Murder in Vein (2010) by Sue Ann Jaffarian Read Free Book Online Page B

morning until two or three in the afternoon, but today my greatniece is in a play at school. But don't worry, just relax and get
used to the place. The Dedhams get up around five, a little later
in the summer months when the days are longer. Mrs. D told me
she has a surprise for you, so be ready to go out around six or so.
Nothing fancy, just girl stuff."

    Madison felt like a ship buffeted by a capricious storm. One
minute she'd fallen into a heart-warming movie of the week, the
next she was in a cult horror picture.
    "We've only had one other living houseguest before, and that
was Mike," Pauline told Madison with a skeptical shake of her
head. "So this should be interesting, to say the least."
    "Do you mean Detective Notchey?"
    "Yes. He stayed here once, in the same room you're in now.
It was while Mrs. D nursed him back from a shooting injury."
Pauline was about to say more about the detective when she suddenly remembered something. "Oh, I forgot," she said, pulling a
message out of the pocket of her apron. "Mike called. He wants
you to call him as soon as you can. I believe he wants to come by
today and ask you more questions."
    Madison picked up her keys and rose from the table. She
went to Pauline and took the note, which was a phone number
scrawled on the back of a grocery receipt.
    "He left his cell number," Pauline explained, "in case you misplaced his business card."
    Looking out the window, Madison could see the pool, hot
tub, and large, lovely patio. The property was edged with thick
natural trees and shrubs, like it had been carved out of the dense
vegetation with a soup spoon. She'd hiked in Topanga Canyon
several times. It was located in the Santa Monica Mountains, not
far from the Pacific Ocean and Malibu. Bobby Piper had taken
her to a wooded area, and she wondered if it had been here, close
to the Dedhams' house.
    "I saw Doug kill the man who kidnapped me," she said to
Pauline without turning around.

    Pauline moved closer to Madison but didn't touch her. "You
forget about that now, Madison," she instructed. "Sometimes the
Dedhams kill, but they never do it wantonly like some vampires
or like those you've seen on TV. If they have to end a life, it's
for a good reason and usually with considerable thought and
regret" When Madison didn't respond, she continued. "Would
you rather they'd left you to die? Because as I understand it, it
was either that scum or you."
    Madison looked down at the keys in her hand. Pauline
noticed and could read her thoughts of flight as if they were
stamped in ink on the girl's scraped forehead. She placed a dark,
rough hand on Madison's shoulder. "The Dedhams are good
people, Madison."
    "But they're not people, are they?" Madison turned to look
into the eyes of the housekeeper. "Not really."
    "At one time they were alive." Pauline moved the hand to
touch her own chest. "I know in my heart they were good people
then and try to be good people now, even when the dark side of
their circumstance leads them in a different direction."
    The two women stood face to face in silence for a moment
before Pauline spoke again. When she did, her tone was respectful and quiet. "My family has served Douglas Dedham for over
two hundred years."
    Madison's eyes widened, silently urging Pauline to continue.
"It started when Mr. D saved my ancestor, Micah Johnson, from
the hands of an evil and sadistic slave trader. Mr. D took him
in, trained him as his personal valet, and educated him. In those
days, it was dangerous to educate slaves. Mr. D did it himself
in secret. From that point on, someone in my family has been employed by Mr. D to see to his needs." She paused for emphasis.
"And keep his secret."

    Pauline picked up a cloth and started wiping down the spotless counter as she talked. "Before me, it was my Aunt Izzy. After
me, either my cousin Sara or my niece Keisha will work here in
my place. Both help around here now. Even my husband does
things for