Murder on the Bucket List by Elizabeth Perona Read Free Book Online Page A

situation we had earlier, with people traipsing all over the yard and trampling any evidence.”
    â€œIf the police have opened up the yard, there’s probably no evidence there. And I don’t think Cornelia is going to be doing a lot of traipsing.”
    Charlotte eyed the neighbor. “She better not.”
    Cornelia struggled to get off the lounge. “My hips just aren’t what they used to be.”
    â€œTell me about it,” said a younger woman in the group, smoothing the shorts that hugged her shapely hips. “It’s called childbirth.”
    Francine threw an annoyed look at Darla Baggesen, the forty-year-old divorcee whose house bordered the Jeffords’s. She’d been the one who’d announced what time it was last night when everyone screamed. In addition to being the homeowners’ association president, she was also flighty and self-absorbed. Francine was certain the mention of her hips had only been designed to attract attention to them.
    â€œCornelia is well past childbirth and what it does to hips, Darla. But since you’re so concerned, why don’t you help her to the door?”
    Darla shook her shoulder-length, sunny blond hair that Francine knew was a dye job. She sniffed. “I was just about to offer.”
    Charlotte and Francine ambled along with the group as it traversed the length of the pool, the patio, and through the French doors that led into the house. They entered into the family room with its two-story ceiling, bathed in sunlight through the massive Palladian window. Cornelia stopped to stare along with Darla. Summer Ridge was a subdivision of custom built, all-brick homes, most of them Colonial, but the Jeffords’s house was the most ex pensive and everyone knew it. Charlotte had to nudge the rubberneckers past the staircase into the foyer. Toby had the next five people waiting there, s o he escorted them into the front room to let Cornelia’s group out.
    â€œWhat does the line look like, Toby?” Charlotte asked when he returned.
    â€œStill long. It’s going to take us more than an hour to get all these people through. And that’s if nobody else gets in line.”
    â€œGo get another five. Francine here will take that group. That’ll double our coverage.”
    â€œCoverage?” Francine put her hands on her hips. “These people are the curious and the gawkers, not suspects.”
    â€œShows what you know,” Charlotte said, pulling her in close. “Cornelia Brown packs heat.”
    â€œHer purse?” asked Toby.
    â€œThat bag’s a treasure trove of torture devices, truth be known.”
    â€œStop it, Charlotte,” Francine said. “Stop it right now before I go out and tell all these people to go home. Cornelia is not a criminal.”
    â€œI wouldn’t put anything past Darla Baggesen, though,” Toby whispered. “She’s a cougar. She scares me.”
    From up the stairs, Joy’s shrill voice rang out. “Reuters is on the line, Alice! They want to know if you’d make a statement.”
    Alice stuck her head out of the first upstairs room and shouted back down the hall. “Who’s Reuters? Oh, never mind, it doesn’t matter. No statements.”
    The doorbell rang. Toby went to the door and jerked it open. “I told you, only five at a—oh, hello, officers.”
    He backed up to let a disheveled Detective Judson and a uniformed policeman step into the foyer. Francine noticed dark circles under Jud’s eyes.
    â€œIs Alice here?”
    â€œI’m here.” She came down the stairs, Jonathan behind her. “The study looks out onto the street. I saw you pull up.”
    â€œHi, Jud,” Jonathan said. “I’m glad you’re on the case.”
    Jud smiled. “Thanks. I’m sorry you and Francine got mixed up in this. I’m sorry it happened at all. But we get need to get to the bottom of things. Alice, did