Wedding Day Murder by Leslie Meier Read Free Book Online

Lauderdale.”
    â€œIs it anybody famous?”
    â€œThat’s an idea, Lucy,” said Ted. “Why don’t you find out who it is. Now that could be a story. Maybe it’s a movie star.”
    Lucy threw her hands up in frustration. “Don’t you get it? We have this huge income gap in this country. Five percent of the people have eighty percent of the wealth, leaving twenty percent for the rest of us. And here we have local, hardworking fishermen finding their job is becoming a lot harder because the town is selling their dock space to the highest bidder.”
    â€œIt’s not such a bad idea, Lucy,” said Ted, leaning back in his swivel chair. “The harbor’s in bad shape. The pilings are rotting away; they need to dredge. All that costs money, and the commission figured this would be preferable to raising the fees for everyone.”
    â€œOh,” said Lucy, feeling like a deflated balloon.
    â€œLucy,” began Ted, “I’m curious. Do you ever read the paper?”
    â€œI’m too busy writing it,” she snapped. “So, what next? The police log? The real estate transactions?”
    â€œBoth.” He handed her a thick sheaf of papers.
    She groaned.
    â€œAnd when you’re done, find out who’s on that yacht.”
    She flipped through the police log. Extra long, she noticed, probably because school was out. She fingered the pink message slip; better call Sue before she got started.
    â€œIt’s me. What’s up?”
    â€œGuess what?” Sue’s voice was breathless with excitement. “Ron and Thelma are in town and I want you to meet them.”
    Lucy drew a blank. “Who are Ron and Thelma?”
    â€œSidra’s fiancé and his mother.”
    â€œOhhhh,” said Lucy. “That Ron and Thelma.”
    â€œAnd it’s important for you to meet them since the wedding is going to be in your gazebo.”
    â€œOkay. Did you have a time in mind?”
    â€œHow about this afternoon? We could have tea.”
    â€œFour o’clock. Great.”
    â€œFour’s a little early. Could you make it at five?”
    â€œI have to pick up the kids then.”
    â€œCouldn’t Bill pick them up, or somebody else?” Lucy could hear the tension in Sue’s voice.
    â€œI guess so,” she said, unwilling to add to her friend’s stress level. She had enough to cope with, planning the wedding.
    â€œGreat! See you later!”
    â€œGreat,” muttered Lucy, hanging up the phone.
    Darn. She couldn’t call Bill—he had gone to New Hampshire to buy salvaged millwork from an 1800 house that was going to be demolished. Zoe’s best friend, Sadie Orenstein, was also at the Friends of Animals day camp; maybe her mother would take the girls home. Geoff Rumford probably wouldn’t mind giving Toby a lift, and they could pick up Elizabeth on the way. Give the girl a thrill. She was dialing when she heard Ted’s voice.
    â€œYou don’t seem to have gotten very far on that police log.”
    â€œI know. Transportation crisis. Got to get rides for the kids.”
    â€œI don’t mean to be unsympathetic, but you seem to be spending a lot of time on personal issues. What’s with all these messages from Sue? Can’t you talk to her on your own time?”
    Lucy rolled her eyes. “I got one message.”
    â€œSo you say.” Ted didn’t sound convinced.
    â€œBut Sidra’s getting married, you know.”
    â€œThat’s nice. What’s it got to do with you?”
    â€œI’m helping Sue with the wedding.”
    â€œAhhh, so that’s it,” said Ted, nodding and placing the tips of his fingers together. “I hope that this wedding isn’t going to interfere with your work. After all, your job is a lot more important than a wedding.”
    Lucy couldn’t believe what she’d just heard. She looked across the room at Phyllis, who