Buried in a Book by Lucy Arlington Read Free Book Online

present.”
    “Sir, this is a possible crime scene, and we can search the open areas of this lobby without a warrant,” Officer Griffiths replied. A trifle embarrassed, Franklin acquiesced and went to stand beside Flora.
    Zach and Jude moved forward to assist the men from the coroner’s office with their burden, but their offer was courteously declined. Flora began to weep again and was comforted by Franklin, who made soothing noises while handing her tissue after tissue. As I stood aside with the agents, Griffiths asked them several questions about Marlette, but it was obvious they knew almost nothing abouthim. The other officer started to search the area around the sofa, peering behind the throw pillows and running his hands between the cushions.
    Eventually, Franklin escorted Flora back to her office. Jude, Zach, and I stood around looking at one another, then at the policemen. One of them was on his hands and knees shining a flashlight under the couch, while the other was flipping through a notebook. It was as if we expected them to provide us with an explanation, to reason away the morning’s tragedy. No one said anything for a while, and a sudden breeze wafted up as the gurney was taken outside. Downstairs, the door closed with a click, then almost immediately opened again. Heels tapped up the stairs.
    “Oh my!” a genteel voice exclaimed. “Whatever has happened?”
    An elegant woman stepped into the reception area. She was wearing an ivory pantsuit that looked like it was fresh from a boutique in Paris. With strappy gold sandals on her feet and a gold-threaded, multicolored scarf arranged artfully around her neck, she exuded an air of sophistication and drama. Her red hair was arranged into a complicated chignon at the nape of her neck, accentuating her incredible cheekbones. Who was this beauty? Could she be a movie star? If so, what was she doing here, in a literary agency in Inspiration Valley?
    Standing—no, posing—at the agency’s entrance, she took off her sunglasses. Green eyes the color of jade cast around the space, taking in all of us standing about like thoughtless zombies. Barely glancing at me, her gaze alighted on both Jude and Zach longer than necessary before she turned to Griffiths.
    “Oh, officer,” she gushed, approaching him. “Has something terrible happened here? I saw men outside with a gurney.Pray tell, who was under the sheet? Not…one of us. Tell me it wasn’t…” Her hands fluttered at her heart, and she batted long eyelashes at him.
    Griffiths blushed and cleared his throat. “I’m Officer Griffiths, ma’am. And you are…?”
    The woman stood a little straighter. “I am Luella Ardor, an agent here at Novel Idea. Please, what’s happened?”
    Ah, the romance agent. Jude and Zach stared at Luella as if they were under some kind of spell. I felt an odd twinge of jealousy.
    “A man named Marlette was found dead on this couch.” Griffiths’s tone was solicitous. “Maybe you could tell me something about him.”
    Luella brought both hands to her cheeks. “Oh! Oh! Poor Marlette. Such a strange man. But rather a fixture around here.” She sighed. “How did he die?” Her eyes widened as she looked at Griffiths.
    “We won’t know until the coroner submits his report, ma’am.”
    The stocky policeman suddenly appeared beside Luella and touched her elbow. “Are you all right, Ms. Ardor? Would you like to sit down? I know this must be a shock.” He gently guided her to a chair.
    “Why, thank you. You’re just as sweet as a caramel apple in autumn.” She smiled, small dimples appearing in her cheeks, and lowered herself into the seat.
    Griffiths looked at me. “Maybe some water?” I pretended not to notice and shuffled the folders of queries on the coffee table.
    “Oh, are you the new intern?” Luella suddenly seemed to realize I was in the room.
    I introduced myself.
    “Nice to meet you, Lila. Could you be a dear and get me a coffee? A skinny latte?”
    “I