Read Online Chicken Caccia-Killer (A Jordan McAllister Mystery) by Liz Lipperman - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Liz Lipperman
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be prepared to spend the night if she had to.
She was anxious to do whatever she could for Alex and his family, not to mention that Myrtle’s Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake was on the menu for breakfast.
Alex knew her so well.
By the time she and Natalie were settled in the living room and out of their party clothes, Jordan was already yawning as she prepared a makeshift bed on the couch. Even though it was the twenty-first century, with Natalie and Kate in the guest room it was probably not a good idea to sleep in Alex’s room with his mother right next door.
“I’m not sure I can go to sleep until they get home,” Natalie said, plopping down beside Jordan on the couch.
So much for getting some shuteye, Jordan thought. Truth be told, she was too keyed up to sleep anyway. They might as well wait up to find out what went down in Hamilton’s room.
“Do you want me to fix you a drink, Natalie? Alex has some wine in the refrigerator, and I’m sure there’s a bottle of Scotch somewhere.”
“No thanks, dear. I’m fine.” She reached for her cell phone. “In all the excitement, I forgot that I hadn’t called Kate’s father to tell him about tonight.”
“Why don’t you do that now? For some reason I’m dying of thirst, and I’m craving ice water. Can I get you a glass? A wise person once told me that was the best thing to drink before you go to sleep after a night of alcoholic beverages. Something about the booze dehydrating you.”
“Yes, I’ve heard that, too. It makes sense.” Natalie sighed. “I suppose I should drink something. Those Italian margaritas went down way too easily tonight.”
“I’ll say.” Jordan went out into the kitchen as Natalie spoke to her husband.
When Natalie hung up, she came back into the living room and handed her one of the glasses.
“He wanted to get on the next plane and come home,” she explained after taking a drink of the cold water. “I talked him out of it—said we’d call every day with updates. God help me, I tried to minimize it all so he wouldn’t be worried. This trip is so important to his company, and he’s been talking about it for months.”
“There’s nothing he could do if he were here, anyway,” Jordan said, wondering what else to talk about with Alex’s mother. Since she’d only met her earlier that day—and what had happened at the party was definitely off limits—the silence was a bit awkward.
“So, let’s talk about you and my son,” Natalie started. She smiled when Jordan allowed a groan to slip out. “I know I came on strong today at lunch, but I worry so much about him. He’s been surrounded by strong, independent women all his life, and that raises the bar when it comes to choosing someone to share his life.” She paused to take another big gulp from her glass of water before turning to Jordan. “I have to admit, though, you seem perfect for him.”
Jordan felt the heat crawl up her cheeks. It was uncomfortable discussing her relationship with Alex’s mother even if the woman had just complemented her. She wasn’t exactly sure where her relationship with Alex was headed yet, and hadn’t even discussed it with her own mother. Just when she was trying to figure out a way out from underneath the romantic microscope, Natalie did it for her.
“You think Kate’s in deep trouble?”
Jordan was surprised by the question and decided to answer as honestly as she could. “If you’re asking me if I thought Kate had something to do with Marco’s death, then the answer is no. However, if they find his DNA under her fingernails, that will make them crazy—give them a reason to pursue her as a suspect. I’m worried that it’ll be a case of ‘she said—she said’ since no one else was in the room when it happened.”
“I know. I wish I could tell the police that someone else entered Marco’s bedroom, but I can’t. And I watched like a hawk.”
Jordan’s head jerked up and she met Natalie’s stare. “Why were you
She was anxious to do whatever she could for Alex and his family, not to mention that Myrtle’s Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake was on the menu for breakfast.
Alex knew her so well.
By the time she and Natalie were settled in the living room and out of their party clothes, Jordan was already yawning as she prepared a makeshift bed on the couch. Even though it was the twenty-first century, with Natalie and Kate in the guest room it was probably not a good idea to sleep in Alex’s room with his mother right next door.
“I’m not sure I can go to sleep until they get home,” Natalie said, plopping down beside Jordan on the couch.
So much for getting some shuteye, Jordan thought. Truth be told, she was too keyed up to sleep anyway. They might as well wait up to find out what went down in Hamilton’s room.
“Do you want me to fix you a drink, Natalie? Alex has some wine in the refrigerator, and I’m sure there’s a bottle of Scotch somewhere.”
“No thanks, dear. I’m fine.” She reached for her cell phone. “In all the excitement, I forgot that I hadn’t called Kate’s father to tell him about tonight.”
“Why don’t you do that now? For some reason I’m dying of thirst, and I’m craving ice water. Can I get you a glass? A wise person once told me that was the best thing to drink before you go to sleep after a night of alcoholic beverages. Something about the booze dehydrating you.”
“Yes, I’ve heard that, too. It makes sense.” Natalie sighed. “I suppose I should drink something. Those Italian margaritas went down way too easily tonight.”
“I’ll say.” Jordan went out into the kitchen as Natalie spoke to her husband.
When Natalie hung up, she came back into the living room and handed her one of the glasses.
“He wanted to get on the next plane and come home,” she explained after taking a drink of the cold water. “I talked him out of it—said we’d call every day with updates. God help me, I tried to minimize it all so he wouldn’t be worried. This trip is so important to his company, and he’s been talking about it for months.”
“There’s nothing he could do if he were here, anyway,” Jordan said, wondering what else to talk about with Alex’s mother. Since she’d only met her earlier that day—and what had happened at the party was definitely off limits—the silence was a bit awkward.
“So, let’s talk about you and my son,” Natalie started. She smiled when Jordan allowed a groan to slip out. “I know I came on strong today at lunch, but I worry so much about him. He’s been surrounded by strong, independent women all his life, and that raises the bar when it comes to choosing someone to share his life.” She paused to take another big gulp from her glass of water before turning to Jordan. “I have to admit, though, you seem perfect for him.”
Jordan felt the heat crawl up her cheeks. It was uncomfortable discussing her relationship with Alex’s mother even if the woman had just complemented her. She wasn’t exactly sure where her relationship with Alex was headed yet, and hadn’t even discussed it with her own mother. Just when she was trying to figure out a way out from underneath the romantic microscope, Natalie did it for her.
“You think Kate’s in deep trouble?”
Jordan was surprised by the question and decided to answer as honestly as she could. “If you’re asking me if I thought Kate had something to do with Marco’s death, then the answer is no. However, if they find his DNA under her fingernails, that will make them crazy—give them a reason to pursue her as a suspect. I’m worried that it’ll be a case of ‘she said—she said’ since no one else was in the room when it happened.”
“I know. I wish I could tell the police that someone else entered Marco’s bedroom, but I can’t. And I watched like a hawk.”
Jordan’s head jerked up and she met Natalie’s stare. “Why were you
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