Peril for Your Thoughts (Mind Reader Mystery) by Kari Lee Townsend Page A

obeyed, plopping his fanny on the ground and thumping the dirt with his tail. You are not helping her like us any better, buddy .
    “Ya think?” I sputtered.
    “Excuse me?” he asked, and I could hear the confusion in his voice.
    I cleared my throat. “Do you think he will stay?”
    “Sure,” he said confidently. But for how long I have no clue .
    “Great,” I said with an entirely different meaning. “You can let me down now.”
    “Oh, whoops.” He laughed and set me down, but I could feel his hesitation and regret in his every move as he let go and turned to face me.
    Wolfgang jumped to his feet and started his whining again, his massive head trained on me.
    I threw myself into Nik’s arms and held on tight.
    “Home, Wolf! You want a treat?”
    The dog’s ears perked up at the word “treat,” and he ran back to Nik’s sliding door, sitting down and waiting patiently like the most obedient good boy ever. Like he’d known all along it was only a matter of time before the detective would cave. I couldn’t help being a little impressed with the dog’s cunning way of getting exactly what he wanted—he had the detective wrapped around his big ole paw.
    Nik’s arms were circled around me gently, and he was rubbing my back. When had that happened? I wondered, but then his words distracted me. “He won’t hurt you, you know.” Dammit, what is it about you? Why do you make me want to protect you so? I don’t need this complication in my life right now, I heard him think.
    Just then I realized I was still in his arms, and for the first time in my life, it hadn’t been horrible. I stepped away and took a deep breath as I stared at him in wonder and shock.
    “What’s wrong?” he asked.
    “Nothing.” Everything . Suddenly, I wasn’t afraid that the dog would hurt me, but I had a suspicious feeling that the detective just might.

C HAPTER 6
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    Monday morning dawned stormy and cool. Not a good sign for the start of my investigation. Detective Stevens had made it clear he didn’t want Jaz or even me butting into this case. He said it was because he didn’t want us to put ourselves in danger, but I suspected the real reason was he didn’t want us to compromise his investigation. I couldn’t blame him, really. I mean, I didn’t have a clue what I was doing. I just knew I had to do something.
    Sinfully Delicious was busy as always when I walked inside. Half the town stopped by every day for their morning coffee and pastries, both of which lived up to the name. Maria Danza really did have a gift. I ordered a cup of coffee with cream and sugar, as well as several delectable delights to bring home to Jaz. Then I wiped down a table with an antibacterial wipe from my purse, earning me a few odd stares. I ignored the looks, which I’d grown accustomed to, sat down, and sipped my coffee, waiting for a lull to question Maria.
    Once the crowd died down, she headed right for my table.
    “I take it since you’re still here, you want to speak with me?” Maria sat down, her black hair pulled back in a ponytail—encased in a hairnet, bless her soul—and plump rosy cheeks glowing brighter than ever. She looked cherubic, yet her eyes were full of steel. “I’m not stupid. The whole town has heard what’s happened by now. I know you and Jaz are close, so you must know we’re not exactly on friendly terms. What I don’t get is what I have to do with the situation she’s landed herself in?”
    Not exactly on friendly terms? I thought. That was putting it as light as a cream puff. According to Jaz, the whole town had heard Maria vow to make Jaz pay for ruining her life. Well, the whole town except for me. If it wasn’t for Jaz, I’d be completely out of the loop since I wasn’t exactly plugged into town gossip.
    “She didn’t land herself in anything,” I responded, finding it really hard not to get defensive, yet I knew that would get me nowhere. I folded my napkin into a perfect square and thought about