Read Online Beads of Doubt by Barbara Burnett Smith - Free Book Online
Authors: Barbara Burnett Smith
Ads: Link
dressed.”
“They aren’t coming until nine thirty because they got everything ready last night. Nothing officially starts until ten. We have plenty of time.”
I growled, but I didn’t say anything. Who can argue with that kind of logic?
We cut through the bushes to the parking lot, and I heard voices coming from over the fence where the house was being renovated. “Sounds like a party.”
Beth, slightly ahead of me, picked up her pace. “A bad one. The cops are there.”
I caught up with her and saw that not only were there police, there was also a special crimes unit SUV and a coroner’s van. That’s when I started running. Bruce might have broken up my good-night kissing with Nate, but he was still one great guy, and he’d been my closest neighbor for over a year—the whole time he was renovating the house. He and his wife had been at the Manse several times, and when I had a problem with the garage door, he was the one who’d fixed it. That was on a Saturday and he’d never let me pay him. When his wife made tamales or posole , guess who got some?
I was almost out of breath when I rounded the corner and saw the big Dumpster with a ladder leaning against it.
There were people everywhere, including a few in uniforms, and several more in plain clothes. I went up to the man who seemed to be in charge. He appeared about fifty, dark straight hair, cut in a style you’d call clean-cut or all-American. He had a bit of a belly hanging over his belt, and he was taking some notes on a handheld computer.
“Good morning,” I said, still breathing hard. “I’m Kitzi Camden from next door.”
“Yes, Ms. Camden, nice to meet you. I’m Senior Sergeant Dwayne Granger.” He put away the stylus he’d been using on his Dell Axim and shook hands with me. “Nice to meet you, ma’am.”
I hate when people over twenty call me “ma’am.” “It appears that something terrible happened here. I knew the contractor and several of the workmen. Are they okay?”
He stared at me, saying nothing, until finally a voice from behind me said, “I’m okay, and so are all my crew.” It was Bruce.
I turned around and saw that he looked worn. “Oh, Bruce, I’m glad.” I took a huge breath. “You seem tired.”
“I am.”
The cop said, “Ms. Camden, I understand that you had a party at your house last night.”
“What? Oh, yes, but it wasn’t actually my party. It was the opening reception for the Bead Tea that’s being held. It starts today. It’s sponsored by the Ovarian Cancer Organization and the Bead Society.”
“Do you have a list of the guests?”
I shook my head.
Beth said, “I’m sure we can get you one. Judy would have it. I’m sorry, I haven’t introduced myself. I’m Beth Fairfield. I have a booth in the tent this weekend. The big teal and white striped tent? There will be vendors and I’m one of them.”
He seemed interested. “Doing what?”
“Selling jewelry.”
“Ah.” He nodded. I was relieved to be out out of the conversation. “And who is Judy?” Granger asked.
Beth explained that she was the president of the Ovarian Cancer Organization. “I have her number someplace. I’m sure Kitzi has it, too.”
“Any chance you can get it for me?”
I shivered in the morning sunlight. Judging from the coroner’s van and the ladder against the Dumpster, I could only conclude that someone had been killed and their body left in the Dumpster. And this sergeant thought that the people who had been in my home last night might have something to do with it. Maybe one of those people was dead, lying not twenty feet away, hidden by the steel walls of the Dumpster.
The sight of all the police vehicles had surprised and frightened me. Once I had known that Bruce and his crew were safe, I hadn’t thought much more about who had died, or why they were here. The nonchalance of the sergeant had lulled me into a false calm. I wasn’t feeling calm now, and the ease of the conversation
“They aren’t coming until nine thirty because they got everything ready last night. Nothing officially starts until ten. We have plenty of time.”
I growled, but I didn’t say anything. Who can argue with that kind of logic?
We cut through the bushes to the parking lot, and I heard voices coming from over the fence where the house was being renovated. “Sounds like a party.”
Beth, slightly ahead of me, picked up her pace. “A bad one. The cops are there.”
I caught up with her and saw that not only were there police, there was also a special crimes unit SUV and a coroner’s van. That’s when I started running. Bruce might have broken up my good-night kissing with Nate, but he was still one great guy, and he’d been my closest neighbor for over a year—the whole time he was renovating the house. He and his wife had been at the Manse several times, and when I had a problem with the garage door, he was the one who’d fixed it. That was on a Saturday and he’d never let me pay him. When his wife made tamales or posole , guess who got some?
I was almost out of breath when I rounded the corner and saw the big Dumpster with a ladder leaning against it.
There were people everywhere, including a few in uniforms, and several more in plain clothes. I went up to the man who seemed to be in charge. He appeared about fifty, dark straight hair, cut in a style you’d call clean-cut or all-American. He had a bit of a belly hanging over his belt, and he was taking some notes on a handheld computer.
“Good morning,” I said, still breathing hard. “I’m Kitzi Camden from next door.”
“Yes, Ms. Camden, nice to meet you. I’m Senior Sergeant Dwayne Granger.” He put away the stylus he’d been using on his Dell Axim and shook hands with me. “Nice to meet you, ma’am.”
I hate when people over twenty call me “ma’am.” “It appears that something terrible happened here. I knew the contractor and several of the workmen. Are they okay?”
He stared at me, saying nothing, until finally a voice from behind me said, “I’m okay, and so are all my crew.” It was Bruce.
I turned around and saw that he looked worn. “Oh, Bruce, I’m glad.” I took a huge breath. “You seem tired.”
“I am.”
The cop said, “Ms. Camden, I understand that you had a party at your house last night.”
“What? Oh, yes, but it wasn’t actually my party. It was the opening reception for the Bead Tea that’s being held. It starts today. It’s sponsored by the Ovarian Cancer Organization and the Bead Society.”
“Do you have a list of the guests?”
I shook my head.
Beth said, “I’m sure we can get you one. Judy would have it. I’m sorry, I haven’t introduced myself. I’m Beth Fairfield. I have a booth in the tent this weekend. The big teal and white striped tent? There will be vendors and I’m one of them.”
He seemed interested. “Doing what?”
“Selling jewelry.”
“Ah.” He nodded. I was relieved to be out out of the conversation. “And who is Judy?” Granger asked.
Beth explained that she was the president of the Ovarian Cancer Organization. “I have her number someplace. I’m sure Kitzi has it, too.”
“Any chance you can get it for me?”
I shivered in the morning sunlight. Judging from the coroner’s van and the ladder against the Dumpster, I could only conclude that someone had been killed and their body left in the Dumpster. And this sergeant thought that the people who had been in my home last night might have something to do with it. Maybe one of those people was dead, lying not twenty feet away, hidden by the steel walls of the Dumpster.
The sight of all the police vehicles had surprised and frightened me. Once I had known that Bruce and his crew were safe, I hadn’t thought much more about who had died, or why they were here. The nonchalance of the sergeant had lulled me into a false calm. I wasn’t feeling calm now, and the ease of the conversation
Similar Books
