The Appointment

by Kathi L Reed

About the Author: Kathi Reed is the author of BANKING ON TROUBLE, the first in a series of murder mysteries that take place in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Excerpt

Katherine Carney checked her watch impatiently, tapping her shoe on the worn brown carpet as she waited for her name to be called for her half-yearly teeth cleaning. She should have brought a book. Woman’s Day and Sports Illustrated weren’t going to do it for her. Why didn’t they subscribe to Martha Stewart Living or Vogue? she thought petulantly.

After what seemed like an hour, but was actually five minutes, a woman wearing an ugly blue smock with some sort of design called her name.

“Mrs. Carney?”

“Yes, I’m Mrs. Carney. Where’s Adele? Adele cleans my teeth. She has for the last five years.”

“I’m Tessa. Adele is away for a month. Illness in her family,” the woman replied almost apologetically.

“Do I have a choice? Maybe one of the other girls I’ve seen around here?”

“I’m afraid you’re scheduled with me, and unless you want to come back another day, you’re stuck,” Tessa said gently.

Katherine sighed. “If I have no other choice, I guess it will have to be you. I assume you’ve had experience. You look old enough to have some years behind you.”

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