Read Online Boston Cream Killer: Book 8 in The INNcredibly Sweet Series by Summer Prescott - Free Book Online Page A

to the house with Chas. She got dressed, pulling on comfy yoga pants and a sweatshirt, and padded down the stairs, leaving Toffee and Bitsy snoozing soundly in their bed in the corner of the bedroom. Yawning repeatedly while making coffee, she was relieved to find that there were still some Strawberry Lemonade cupcakes in her pastry keeper, that she had made yesterday, and she plated them in case Chas or Jim needed a snack.
    When the coffee was busy burbling to life in the coffee maker, she made her way out to the front door to see if Chas and Jim had pulled up into the drive. On her way back to the kitchen in the darkened foyer, she kicked something that skittered across the floor. Looking down, she saw an envelope, which had obviously been slid through the mail slot in the front door. There was only one typed word on the front, ‘Beckett,’ and the envelope had already been opened. Curious, she took it back to the kitchen with her and sat down on one of the barstools, waiting for the coffee to finish, and read it.
    As President of the Board at Beckett Holdings Corp., you should be ashamed of yourself for doing business with those people, but clearly you’re not, because you’ve allowed it to continue. I’m not going to stand for it any longer. Beckett Industries is going down, and it’s going to take you, your brother and sister, and even the crusty old butler who runs it, down with the ship. I’ll get the story of the year, and you’ll get the shaft, which is exactly what you deserve. “Clean Cop Involved in Dirty Business?” How does that sound, Charles? Your day of reckoning is near, and no small town that you hide in, masquerading as a normal person, will save you.
    Missy trembled as she read those terrible words, the paper shaking in her hand. She heard the front door open and hurriedly stuffed it back in the envelope. Chas’s story about the woman in the diner was true, and this letter proved it, but why was this woman being so awful? Chas had nearly nothing to do with the family business. His position as president was purely symbolic; Chalmers handled the running of BHC.
    Before Chas and Jim came in, she dashed over to the utensil drawer by the sink, stuffing the letter inside. She returned to her seat just as they came into the kitchen. She stood and kissed Chas on the cheek, then turned to the man with him, who had a very serious look on his face.
    “Hello Jim, nice to see you again,” she smiled. “Coffee?”
    “Sure, Melissa, I’ll take a cup. Thanks,” he replied, sounding bone-tired.
    Cupcakes were refused, coffee was poured, and the three of them made their way to the living room. Missy sat on the couch, with Jim and Chas sitting across from her. Chas was unshaven and unkempt, looking as though he’d been through the wringer, something that Missy hadn’t seen in the entire time she’d known him. Even when he was sick, he somehow managed to seem confident and well-groomed. Her heart sinking; she knew that something must be terribly wrong.
    “Darlin’, what’s going on?” she asked softly.
    “The woman that you saw with me at the diner… was murdered,” he said gravely.
    Missy’s eyes widened and her mouth dropped open as she looked from Chas to Jim and back again.
    “But how… why… who?” she blinked, dazed.
    “Melissa, Chas said that you saw the victim here, at the inn, earlier today. I’m going to need you to tell me about that,” Jim said, notebook in hand.
    Missy felt as though her entire world had turned upside down.
    “Oh, this is going to sound bad…” she whispered, causing Chas and Jim to glance at each other in surprise.
    “Let’s start at the beginning,” Jim directed.
    Missy told him how she’d first met Hannah at the cupcake shop, and then she recounted the incident on the beach.
    “I’m not a violent person at all, Jim, but when she said those horrible things, I just couldn’t help myself. I flew at her in a rage… I don’t know what might have