Christmas Cookie Murder #6 by Leslie Meier Read Free Book Online Page B

waste.
    She groaned, turning over and burying her face in her pillow.
    â€œYou’ve got to get up,” said Bill, nibbling on her ear.
    â€œI don’t want to.”
    â€œTough,” said Bill, whacking her bottom with a pillow.
    Lucy didn’t get up, she burrowed deeper under the covers, but she knew she was just postponing the inevitable. Bill was right. She had to get up. She had to get the lunches made and the kids off to school, then, she had to go straight to The Pennysaver and write up the selectmen’s meeting in time for the noon deadline. Ted was counting on her. She rolled over and got out of bed.
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    â€œThanks, Lucy, you did a real nice job with this,” said Ted, after he had given the story a quick edit. He scratched his chin and smiled slyly. “I guess the real story was your cookie exchange. Pam said you had quite a flood.”
    â€œDon’t remind me,” said Lucy, buttoning up her coat. “I’ve never been so embarrassed in my life.”
    â€œThese things happen to everyone,” said Ted. “Don’t forget the kindergarten Christmas party on Monday, okay?”
    â€œI’ll have it for you Tuesday,” promised Lucy.
    She took his nod as a dismissal and left the office, scowling at the cheery jangle of the bell on the door. Crossing Main Street to her parked car, she consulted her mental list of things to do. She could pick up a few presents, she could tackle the Christmas cards, she could get started on Zoe’s angel costume for the Christmas pageant…the list went on and on.
    Nope, she decided, shifting the list to a mental “do later” file. Right now, she needed some tea and sympathy. She climbed in the car and started the engine, driving down the street to the rec building.
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    Sue’s reaction, when she looked up from the sand table where she was helping two little boys build a racetrack for their Matchbox cars, was not what Lucy had hoped for.
    â€œThat was some party last night,” said Sue, giggling. “If you could have seen the look on your face when the water started dripping—I never saw anything so funny in my life.”
    â€œWell, I’m glad somebody had a good time.” Lucy plopped herself down in a child-sized chair. She glanced around the room, where another boy was busy building a tower of blocks and a group of little girls were playing in the dress-up area, and asked, “Where’s your helper?”
    Sue shrugged her shoulders. “No phone call, no nothing. It’s a heck of an inconvenience. I had to call the moms of the three infants and have them make other arrangements. You know, I really thought Tucker was different. Mature. Responsible.” She shook her head. “Sooner or later, they all revert to form. She’s only a kid, after all. I don’t know what I was thinking.”
    â€œI don’t know. I was pretty impressed with her. She was the life of the party, until the party…”
    â€œDied a watery death?”
    â€œIt needed to be put out of its misery, believe me.”
    Lucy watched as Sue put an arm around one of the little boys and began gently stroking his stomach.
    â€œTake it easy, Will,” she coaxed. “Just relax.”
    Will’s narrow chest, however, continued to rise and fall rapidly under his OshKosh overalls.
    â€œIs that Steffie’s Will?” Lucy asked, putting two and two together.
    â€œYup. This is my friend, Will, and this is Harry,” said Sue. “Boys, this is Mrs. Stone.”
    â€œGlad to meet you,” said Lucy, reaching across the table and shaking their hands. Harry smiled brightly at her, but Will, intent on his struggle to breathe, only gave her a glance.
    Sue pulled an inhaler out of her pocket and he obediently took a puff, and then another.
    Lucy glanced at Will, raised her eyebrows, then shifted her gaze to Sue. “You know it was Steffie who brought the MADD pamphlets. I got