The Greatest Gift (A Darcy Sweet Mystery) by K.J. Emrick Read Free Book Online Page A

she still was with Jon Tinker.
    "So what should we do?" he asked.
    The question took her off guard.  With her thoughts on the two of them she wanted to answer that they should get back together, throw caution to the wind, make everything like it was before.  "What do you mean?" she asked instead.
    "I mean, what should we do about Belinda?" he clarified.  When he saw the look on her face he added, "I know.  It's not my place to say or do anything.  This is your friend you're helping out, and it's completely your decision, but I'd like to help.  If that's okay?"
    He h ad completely misread the disappointment in her eyes.  His mind had been on the mystery in front of them, and not on her.  She sighed.  "I do want your help, Jon.  I do.  But we were talking about something else, if you remember."
    He reached out and took her hand again.  "I won't forget.  Not ever again.  I missed you, Darcy."
    Those weren't the words Darcy was hoping to hear, but they still sounded sweet.
    ***
    Belinda greeted them with a smile and an offer to make some tea.  She was in a dark blue dress today, wearing a string of pearls with matching earrings that dangled and swung with her every move.  She practically gushed over Jon.  "I was wondering where our handsome detective had gone," she said to him with a wink.  "In a town this small someone as handsome as you doesn't just leave without people noticing."
    Darcy thought it was cute the way Jon looked embarrassed by Belinda's compliments.  He sat down at the small kitchen table with Darcy and folded his hands together in front of him.  "I came over with Darcy to help out with your problem," he said.  "I hope you don't mind."
    "G oodness, of course I don't mind."  Belinda set the teakettle to boil on the burner and came to join them, lowering herself gingerly into a chair.  "Oh, my old bones are getting more and more tired.  Take my advice, the both of you.  Don't ever get old.  You shouldn't call this a problem, though.  I'm so happy my Dominic is here.  I just need to know why."
    " That's why we're here," Darcy said. "Do you mind if I ask what Dominic left you in his will?"
    Belinda blinked at her .  "My husband's will?"
    "I realize it's a very personal question.  Is it all right if you tell us?"
    "Why wouldn't it be all right?" Belinda asked, clearly confused.  "There wasn't anything much for him to leave me.  This house, our old car, and some bills he hadn't paid yet.  Dominic and I didn't have very much.  We lived very simple lives.  His father cut him off when he married me, you know.  Oh, that family had more money than God, but they never shared a cent of it with my Dominic when he chose me."
    Darcy exchanged a glance with Jon.  That confirmed at least part of what they had found out.  "Belinda," she said, "I heard that Dominic was saving all of his money for you.  Did he maybe have a bank account that you didn't know about?"
    Belinda was shaking her head emphatically before Darcy even finished asking the question.  "No.  Nothing like that.  My Dominic didn't trust banks.  He kept all of his money here in our house.  I know where every penny of it was, and believe me, I spent all of that in the first year after he passed.  If it wasn't for my retirement check I would have lost this place a long time ago."  She looked around the room, obviously seeing more than just the house.  "That would have been such a shame."
    The look on Jon's face was a mirror of Darcy's own.  So much for that lead.  If money was the motive behind the strange occurrences in Belinda's house, Belinda didn't know anything about it.
    That didn't mean Dominic's spirit didn't know about it.  Darcy decided to try again.  "Do you think your husband is trying to tell you there's money here for you?  Somewhere in the house you didn't know about?"
    "Now where would my Dominic get money like that?" Belinda laughed.  "We never had any money to begin with."
    The teakettle whistled, and