Dying to Read by Lorena McCourtney Read Free Book Online

Stapled to the page were three references from former employers.
    “It looks as if she’s worked for several older women,” Cate said. “Do you mind if I use the copy machine to make copies of these?”
    “Help yourself. The police will probably want them too.”
    The copy machine hummed efficiently and quickly turned out clear copies. “I met the women from your aunt’s book club yesterday,” Cate said as she turned the machine off.
    “Oh yes. The Whodunit Club.”
    “Do you know them?”
    “I’ve probably met most of them at one time or another. There’s a Fiona somebody. And a woman who looked as if she’d just come in from feeding the cows. I remember her telling me, ‘You can take the girl out of Texas, but you can’t take Texas out of the girl.’ ” Cheryl wrinkled her nose. Cate wasn’t sure if the distaste came from a reaction to Texie’s cowgirl outfit or the “girl” reference Texie had made to herself.
    “An interesting group,” Cate murmured.
    “And there’s a Doris. Tall and skinny, with a face like a hungry hawk. A real nosy busybody. I remember Aunt Amelia saying how the woman always wanted to know how much her shoes cost.”
    “They all seemed quite nice,” Cate said in a neutral tone.
    “Oh yes, of course. Although I think they took advantage of Aunt Amelia’s generosity.”
    “Really? In what way?”
    “Oh, you know. She was always taking them to lunches or movies or little outings of some kind. Things like that.”
    A rather different view than the Whodunit ladies had given of Amelia’s tightfisted ways. But, again, not her business. Her assignment was to find Willow.
    “I certainly do appreciate your helpfulness.” Cate folded the photocopies and stuck them in her purse. “Is the funeral service scheduled yet?”
    “Scott and I will have to discuss that. It also depends on when they release the body, of course. I don’t think Amelia would want a big fuss, so we’ll probably have something small and private at the cemetery where a couple of her husbands are buried.”
    Cate hadn’t known Amelia, but she suspected a big fuss was exactly what a woman who owned a tiara would want. “Maybe you could talk to her friends in the book club. They seemed to know her well and thought so highly of her.” Maybe a smidgen of white lie there, even though the women had spoken well of Amelia after she was dead.
    “You think so?” The niece sounded skeptical. “They struck me as a bunch of piranhas who’d happily turn on Amelia or each other over a good quiche.”
    That seemed a little harsh to Cate. But maybe not totally untrue.
    “Can you see yourself out? I want to get started on Amelia’s jewelry so I can get word to the police about what’s missing.”
    Cate started to say sure, then had second thoughts. Could this be a smoke screen? A sly proclamation of “Look how innocent I am!” to throw suspicion toward Willow and away from some involvement of her own in her aunt’s fall?
    “Could I be of any assistance?” Cate asked, all innocence herself.
    “I don’t know that I need any help. But, like I said, this place is so creepy. Like all those old husbands might still be lurking around watching.” Cheryl glanced at a ceiling corner as if expecting to find one hovering there. “So sure, c’mon. We’ll see what we can find.”
    They started down the hallway to Amelia’s bedroom, but Cheryl paused when her cell phone chirped. Cate continued on down the hall and spotted the cat hiding behind a drapery in Amelia’s bedroom. The pill bottles on the nightstand were gone now. The police must have taken them. A ceramic hand on a mirrored dressing table held several rings. They all looked like costume jewelry to Cate, but then, she had no great familiarity with real jewels. One ceramic finger was empty. Was that a place for some ring Amelia had been wearing, a ring someone had snatched off her finger? Or had someone with familiarity with real jewels snatched the only