Box Mysteries
Button Holed
Hot Button
Panic Button
Buttoned Up
Ethnic Eats Mysteries
Irish Stewed
French Fried
Italian Iced
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
KYLIE LOGAN is the national bestselling author of the League of Literary Ladies Mysteries, the Button Box Mysteries, the Chili Cook-off Mysteries, and the Ethnic Eats Mysteries. The Scent of Murder is the first in a new series. You can sign up for email updates here.
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CONTENTS
Title Page
Copyright Notice
Dedication
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Also by Kylie Logan
About the Author
Copyright
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
THE SCENT OF MURDER. Copyright © 2019 by Connie Laux. All rights reserved. For information, address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.
www.minotaurbooks.com
Cover design by David Baldeosingh Rotstein and Rob Grom
Cover photographs: woman © Maria Heyens/Arcangel; dog © Noppado Raksadee/Shutterstock.com
The Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available upon request.
ISBN 978-1-250-18061-2 (hardcover)
ISBN 978-1-250-18062-9 (ebook)
eISBN 9781250180629
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First Edition: May 2019