Read Online Beauty to Die For and Other Mystery Shorts by Lauren Carr - Free Book Online

began.
    “That’s a lie,” the Senator said. “I told him to end your investigation. I didn’t tell him to kill anyone.”
    “Did he contact you about my visit with him?” Cameron said. “The one where I asked him about the lack of physical evidence placing Billy Robb on the scene of Rachel Burke’s murder. Yet, we have two witnesses who said you were fighting with Rachel Burke just one day before her murder.”
    “Your witnesses are mistaken,” Linda said. “I had no reason to kill Rachel.”
    “I’d call sleeping with your husband and threatening to go to the police to tell them about you committing murder a big motive,” Cameron countered.
    “Your witnesses are full of it,” Linda tapped her finger on the table. “One, I never killed anyone, anywhere, anytime. Two, Rachel was not sleeping with my husband, therefore I didn’t get into any fight with her about sleeping with my husband.”
    “Not according—”
    “ Susan was sleeping with my husband,” Linda said. “And yes, I did get into her face about it the day before Rachel was killed. That slut and my pig of a husband embarrassed the hell out of me. They went running off on a bike ride and Susan comes back with her arm all banged up and they tried to tell me this lie about her falling off the bike. If Ronald is going to be sneaking around with my being Senator, the least he could do is become a better liar.” Uttering a sigh of disgust, Linda crossed one leg over the other and rolled her eyes.
    Cameron gazed at her while trying to piece together what the senator had said. She could sense Joshua doing the same in the observation room behind her. Finally, she found her voice to asked, “ Susan messed up her arm.”
    “Yes,” Linda said with a note of annoyance. “Sprained it or something. Somehow while they were going at it like a couple of horny rabbits—”
    “ Susan , not Rachel ?”
    “Yes, it was Susan that Ronald was sleeping with … at that time!” Linda said. “He did have a fling with Rachel off and on all through college. I think he was even in love with her for a while.” With a smirk, she announced, “But my family had more power and money. I’m not stupid. I know that’s why he stays around. All I ask of him is that he be discreet.”
    “Was Rachel sleeping with Ronald at that time?” Cameron asked.
    Linda shrugged. “You have to ask him.”
    Cameron slammed her folder shut. She started to get up to leave, but stopped to ask, “Who killed Charley Halston?”
    Linda gazed at her. Her eyes narrowed. “My temper is infamous.”
    “I know.”
    “That’s okay,” the senator said. “I don’t let it brew beneath the surface to let go off like a volcano—like someone I used to know.”
    “Who was that someone?”
    “Rachel Burke. I have no doubt that’s what got her killed. Susan probably killed her in self-defense after I spilled the beans about her and Ronald. I guess you probably already figured out that Susan’s son, Tyler, is Ronald’s.” She smirked. “Of course, if you go to the media about that, I will deny it.”
    “Let’s say,” Cameron said, “I believe you that you didn’t kill Rachel Burke, then why go to such lengths to end any investigation into her murder?”
    “Because Susan Burke is a weak link,” Linda said. “For years after Charley was killed, Susan kept saying that we should tell what happened to bring her family closure.” Her face screwed up when she scoffed, “Like it was going to bring Charley back to them or something—whatever.”
    “Do you mean you had Ellicott kill Angela Jarvis because you knew she was getting close to uncovering you killing Charley Halston?”
    While her lawyer objected, the senator sat up straight in her chair. “I did not order any murders! I only ordered that Ellicott use whatever means necessary to make people see the wisdom of doing things my way! Besides—I didn’t know Angela Jarvis was anywhere near finding out about Charley Halston. After