Death Knell In The Alps (A Samantha Jamison Mystery) by Peggy A. Edelheit Read Free Book Online Page A

“That would be too humiliating.”
    “For who?” asked Mona. “The hotel or you?”
    “Hey, wait! I got it!” said Martha. “The garbage can!”
    “Brilliant!” said Betty. “She’ll be able to step on it.”
    Hazel and Betty dragged it over, then Mona and Martha centered it so I could try and balance on the curved top.
    “Okay,” said Martha. “Let’s get it a little closer.”
    Hazel, closely studying the lock to my stuck stall door, said, “There’s a clip wedged in here. Let me pull it out.”
    Suddenly the door swung open and me with it. My skirt broke free. Caught off guard, I lost my grip on the door. The garbage pail teetered, the top came off and I fell inside with a thud with my feet and arms sticking up in the air.
    No one said a word. No one dared.
    Finally Martha said, “Now, don’t that take the cake.”
    Betty and Hazel politely turned away. Probably so I wouldn’t see them holding back their laughter. Mona had no qualms about breaking up right there in front of me.
    Next thing I heard was a click. I turned as Martha took another shot with her iPhone. “No!” I yelled, mortified.
    She laughed. “It’s for posterity. Someday you’ll look back on this episode and laugh all about it.”
    “I doubt it. Now get me out of here!”
    Everyone, including me, started arguing about the safest way to get me out of the can when there was a loud knock at the restroom door then it swung open. We all turned.
    “The staff heard yelling and became concerned and…”
    There stood the very Germanic Herr Miller staring at our group. Then his eyes lasered in on me. “Ms. Jamison? What are you doing in our ladies room trashcan?”
    “This incident can be explained,” said Betty chuckling.
    “Quite amusing when you think about it,” choked Hazel.
    “It’s a doozy,” said Martha, now laughing outright.
    My face went scarlet. “…It’s a long story.”
    Mona barely got out, “She writes short ones too!”

 
     
     
    Chapter 25
    Who & Where Was Herr Kraus?
     
     
    A couple of hours later I was feeling those welts on my thighs and my palms were still red in spite of a soothing salve Hazel had found. I’d have some wicked bruises by morning. Worse was the humiliation. Hazel and Betty had gone to their bedroom still giggling as they shut their door.
    In an unusual truce, Mona and Martha were whispering in the corner sitting area of our suite making snide remarks about the additional iPhone pictures they had snapped just before I was eventually extricated from what a laughing Martha referred to as my unique steel bodyshaper .
    They were taking photos for posterity? Ha!
    More likely, I’d find them floating out on the Internet one of these days. Or, even more probable, held for extortion purposes whenever those two wanted me to agree to something dangerous. I knew from experience how their scheming minds worked. Nothing went to waste. I was their personal coupon with no expiration date.
    …And I loved every minute of it .
    After getting under the covers of their own beds, Martha spoke first. “Now who and where is this Herr Kraus?”
    “I was thinking the same thing myself,” said Mona.
    “Maybe he is a ‘ behind the scenes’ player,” I ventured.
    “You mean kind of like a silent investor,” Martha said.
    “If Clay and Peter are supposed to be guarding him,” said Mona, “why is Clay still out of town?”
    “Excellent point,” said Martha. “Sounds fishy.”
    “Herr Kraus must be here on the premises or somewhere in the vicinity of the hotel,” ventured Mona. “If you recall, he offered you that free dinner and champagne the other night. He knew exactly what was going on, real time .”
    “That doesn’t tell us why they’re guarding him,” I said.
    “Another good point,” added Martha. “Now, why would Clay come all the way over here to guard somebody?”
    “It’s obvious that there’s more of a connection between Clay, Peter and Kraus,” I suggested.
    “…I still