A Deadly Slice of Lime: A Key West Culinary Cozy - Book 6 by Summer Prescott Read Free Book Online Page B

guilty, he either did this or he didn’t, and
his lifestyle choices can’t condemn him if there’s no evidence of his guilt. So
let’s just let the police do their job and hope for the best, okay?” she said,
wrapping her daughter in a warm hug.
    “I’m
sorry I was rude to you,” Tiara sobbed on her mother’s shoulder.
    “I
know you didn’t mean it, honey. Don’t worry about it,” Marilyn soothed. She
held her daughter, glad that things were right between them once again, and
smoothed her hair while her sniffles became less frequent. She looked up when
she heard a soft knock on the doorframe.
    “Ms.
Hayes,” Kelcie said tentatively, hovering in the doorway. “I’m so sorry, I
didn’t want to interrupt, but Detective Cortland is here to see you.” Marilyn
and Tiara gazed at each other with apprehension.
    “Here
we go,” her daughter exhaled.
    “Maybe
it’s good news,” her mother replied, trying to be optimistic, but the look on
Kelcie’s face didn’t bode well.
     

Chapter 12
    “Hi
Bernard, would you like some pie?” Marilyn asked the grim-faced detective.
    “No,
thanks. I’m here on business, I’m afraid. Is there somewhere that we can talk?”
he asked, his face and tone giving nothing away.
    “Sure,”
she nodded. “Follow me,” she invited, heading back to her office. Once inside,
she shut the door, settling into her leather executive chair and indicating a
club chair for the detective.
    “I’m
glad you dropped by. Tiara and I found out some things that may be of interest
in the murder of my ex-husband’s client,” she began, but Bernard held up a hand
to stop her.
    “We’ll
get to that in a bit,” he said, somewhat brusquely. “But that’s not why I’m
here.”
    “Oh?”
Marilyn was nonplussed. “Okay then, what’s going on?”
    “Are
you acquainted with a woman named Elizabeth Melman?” he asked, taking out his
notebook.
    “Oh
come on, Detective,” Marilyn made a face. “I know that you do your homework
better than that. You know as well as I do that I’m involved in a lawsuit with
Litigation Lizzie,” she scoffed. “Why do you ask?”
    “Because
she was found murdered this morning,” Bernard dropped a bombshell.
    “What?”
Marilyn was shocked. “But I just saw her this morning!” she exclaimed,
realizing after the fact how bad that must make her sound.
    “Did
you?” his hawk-like eyes nailed her to the chair. “How and when did you have occasion
to see Ms. Melman this morning?” he asked, eyes narrowed.
    Marilyn
related her surveillance activities and showed him the video, both of the bee
incident, and the hanging up of the laundry.
    “Why
didn’t you tell me the truth when I approached you in her neighborhood last
week?” he asked.
    “Because
spying on people is illegal, isn’t it? And anyway, I wasn’t hurting anything, I
was just sitting in my car,” she shrugged, trying desperately to rationalize
and justify.
    “I’d
say that causing two people to be attacked by a hive of agitated bees
constitutes assault, at the very least,” he pointed out, drilling her with his
gaze.
    “Okay,
fine. I admit, that certainly wasn’t my best moment, but that’s been the extent
of my involvement with Litigation Lizzie since I received the notice of the
lawsuit. Her rude, nasty nephew did come into the store and say some vile
things though.”
    “What
did he say?” the detective inquired, raising an eyebrow.
    “He
said that my shop was a dump, and that his aunt’s accident was caused because I
didn’t maintain it well, things like that. He was quite ugly about it, so I
told him to leave and never come back.”
    “Did
he?”
    “Did
he what?” Marilyn asked, confused.
    “Did
he leave and then not come back?” Cortland clarified.
    “Oh!
Yes, yes he did,” she nodded.
    “Did
you see him at any point after that interaction?”
    “Only
when they went to the park.”
    “I
see. And how long ago did he come into the store and say rude things to