Midsummer Murder by Shelley Freydont Read Free Book Online Page A

“Let’s see if Jeremy has started company class. I don’t know why he didn’t let you teach it like you normally do.”
    “Because this is his show,” said Lindy. “He wants to give it everything.”
    “Yeah, well, after meeting Marguerite, I see where he gets his energy.”

    * * *
Stuart was standing on the front porch, unfurling a giant umbrella.
    “Big enough for three,” he said. They gratefully squeezed themselves under its protection and let Stuart lead them down the steps.
    “And where are you ladies headed this morning? This rain shouldn’t keep up for much longer. It’s supposed to clear up by this afternoon.”
    The sound of engines caught their attention. Two police cars turned into the drive and came to a stop in front of the steps, virtually blocking their passage.
    “Insufferable bugger,” muttered Stuart. “Good morning, Sheriff,”
    he said in a louder voice and directed a polite smile at the man getting out of the passenger side of the first car.
    Sheriff Grappel nodded. “Is Ms. Marguerite inside?”
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    Midsummer Murder
    “I believe so. Sandiman will announce you. Now, if you’ll excuse us.” Stuart tipped his head slightly toward the sheriff and scuttled Lindy and Biddy across the drive, one hand holding the umbrella, the other maneuvering his cane between their feet.
    At the theater, Biddy left them to look in on company class.
    “I’ll check on Rebo, but first: Stuart, is there an infirmary and doctor on the grounds?”
    Stuart raised his eyebrows. “Of course, are you in need of one?”
    “No,” said Lindy. “But I thought the kids could use some grief counseling. There was one boy I saw last night that seemed particularly upset. Do you think it would be impolitic to suggest it?”
    “Not at all. I expect Dr. Addison has already set something up. She’s a superb physician. An old friend of Marguerite’s. It’s this way.”
    They walked down the path they had followed the night before, past the student dining hall, then Stuart veered off to the left. The trees sheltered them from the worst of the rain, but drops fell from the leaves and made thudding noises as they hit the surface of the umbrella.
    After a few minutes, they stopped in front of a brown, wood-shingled cabin. A sign of whitewashed wood hung to the left of a screen door. INFIRMARY was carved into its surface and painted black.
    Stuart stepped onto the porch, collapsed the umbrella, and shook it vigorously. The screen door rattled beneath his knock.
    A husky voice answered from inside. “Come in.”
    “I’ll wait for you out here and escort you back. Wouldn’t want you to get lost on your first day.”
    Lindy considered telling him that she thought she could manage the cultivated wilderness of the camp on her own, especially since each path was marked with a sign bearing names like Hemlock Lane, Elm Hollow, Two Rocks Way. But it would be an affront to his Old World manners, so she just said,
    “Thank you” and went inside.
    The difference between the rough exterior of the outside of the cabin and the high-tech interior stopped her just inside the door.
    Behind a metal desk sat a diminutive woman, dressed in a tailored pantsuit that would have been more appropriate for holding office hours on the upper East side of Manhattan.
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    Shelley Freydont
    She looked up at Lindy and tilted her head. The motion sent her sleek black page boy swaying to the side. Black horn-rimmed glasses added to the general severity of her appearance, the thickness of the lenses distorting and amplifying the size of her eyes.
    “Dr. Addison?”
    “Yes,” she said in a voice much too throaty for the thin, businesslike woman who stood, took off her glasses, and held out her hand to be shaken.
    “Lindy Graham,” said Lindy holding out her own hand, which was taken in a firm grasp. “I’m the rehearsal director for the Jeremy Ash Dance Company.”
    “A pleasure. Please be seated. How can I help you?” She motioned to a chair