Take a Dive for Murder by Millie Mack Read Free Book Online Page A

else was around, Carrie went to the post office and dropped her letter in the mailbox. She wasn’t a dedicated runner, so she decided to walk briskly on her trip back to the house. Her character Ascot was a good runner. After all, Ascot was an agent and he often needed to run to escape the danger he was facing. Carrie was a photographer and there was no danger in her life so walking was just fine for her. Plus, walking allowed her to clear her mind and reflect on the words in Jamie’s letter.
    What did he mean by waiting for the person to stop? What was this person doing? Did this person kill him? What did he mean by “my things are at the house ”? Did he mean actual clues were in the house? Was Jamie speaking literally or figuratively when he said photos don’t lie? She had lots of questions, but few answers. If Jamie was writing a story, she needed to find out what that story was and then follow his same path of research.
    Carrie arrived back at the house as Mary was bringing a tray of coffee to her room.
    “Good morning, miss. Mr. Charles saw that you went jogging and thought you might enjoy a cup of coffee when you returned.”
    “That was very kind of him,” Carrie said out loud, but wondered where Charles was positioned that he saw her leave the house.
    “Miss? Miss Carrie. Are you all right?”
    “Oh, yes…yes, I’m fine. I’m sorry, Mary. I was daydreaming for a moment.”
    “May I pour you a cup of coffee?” Mary was standing by the tray ready to pour from the two-cup pot.
    “Well, that depends. Do I have time to shower before the big breakfast with the family?”
    Mary giggled, and the freckles on her face seemed to pop from their hiding place. Then she caught herself and replied, “Oh, yes, miss. Actually, the ‘big breakfast’ is a buffet. Mrs. Faraday thought that would be easier, with today being special. However, it won’t be served for another thirty minutes. I believe you and Mr. Charles are the only ones up and about.”
    “I assume today is ‘special’ because it’s the reading of the will?”
    “I’m sure that’s part of it, but I think it has more to do with everyone eating at the same time. Normally, for breakfast each person comes to the kitchen and tells either my aunt or myself what you want, and we prepare it. Mr. Charles, Master Christopher, and Mr. Jamie, when he was here, ate early because they needed to go to school or work. Mrs. Faraday likes her breakfast served in her room at eight, and Suzanne…well, she can appear at anytime.”
    “Suzanne is not an early riser?” Carrie asked.
    “It isn’t so much she’s a late riser as she’s inconsistent. Sometimes she would eat with Mr. Jamie causing a delay in his schedule. For several days she bothered Mrs. Faraday. Other days she wouldn’t come down at all, which interrupted my aunt’s schedule, waiting to see if she wanted something. Now she tries to time her breakfast to coincide with Mr. Charles. Master Christopher is the only one Suzanne completely ignores, but that’s probably okay with him.”
    “Not the best of friends?”
    “She treats him like a kid, which he doesn’t like. They seem to have a mutual understanding just to leave each other alone. Plus…” she covered her mouth. “I probably shouldn’t say this, but I just figure there isn’t anything for Miss Suzanne to gain from buttering up Master Christopher. There I’ve gone and said it!”
    “Mary, you can say anything you want to me, and it will stay between us. I appreciate your honesty and trust. By the way, do I detect a bit of an accent?”
    She smiled. “Yes, miss, I come from Ireland. Mrs. Cavanaugh is my aunt and she’s been with the family for years. She started as a maid, too, but now she’s in charge of the whole house.” Mary said these words with a great deal of pride. “Mrs. Faraday is sponsoring me. I help with the chores around the house, and in return I have a place to stay, plus Mrs. Faraday pays for my college