Read Online A Crossword to Die For by Nero Blanc - Free Book Online Page B

multimillion-dollar yacht whose owner was clearly an international tycoon. Obviously, she’d been vastly mistaken about what life as a Florida retiree entailed.

CHAPTER 9
    â€œI don’t know, Belle … That sounds like a pickup line. And a pretty clever one, to boot.” Rosco chuckled as he spoke. “Did the guy happen to invite you aboard his floating palace? Or did he just use the ‘I’m new in town, and you look like a woman who knows her way around, so what’s the name of the bartender’ routine?”
    â€œVery funny …” Belle couldn’t help joining in Rosco’s amusement, however; she laughed as she gazed through the windshield at the serious-looking edifices of granite and steel lining the Massachusetts highway. Palm trees are for swizzle sticks , their dour demeanors seemed to say. She chortled again. “It did strike me as a strange—”
    â€œTommy Lipton had a nice yacht, too.”
    â€œWho?”
    Maneuvering his aging and beloved Jeep into the Sumner Tunnel and away from Boston’s Logan Airport, Rosco glanced sideways at Belle. He loved it when he discovered information she lacked—although not as much as he loved her. “The late nineteenth-century tea king—and confirmed ladies’ man—”
    â€œI’m impressed! Mr. Historical Research … I never know what you’ll surprise me with next.” Belle’s laughter grew. “Is that what you think I was doing in Florida? Being wooed by international business tycoons?”
    â€œOld Tommy owned a gargantuan yacht, too; not many gents were invited to join their ladies out on the briny.”
    Belle chuckled again, then moved close, and leaned her head on his shoulder. “The bizarre facts you can pull out of your hat … I missed you, Rosco—”
    â€œI should have gone down there with you, Belle.”
    â€œTo protect me from handsome yachtsmen?”
    â€œYou never said the guy was handsome! How handsome?”
    â€œNothing compared to you … Anyway he was wearing socks, and shoes—with laces … Definitely not your style. Or mine.” She sighed contentedly while Rosco continued in a more serious vein.
    â€œI should have been there to help sort through your dad’s stuff … all those memories.”
    â€œThere were no memories, Rosco. That’s what felt so weird … None connected to me, at any rate; aside from the crossword Father had framed.” Belle paused. “That was a nice find … odd, but nice … and rather sad, too …” She remained silent a moment, then continued talking. “I told you I tried to toss out a number of the photos—at least, the ones whose subjects I didn’t recognize, but I found I couldn’t do it … I don’t know, I guess I’ll end up storing them in the attic until I’m ninety-five … And I didn’t take time to sort his papers. I simply stuffed them in boxes, along with his financial material. Then I lugged them to the local Global Delivery office and sent them hurrying north. I was told the shipment might even beat me home.”
    â€œI should have been there,” Rosco repeated.
    â€œI’m a big girl. I’ll tell you when I’m in trouble.”
    â€œThat’s exactly what bothers me.”
    Belle squeezed his arm. “Which means you don’t trust me to know when I’m getting into difficult terrain—”
    â€œWhich means you don’t have to pretend to be brave … I know it was tough encountering this Deborah person, and tough just being in your dad’s apartment.”
    Belle didn’t answer; after a moment Rosco continued. “So, what happens to Mrs . Hurley now?”
    â€œI gave her two weeks’ severance pay, got Father’s keys back—which wasn’t as easy as it sounds. She wanted us to ‘stay in touch,’ but …”
    Rosco gave