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

Samantha, one of the two female coordinators, stepped forward to take the mic. "And now to reveal this year's top prize! Linda, can you bring out the prizes?"

No one came in from the back doors. I shifted in my seat and glanced at Skylar. She looked back at me at the same moment and we exchanged "oh tea" looks.

"Linda? Can you bring in the prizes?" Samantha laughed nervously. "There are so many, it might be weighing her down."

Linda came through the back doors, her hair in disarray, distinctly not followed by any prizes. She rushed on stage and whispered to the other two coordinators.

"Has it been this unorganized all weekend?" Aubrey asked in a whisper.

"Not that I have seen," I whispered back. "The weekend has been as smooth as a well-oiled roaster."

"Hmm," she said. "Must be because I came in."

"If your being here leads to me missing out on our trophy you won't be invited again." I smirked.

"Har, har." She giggled.

Skylar gave us a quizzical look, but before I could whisper to her about Aubrey's unluckiness the mic picked up a whisper, "Missing trophies."

As soon as it came over the speakers, the crowd began to murmur. Aubrey and I gave each other a raised eyebrow look. That settled it, I could not take her anywhere without her causing a ruckus.

Linda stepped forward and addressed the room. "There seems to have been a mishap with the trophies. I'll have to ask that all y'all stay put while we call the police."

An audible gasp filled the room and Linda looked at the other coordinators for support, only to find them abandoning her on stage.

Figures. We made it through the whole weekend, with the biggest drama being tribe rivalries, just to come to the final ceremony littered with shocking revelations. I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms, letting out a sigh.

"Guess someone is a bad judge of how boring this ceremony would be." Aubrey nudged me in the side.

I gave her a death stare, but it only made her laugh, causing the ladies around us to stop whispering to try and hear our conversation.

"Hush it, you," I whispered, ignoring the other ladies while Aubrey continued to giggle.

Nathan rushed off the stage to the back doors to block the exit while Samantha strolled with purpose—as if she were on a catwalk—to the front doors and blocked that exit. Linda took her cell phone out and dialed, no doubt for the police. This time she turned the mic off.

After the brief phone call, Linda turned the mic back on. "The trophies were there at 6 this morning, when I did my initial check. Therefore, they went missing today. If the person or persons that did this comes forward right now, we won't press charges, and we can all put this behind us."

The room was dead silent. Not even a cat meowed. I looked toward Aubrey again and mouthed "wow" and she tried to hide her excitement. I had a sneaking suspicion I would not enjoy what she was thinking.

"Very well," Linda said in her most managerial voice. "The police are on their way. Please stay in your seat until they arrive."

CHAPTER TWO

Sunday, May 17th, 9:15 AM

Restlessness permeated the room as the police were taking their time responding, but I guess that was understandable. It was, after all, only a cat show. Not that I would ever tell the tribe. Most of the ladies treated it like it was their reason for living. Not to mention Azure responded to the announcement with the most outrage from him I have ever seen. All I wanted was coffee and a nap.

"It's a mystery," Aubrey said.

"Totally," Skylar said. "A locked hotel mystery."

They giggled with delight. There was no hope for it, I was going to be drawn in.

"We should solve it," Aubrey said. "You're good at that sort of thing."

She nudged me in the side, and I let out a sigh, took a deep breath, and came to terms with the fact I was going to be involved in their antics whether I wanted to or not.

"I have gotten lucky," I said. "We live in a small town. There's only so many people. This is Austin."

I glanced around the room again. Maybe I could get one of the door-guarding coordinators to slip out and fill my cup. Why had no one stocked the ballroom with a refreshment table? With the buzz of Aubrey being at the show, I completely forgot to order my usual large coffee to go before entering the ballroom.

"But it's only the hotel," Skylar said. "It's totally doable."

"Maybe you're a lucky charm when it comes to crime solving?" Aubrey giggled.

"You should listen to them," Azure transmitted.

"You solve it, I have no bean in this case," I transmitted.

"Very well," he transmitted. "As the head of our tribe, I am ordering you to give it your best effort to solve this."

"Wow!" I transmitted. "Want the trophy that bad? Fine, I'll play, but this power move won't be forgotten."

"You're grumpy without the beans," he transmitted, before sticking his nose in the air and walking to where Shadow slept at Skylar's feet. After a long-drawn-out stretch, he curled up beside him.

I put my head in my hands and rubbed my eyes before stretching out myself. Aubrey and Skylar observed the room, trying to eavesdrop on those around us.

Great, just great. Why was I being deemed the crime stopper network leader? Truthfully, I guess it did not really bother me one way or another, I just wanted my basic needs met. I was being more whiny than usual without the normal amount of coffee I had grown accustomed to, and solving a mystery was more entertaining than waiting around.

"What should we do first?" I asked, trying to make myself sound as enthusiastic as possible, but knowing it would be heard as sarcasm. That is what I get for always being quick with the sass.

It