A Mold For Murder by Tim Myers Read Free Book Online Page A

suppose I was being a little nosy, but I didn’t think she’d mind. There was a new photograph on her desk, one that had just been taken a few days before. We were picnicking out in front of the bookstore, and Rufus must have snapped our picture without me realizing it.
    I walked up front to return the key, and as I handed it over, I asked, “Have you been stalking me?”
    He looked at me carefully before he asked, “What are you talking about?”
    “I went into Diana’s office and I saw a new picture of us together. Funny thing was, I don’t remember posing for it.”
    Rufus looked uncomfortable for a second, then he asked, “So what were you doing in Diana’s office?”
    I couldn’t admit I’d been snooping, could I? “I had to use the phone.”
    “Then why didn’t I see a line light up?” he asked as he pointed to his bank of telephones.
    “I was going to, but then I saw that picture. That kind of creeped me out, if you know what I mean.”
    When he didn’t answer, I pushed him harder. “I want to know what you’ve been up to, Rufus. If you won’t tell me, I’ll have the police ask you.”
    Reluctantly, he admitted, “I just got a zoom lens for my Nikon and I wanted to try it out. You two were over there laughing and having a good time, so I took a picture. I’ve been taking all kinds of shots. Sorry if it bothers you. Diana was thrilled with it.”
    That was innocent enough. “Fine. I’m sorry if I overreacted. Just one thing, okay?”
    He was expecting a lecture, that much was clear. “What’s that?”
    “I’d like a copy, too.”
    That surprised him. “Sure thing. I’ve got tons of candid shots, if you’d like to look through the negatives.” He looked down at his hands, then added, “I even took a bunch of shots today before the store opened, but I won’t get around to developing the negatives until later.”
    I shook my head. “No thanks. Rufus, why don’t you stick to birds from now on, okay?”
    “Spoilsport,” he said, then dismissing me, Rufus went back to his book.
    Bob and I drove back to Where There’s Soap, and to our displeasure, it appeared that my family had decided to cut the cake Mom had made for the signing without waiting for us.
    “We couldn’t let it just go to waste,” Mom said.
    “This is so good,” Jeff said, sticking an entire flower made of icing into his mouth.
    “Move over, Junior. I want a piece.”
    Cindy handed me a sliver of cake and said, “I cut one for you already.”
    I looked at it as if it were tainted. “You call that a slice? Let me have the knife.”
    Louisa laughed, and I asked her, “What’s so funny?”
    “I told her you wouldn’t go for it,” she said. “But she insisted.” Louisa patted my belly, which was a little larger than it needed to be, but not by that much. “She thinks you should start cutting back on your calories now that you’re getting older.”
    “I didn’t say that at all,” Cindy protested. Then she added sheepishly, “At least not that badly.”
    “You’re absolutely right,” I said. “I do need to start cutting back.”
    Louisa’s smile died on her face, and then I added, “And I will, starting tomorrow. Or the next day. Thursday at the latest.”
    All my siblings started laughing as I cut an extremely generous slice to accompany the puny offering Cindy had given me.
    Bob smiled at me and said, “I’ll take one just like it.”
    Kate said, “You know Jessica isn’t going to like that.”
    Bob cut a big piece nonetheless. “What my wife doesn’t know won’t hurt me.” Just before taking the first bite, he added, “You’re not going to say anything to her, are you?”
    There was a battery of insincere denials, and Bob reluctantly put half his cake onto another plate. “I can’t believe my own family is so willing to tell on me,” he said.
    Jeff laughed as he snagged the extra piece. “I’ll take it, if you don’t want it.”
    After we’d all shared some cake and punch, Mom said,