Murder With Peacocks by Donna Andrews Read Free Book Online

containers of food.
      "I suppose I should bring this back later," he said, shifting from foot to foot and rolling the top of the bag a little tighter.
      "Oh, no; I'm sure we can find a space," I said. I opened the refrigerator door wider and began shifting around Tupperware containers and foil-covered casseroles. "What is it you've brought? Can we slip it here on top of the ham or--" I heard a slight noise and turned to find the kitchen empty. "Mr. Wendell?" I peered out the back door. I could see Jake scuttling around the corner.
      Irritating little man. I seemed to make him nervous. Probably senses that you don't like him, I told myself. Perhaps trying to get to know him was a lost cause. Perhaps I should just ignore him.
      On the other hand, if Mother had asked him to bring over something for the party, she would expect to see it. I gulped the rest of my coffee and went after him.
      Jake was making better time than I was. By the time I arrived at his house, a block and a half away, he was nowhere in sight. I trudged up the porch steps and was lifting my hand to knock on the screen door when I heard a female voice say, "So there you are!"
      I whirled, and saw no one.
      "I just went down the street to Margaret's," came Jake's voice from inside the house. I realized the woman was inside, too, and not talking to me.
      "To hide something, I suppose?" the voice continued. "Something of Emma's? The missing jewelry, maybe?"
      "Just some food for the party," Jake said, meekly. "I told you, Jane; all of Emma's jewelry is in the safety deposit box. Emma was very careful about that. I'm sure the key will turn up."
      Ah, I thought. This must be the sister-in-law. Emma, presumably, was Jake's late wife. And here I'd arrived in the midst of a family quarrel. Over missing jewelry, no less. I was tempted to stay and eavesdrop, but my conscience won out. I turned and began sneaking quietly off the porch.
      "I'll bet you've given it all to that blond hussy you're marrying," Jane went on. I paused. I'd heard Mother called many interesting things--had called her a few myself--but "blond hussy" was a new one, even for Mother.
      "No, no, no! Margaret doesn't know they're here--or in the safety deposit box, rather. I told her all Emma's good things had gone to pay the medical bills that the insurance didn't cover."
      "Well, they've gone somewhere, haven't they? The Sheridan console that used to be here, and the Wyeth--"
      "I told you, Jane; it's all in storage."
      "We'll see about that. We'll see if your fiancee happens to have a Sheridan console like Emma's."
      "Please don't do that. You'll upset her."
    "I've a mind to go over there right now," Jane said. Hearing her footsteps coming my way, I whirled and ran pell-mell for home.
      I need to exercise more, I told myself, as I sprawled, panting, on my chair in the kitchen, awaiting the onslaught of Jake and his sister-in-law. I'll just have to tell them I was doing my exercises, I thought. Oh, sure; Jake will certainly believe that, having seen me semicomatose in the kitchen a few minutes before. I stood up and did a few jumping jacks to add a note of realism for their arrival. After a few minutes I switched to sit-ups. When five or ten minutes passed with no sign of irate sisters-in-law, I abandoned my charade and went back to the kitchen for more coffee.
      Damn Jake, anyway. At least he'd talked his sister-in-law out of storming over here immediately, but I had a premonition that trouble was still coming. Did Jake really think he had to put his late wife's possessions in storage to keep them out of Mother's clutches? And why didn't he just show them to his sister-in-law? Probably no time; she'd only just arrived a few hours ago. I hoped he did it soon. The way she sounded, I suspected that when she didn't find her sister's jewelry and furniture here, she'd accuse Mother of selling them. Which was nonsense. I could see Mother appropriating a piece of jewelry or