Harvest Homicide – Kathleen Suzette

He’d been staring at it for so long, unmoving, that I half-wondered if he’d drifted off. It wouldn’t have surprised me. The man was running on fumes. I glanced at him over the top of my menu, then finally asked, “What are you going to order?” He blinked as though coming out of a daze, looked up at me, and gave a sheepish smile. “I have no idea. I’m starving, but I can’t decide.” “It might be easier to decide if your eyes were open, and you were actually looking at the menu,” I teased, flipping mine over to check the other side.

The back always had the good stuff—soups, sides, and desserts. He let out a quiet snort. “My eyes were open,” he muttered, feigning indignation. “So you say.” I leaned in slightly, lowering my voice like I was letting him in on a secret. “They have strawberry cheesecake. That sounds tasty.” “But before dessert, you have to eat your dinner,” he replied in a mock-stern tone, sitting up straighter in his seat. “I think I’m going to get the ribeye steak. Medium rare. With sweet potato fries and a side salad.”

He let out a little groan. “I’m seriously starving.” “That sounds good.” I took a slow sip of my iced tea, savoring the coolness. “And cheesecake for dessert?” I added with a hopeful smile. The tea was refreshing, and it felt especially nice after the warmer than expected afternoon. The weatherman had promised mid-sixties, but it had easily reached seventy-five. Not that I was complaining. Days like this were few and far between in the fall, and I intended to enjoy every minute of it before winter began.

“Cheesecake for dessert,” he said with finality, then closed his menu and placed it neatly on the edge of the table. I followed suit and set mine on top of his. “I’m going to have what you’re having,” I said, smiling at him as I rested my chin in my hand for a moment. He was still as handsome as the day we met. He gave me a knowing look. “You’re staring.” “I’m gazing. There’s a difference.” He chuckled, shaking his head.

The waitress arrived then, cheerful and efficient. She took our orders, scribbled them down in a little notepad, and whisked the menus away. A few minutes later, she returned with a basket of warm, golden rolls that smelled so good my stomach growled. “So, how is the investigation going?” I asked, reaching for a roll. I placed it on my plate and split it in half, steam rising from the center in a soft cloud.

“This smells heavenly.” Alec didn’t answer right away. He reached for a roll of his own, pulling it apart with deliberate care.

Copyright © 2025 by Kathleen Suzette. All rights reserved. This book is a work of fiction. All names, characters, places and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination, or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronically or mechanical, without permission in writing from the author or publisher. Follow me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Kathleen-Suzette-Kate-Bell-authors-759206390932120 Follow me on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Kathleen-Suzette/author/B07B7D2S4W Created with Vellum OceanofPDF.com CONTENTS 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 OceanofPDF.com I CHAPTER 1 met Lucy at the front door and shoved a cup of coffee into her hands before she even had a chance to greet me.

Her eyes flew open wide as the warm mug met her palm, the aroma of light roast and vanilla rising with the morning chill. “What’s this? What’s going on?” she asked, narrowing her eyes at me. I grinned, feeling just a little too pleased with myself.

“Why, it’s coffee, silly. What do you think it is? I added three creams and two sugars—just like you like it. Don’t act so surprised.” One perfectly arched eyebrow lifted. “I can see it’s coffee,” she said slowly, bringing the cup to her lips. “What I’m wondering is what exactly you’re buttering me up for.” She took a sip, closed her eyes in momentary bliss, and then leveled her gaze back at me. “Perfect. Suspiciously perfect.

So, what gives? Why did you want me to come by this early?” I chuckled and waved the comment away with a dismissive flick of my hand. “Buttering you up? Lucy, you know me better than that. I don’t need to butter you up. I just tell you what I need, and you help me. And I do the same for you. That’s what our friendship is built on—mutual enablement.” She took another long sip and gave me a slow nod. “You’re still trying to butter me up.

Spill it.” I laughed again, stepping aside and holding the door open. “Stop being suspicious and come in where it’s warm. I promise I didn’t spike your coffee with anything other than sugar.” The morning air carried a bite I hadn’t felt since spring, and it thrilled me.

This is a short excerpt from the opening of “” by Unknown, quoted for review and introduction purposes. All rights belong to the copyright holders.

Book Information

• Unique ID: fcfce95cf03d9187
• File Extension: .pdf
• File Size: 935,750 bytes (0.892 MB)
• Title: –
• Author: Unknown
• Pages: 112
• Language: English (en)

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• Estimated Reading Time: 181.25 minutes
• Total Words: 36,249
• Total Characters: 198,355
• Average Words per Page: 323.65
• Average Characters per Page: 1771.03

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