Read Online Bernadine Fagan - Nora Lassiter 01 - Murder by the Old Maine Stream by Bernadine Fagan - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Bernadine Fagan
Tags: Mystery: Cozy - Maine
Ads: Link
It’s only my résumé. Thanks for this.” I gave Lori the number.
I could see from Nick’s expression that he had a lot of questions, none of which I wanted to answer, so before he could ask, I said, “Can you point me in the right direction?”
I needed to cross my legs. Hard to do behind the wheel.
“You spied on Percy?” he asked.
It was now four o’clock. I was late for the reading of the will, the official reason I’d given everyone for coming to Silver Stream in the first place. I’d never told them it had to do with losing my job and my fiancé in the same week.
“I had a key so I wasn’t breaking and entering, if that’s what you’re thinking.”
“You refuse to take my advice on this.”
“I’m doing a favor for Mary Fran.”
He grunted.
“Directions?” I asked, pressing my legs together. God, I had to find a bathroom, fast.
SEVEN
As soon as I reached Hot Heads Heaven, I raced for the ladies’ room like a wild woman, not bothering to acknowledge Mary Fran or any of the other women, some of whom might have been frightened by my appearance.
“Nora? You all right?” Mary Fran called as she ran after me.
“Yes. Be out in a minute.”
“You look awful,” she informed me from the other side of the door. “Are you sure you’re all right?”
I sneezed and let her stand there and wonder as she listened to Niagara Falls. Who knew a bladder could hold so much without bursting.
One glance in the mirror and I went white with shock. It was worse than I thought. Omigod. Nick had seen me like this. My hair wasn’t just sticking up. It looked like some school science experiment gone awry. The designer clothes I’d bought on sale when I was a working woman were a mosaic of cat hair and dust balls. Worse, now that I didn’t have the car window open, that under-the-bed-aroma was stronger. Which way had the wind been blowing? Had Nick smelled this?
Mary Fran pounded on the door. “Nora. Come out and tell me what you found. You never called like you promised.”
Where, exactly, was that odor coming from? I sniffed here and there.
“Nora Lassiter. Answer me.”
I checked back and front, up and under, and finally spotted the telltale white chunks on the back of my sleeve.
“Did you fall in? What’s happening in there?”
It was quarter after four. The family was gathered in the lawyer’s office wondering where I was. I’d come four days early for this event.
“Noorrrraah!”
I yanked open the door. “I have to get cleaned up and out of here. I’m late.”
“First, tell me–”
“Yes, he’s cheating. Yes, I got the emails to back it up, and when I return from the lawyer’s I’ll give them to you and tell you all about it. Not another word on the subject until then. Help me look presentable.”
“He’s cheating. I knew it,” she said with a grimace. “No surprise there.” She grabbed a towel and brushed me down, then nudged me into a magenta chair and worked on my hair.
“Where the hell were you? How’d this happen? Look at the bumps on your forehead. My God. Were you attacked? Did you fall? Have a car accident?”
“I’m fine. I bumped my head.”
“Maybe you should see a doctor.”
“My hair, Mary Fran. Just do my hair. Fast. I hate to be late for anything.” I did not want to tell her right now that Percy had been at the house today.
In the shop, all pretense of not listening ceased. I became the cynosure of all eyes.
“You look like you’ve been crawling around in a cellar. You’re usually such a prissy little neat-freak.”
Prissy? Me? “I prefer to think of myself as being well-groomed.”
“I’ll do what I can,” Mary Fran said, but her tone implied I was a hopeless case and she wouldn’t take total responsibility for the end result.
By the time I headed for the lawyer’s office in his home just outside of town, a straight run, thank heavens, it was four-forty. Every eye focused on me as I walked into the main room. Today seemed
I could see from Nick’s expression that he had a lot of questions, none of which I wanted to answer, so before he could ask, I said, “Can you point me in the right direction?”
I needed to cross my legs. Hard to do behind the wheel.
“You spied on Percy?” he asked.
It was now four o’clock. I was late for the reading of the will, the official reason I’d given everyone for coming to Silver Stream in the first place. I’d never told them it had to do with losing my job and my fiancé in the same week.
“I had a key so I wasn’t breaking and entering, if that’s what you’re thinking.”
“You refuse to take my advice on this.”
“I’m doing a favor for Mary Fran.”
He grunted.
“Directions?” I asked, pressing my legs together. God, I had to find a bathroom, fast.
SEVEN
As soon as I reached Hot Heads Heaven, I raced for the ladies’ room like a wild woman, not bothering to acknowledge Mary Fran or any of the other women, some of whom might have been frightened by my appearance.
“Nora? You all right?” Mary Fran called as she ran after me.
“Yes. Be out in a minute.”
“You look awful,” she informed me from the other side of the door. “Are you sure you’re all right?”
I sneezed and let her stand there and wonder as she listened to Niagara Falls. Who knew a bladder could hold so much without bursting.
One glance in the mirror and I went white with shock. It was worse than I thought. Omigod. Nick had seen me like this. My hair wasn’t just sticking up. It looked like some school science experiment gone awry. The designer clothes I’d bought on sale when I was a working woman were a mosaic of cat hair and dust balls. Worse, now that I didn’t have the car window open, that under-the-bed-aroma was stronger. Which way had the wind been blowing? Had Nick smelled this?
Mary Fran pounded on the door. “Nora. Come out and tell me what you found. You never called like you promised.”
Where, exactly, was that odor coming from? I sniffed here and there.
“Nora Lassiter. Answer me.”
I checked back and front, up and under, and finally spotted the telltale white chunks on the back of my sleeve.
“Did you fall in? What’s happening in there?”
It was quarter after four. The family was gathered in the lawyer’s office wondering where I was. I’d come four days early for this event.
“Noorrrraah!”
I yanked open the door. “I have to get cleaned up and out of here. I’m late.”
“First, tell me–”
“Yes, he’s cheating. Yes, I got the emails to back it up, and when I return from the lawyer’s I’ll give them to you and tell you all about it. Not another word on the subject until then. Help me look presentable.”
“He’s cheating. I knew it,” she said with a grimace. “No surprise there.” She grabbed a towel and brushed me down, then nudged me into a magenta chair and worked on my hair.
“Where the hell were you? How’d this happen? Look at the bumps on your forehead. My God. Were you attacked? Did you fall? Have a car accident?”
“I’m fine. I bumped my head.”
“Maybe you should see a doctor.”
“My hair, Mary Fran. Just do my hair. Fast. I hate to be late for anything.” I did not want to tell her right now that Percy had been at the house today.
In the shop, all pretense of not listening ceased. I became the cynosure of all eyes.
“You look like you’ve been crawling around in a cellar. You’re usually such a prissy little neat-freak.”
Prissy? Me? “I prefer to think of myself as being well-groomed.”
“I’ll do what I can,” Mary Fran said, but her tone implied I was a hopeless case and she wouldn’t take total responsibility for the end result.
By the time I headed for the lawyer’s office in his home just outside of town, a straight run, thank heavens, it was four-forty. Every eye focused on me as I walked into the main room. Today seemed
Similar Books
