Camera Never Lies by Elizabeth Goddard Read Free Book Online Page A

bowed my head and focused my heart on God, knowing that words spoken out loud affected nothing if they weren’t from the heart.
    “Lord, I pray for your direction and guidance in this situation.” I continued for a while, praying for Rene, Conrad, Mom, and the whole murder investigation then paused to allow Rene her words. When our prayers were spent, a gentle, holy peace settled upon me. I looked at Rene and saw she felt it, too. We wiped the tears and hugged.
    “I must look a mess,” she said, looking intently at me.
    “By the expression on your face, I’m guessing that I’m the one who looks a mess.”
    Rene giggled. “Do you remember the time you were putting together that huge casserole for a potluck?”
    I stared at the ceiling as if the memory would replay itself like a movie on the white surface.
    “Don’t you remember? Conrad and Spence had arrived early to escort us to the bash. You turned just as Conrad came up on you from behind.”
    An image of Conrad covered with tomato sauce and noodles appeared in my mind. “The look on his face.”
    Rene’s laugh was contagious, and I joined in, relieved, believing she’d overcome all her misgivings.
    “Priceless.” We said the word together and laughed hysterically like two young girls who’d become slaphappy over rum punch.
    When the laughter died, we were wiping tears of joy.
    “I’ve come to a decision,” Rene said.
    I could hope, pray, and lead a woman to a wedding, but I couldn’t make her say vows. I held my breath.
    “My wedding can still be a wonderful, memorable occasion, despite all these nasty interruptions. Besides, I want to begin making memories with Conrad…as his wife.”
    I screamed, and we both jumped up and down. She’d finally come to terms with what had kept her from marrying Conrad—the postponements, the cancellations for trivial reasons—and she would marry the man. I knew it was true. And I knew she couldn’t wait to tell Conrad the news.
    The clock revealed it was after midnight. “I can’t believe we’ve been talking for so long. I’d better let you get some sleep.”
    Rene smiled. “Thank you, Polly. Conrad didn’t understand how much I needed you. But I think he will now.”
    I thought he would, too, and maybe he would even thank me. “Well, what about Conrad? Will you tell him tonight?”
    Rene looked at the clock again then the phone. “I’ll call him—keep a little tension and romance in the relationship.”
    I left Rene to her phone call and returned to my concern for Mom. But there wasn’t any way I’d disturb her at this late hour and risk waking her. She’d probably taken another sleeping pill. I was wide awake, my mind filled with thoughts of how to discover Alec’s killer.
    Though I knew I should return to my room, I headed for the lobby. I’d always wondered about the giant fireplace there. Caldera Lake Lodge rested at over eight thousand feet above sea level, so even the summer nights were cold. Did they keep the flames stoked during the night or allow the fire to die down? My detour would only take a few minutes.
    The lobby was quiet except for the crackle of flames. The ambience created by the gentle fire warming and dimly lighting the room caused imaginings of a different life to bubble up. Pleasant feelings engulfed me, and I allowed myself, if only for a moment, to think about what life might have been like had my husband stayed home on that fateful day. Or what life might have been like had Spencer… I jammed my hands into my pockets, killing that thought.
    It was one thing for Rene and Conrad to continue with wedding plans, but it was quite another for me to entertain romantic notions about a man who, as far as I was concerned, had spurned me years before.
    I had to get serious about my investigation into Alec’s death. With that thought, it occurred to me how careless I’d been. Someone had murdered Alec Gordon, and here I was, meandering around in the middle of the night by myself.