Purrfect Roast: A Dragon Cozy Mystery by Verena DeLuca (the giving tree read aloud TXT) 📗

"I'm sorry we weren't able to meet sooner," I lied. "I've been talking to most of the ladies in the mornings during breakfast, but I don't recall seeing you. Have you been eating outside of the hotel?"

"Oh no," Sue said. "We've been staying here, but in the morning, we gather by the pool to eat fruit parfaits. The cats love a bit of sun to start the day."

"What about the water?" Aubrey asked

"Our cats aren't afraid of water," Sue said. "Not that you'll catch them swimming."

"That's a fun way to spend breakfast," I said before anyone else could respond. I picked up my fork and took a bite. When she did not get the visual hint I continued, "I wish you the best of luck when they get around to announcing the winners."

"Thank you," Sue said and took the cue to leave us to our lunch.

As soon as Sue was out of earshot, Skylar and Aubrey broke into laughter.

"I had a hard time deciphering where you were being sarcastic," Skylar said between laughs. "I don't think I've ever heard you so girlish and excited."

"That lady was clueless," Aubrey said. "Or has the best ability to mask her emotions I've ever seen."

"Sarcasm is a skill," I said. "And if you don't practice regularly, it'll fade."

They laughed, but I was not joking.

"You must be the World Champion then," Azure transmitted.

"Won gold all fifteen years I've entered," I transmitted. "Remind me to show you my trophies, way more valuable than these cat cups they're handing out here."

"Touche," he transmitted, and dove into his bowl of food, chuckling through the link.

CHAPTER EIGHT

Sunday, May 17th, 12:30 PM

After an excellent lunch that included an endless supply of coffee and some of the best lasagna I have ever eaten, Aubrey and Skylar went to the restroom leaving me alone with Azure and Shadow. I leaned back in my chair to relax and allow my stomach time to digest.

There was a small chance I ate too much, but I basked in the suffering, and finally felt like a functional human again. While cupcakes for breakfast brought happiness, they did not keep the body fueled long term.

Azure and Shadow curled up on the floor next to my chair, their bowls empty. Pure Balance provided the hotel with an array of healthy cat food options, and our guys were taking full advantage of being able to eat to their heart's desire. Thankfully, the vendors agreed to stay and cover this unforeseen lunch. The schedule originally had us out of the hotel by eleven.

I glanced around the restaurant, pondering the various tribes present. There were no obvious suspects. It was clear we were in over our heads, as usual. Playing investigator was not my cup of joe. No matter how many mysteries I read, I would never have a knack for solving crime. I crossed my fingers, hopefully this one would end with the cops uncovering the thief.

I took a drink of coffee and let out a sigh.

Detectives were stopping by tables to speak with larger groups of women, still as apathetic as ever. Hardly taking notes or showing interest in what the ladies were telling them. To their credit, I knew if it were me, there was no way I could listen to the non-stop drama of the cat show's members. But to be a fly on the shoulder of one of them could have given us the insight needed to pick out the culprit.

Could dragons glamour into flies?

If a dragon protector were behind this, it would be a blow to the community at large. Azure gave me the impression that dragons held loyalty and honesty in high regard. I brought my thoughts back to the table and the sleeping bundles of fur below me.

As if they felt my gaze, each took the opportunity to stretch out. Cats were the cutest animals on the planet when stretching. Azure stretched his front and back paws out horizontally, showing off his true length. In cat form, his paws reached my waist if he propped himself up on me. While Shadow, smaller in frame and build, stretched his four paws out below his body, creating the perfect cat arch with his back. The sight made me swoon.

This was a perfect opportunity to speak with Shadow alone and gain an outside perspective on what it meant to be a dragon protector. Azure's opinion was clear, I was there to aid in his running of Tribe Rune. He had stifled my questions more than once.

"I'm curious," I transmitted to Shadow. "How old are you?"

"One hundred and forty-eight next month," Shadow transmitted in a tone that resembled a yawn.

"Sorry," I transmitted. "Are you trying to sleep?"

"Allowing my food to digest," Shadow transmitted. "Our digestion is slower than yours."

"Oh, right," I transmitted. "Is all of our tribe around the same age?"

"We all hatched around the same decade, so yes," Azure transmitted. "That's why we're a tribe."

"I thought you hand picked your tribe mates?"

"Semantics. There's much you don't know," Azure transmitted. He let out an enormous yawn and added, "Even after fifty years, Tona still knew less than a few beans worth of information, compared to the deep history of knowledge that exists."

"Really?"

"Do you know every bit of history for your own species?" Azure transmitted. "How does one cover thousands of years of history in a single human lifetime?"

"True, but I want to know more," I transmitted. "Seems like this type of stuff is really what the ladies should talk about at meetings. Learning the lore surrounding their companions opposed the drama surrounding their neighbors."

"It is always a great comfort to hear the lead protector speak with such interest," Shadow transmitted. "However, I doubt the other ladies in the tribe would share your enthusiasm. What do you want to know?"

"You're probably right about that," I transmitted. "Presently, I am wondering if there is a reason behind the variation in cat breeds, like does it correspond