Dead Giveaway by Joanne Fluke Read Free Book Online Page B

the Asian consumer. Jolette Washington, from the room next-door, had stuck her head in to see what all the fuss was about. Ellen had designed a black mannequin? How wonderful! Jolette’s roommate, Toyo-San Kasawi, had turned to give Jolette a confused look. Ellen’s mannequin was clearly Japanese.
    Ellen’s roommate had run out to get Mary Long-branch, a full-blooded Sioux, who’d sworn that it was American Indian. So they’d lugged it down to the lobby and invited in everyone they could think of to offer an opinion. Vietnamese, Russian, Hawaiian, African, plain old Caucasian, the list was endless. Everyone appropriated Ellen’s doll for their own ethnic group.
    Later that night, they’d discussed the possibilities. Everyone thought that Ellen should either sell her idea or go into business to manufacture it herself. Department stores everywhere would jump at the universal mannequin. Five years had passed, during which Ellen had been living as frugally as she could. She was still years short of enough capital to open a business, but that was her long-range goal.
    The sense of unreality was still with her. Perhaps a drink would help. Ellen wandered into the kitchen and retrieved the half-full bottle of white wine she’d put in the refrigerator two weeks ago. Someone had told her that cheap wine didn’t go bad as fast as the expensive kind, and less than five dollars for a bottle of Chablis was certainly cheap.
    The wine tasted a little like vinegar, and Ellen poured it down the sink. Marc Davies had said the reading of the will would be held tomorrow. It wasn’t critical that she be there in person even though the lawyer, Mr. Clayton Roberts, had said she was a beneficiary. Aunt Charlotte had always promised her the family china, which had belonged to her grandmother. The silverware, too, but how could she possibly afford to ship it out here? She really had no use for it, since she seldom entertained.
    Ellen sighed as she peered at the field of blowing white snow outside her kitchenette window. Warm and sunny, Las Vegas offered palm trees and flowers and swimming pools. The prospect of flying out of this interminable winter was very enticing. It would be insane to even consider it, a total waste of money for a trip that wasn’t the slightest bit necessary. Still, she had thirteen days’ leave accumulated and this qualified as a family emergency. She had half a notion to take a week off work and go get her china in person.
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    â€œWell, Ellen. How does it feel to be a millionaire?”
    â€œI’m not sure, Mr. Roberts . . . I mean, Clayton.” Uncle Lyle’s lawyer had told her to call him by his first name. “I think I’m still in shock.”
    â€œUnderstandable.” Clayton took her by the arm and steered her out of his wood-paneled office. “What you need is a drink.”
    â€œBut I hardly ever . . . all right.” Ellen nodded quickly. She had been about to say that she wasn’t in the habit of drinking in the middle of the workweek, but this wasn’t exactly a normal week.
    As Clayton pushed the elevator button, he turned to her. “I’ve got some work to finish here so Johnny Day’s taking you to the Castle Casino for the show. Then we’ll take you up the mountain to see your new home.”
    â€œJohnny Day?”
    â€œThat’s right.” Clayton’s gold-rimmed aviator glasses slipped down slightly as he nodded. “He’s your fourth-floor neighbor.”
    Ellen’s knees were shaking slightly as she got into the elevator with Clayton. She glanced down at her sensible navy-blue dress with the white collar and cuffs and wished she was wearing something else. The other teachers would be green with envy when she told them she’d met the most famous singer in Vegas.
    The elevator started to descend and Clayton turned to her. “Just relax and enjoy yourself, Ellen. Tomorrow we’ll