The Fine Art of Murder by Emily Barnes Read Free Book Online

them.
    “Do you have room for dessert?” I asked when her plate was clean.
    “Please say there’s chocolate cake with double chocolate icing.”
    “Do I know my daughter or what?” I got up to cut her a slice.
    “You’re an angel.” Lizzie sat back and relaxed her shoulders. “So, tell me what you did before the kids got home, besides getting your hair cut. It looks great, by the way. I’m guessing you went to The Mark.”
    “How come you never mentioned, not one single time, during any of our many conversations, that the place is now a Fabulous Cuts?”
    “Oh, it’s basically the same. Margaret Ann still runs the show.”
    “And she still looks great. Once a beauty queen, always a beauty queen, I guess.”
    We laughed.
    “Talking about looking the same, I went to the Pierce Gallery this morning. Randolph was there. He’s still as handsome as ever.”
    “What did you think of the place?” she asked.
    “I was expecting something more traditional, but I liked it. And you were right; he does seem more down to earth. His assistant is cute.”
    “So you met the beautiful and oh-so-talented Stacey? I thought she spent most of her valuable time at the mansion.”
    Was I detecting a hint of jealousy? “Not today, I guess.”
    “What did you and Randy talk about?”
    “New York, the gallery . . . stuff like that. But then he got a phone call and needed privacy, so he scurried off to a corner. Which was weird considering he has an office and it was obviously a personal call.”
    “What made you think it was personal?”
    “Well one minute he’s charming, going on and on about his new outlook on life. Happy and relaxed. Then he gets that call and turns into a maniac. He’s shouting, waving his arms, telling someone to stop nagging him.”
    “Randy’s always been . . . eccentric,” Lizzie said, concentrating on the last few bites of her cake.
    “But why didn’t he just go in the back? He obviously knew who the caller was; I saw him check the screen before he answered the phone. There were other customers in the gallery, and he didn’t seem to care if he was making a scene. Why would he—”
    “Mother,” Lizzie put down her fork. “What do you care? You’re retired now; stop analyzing every situation.”
    Her remark irritated me, but before I could say anything in response, the doorbell rang. “I’ll get it,” I said, hoping to walk off my anger.
    I looked through the peephole. Standing on the other side of the door was Nathan Walker, Sully’s former partner and one of my closest friends.
    “Nathan!” I said as I opened the door. “What a surprise.”
    “Kathy!” He rushed forward and gave me a big hug.
    “What are you doing here so late?”
    “I was hoping you were up. There’s been a murder at the Pierce estate.”

Chapter Seven
    I considered Nathan Walker my best friend and confidant. He was with Sully that day at the bank when two gunmen took nine hostages. It had been snowing off and on for days, schools were closed, and public transportation had ceased altogether. I’ve often thought those idiots intentionally staged the robbery on that day, thinking the bad weather would slow down the cops. But bad men are usually stupid men, and they never considered how the snow would hamper their escape. Sully and Nathan were just finishing up their shift when they were called to the scene. Although I also responded, they were first on the scene and in charge.
    The robbers released seven hostages. Each time, either Sully or Nathan would rush the frightened victim into a squad car where it was warm. It went on like that until we all thought the perps were close to surrendering.
    Sully was up front when Sidney Lang, the bank manager, was released. The frightened man stumbled toward Sully andthen slid on a patch of ice, falling backward, hitting his head. That’s when all hell broke loose.
    Gunshots echoed off the granite buildings; I thought I’d go deaf. Even though we’d roped off the