Read Online Christmas Cookie Murder #6 by Leslie Meier - Free Book Online

a box of raisins and two Vienna fingers, then they took a bite or two out of their sandwiches and discarded the rest.
    Lucy was tidying the table, sighing over the waste, when Sue returned without Will.
    â€œThey wanted to keep him for a while, to make sure he isn’t coming down with something, and I was afraid I’d never get away,” complained Sue, “but his mother finally showed up. She had to cancel ‘two very important meetings, mind you.’” Sue was a good mimic, and copied Steffie’s officious tone perfectly. Lucy almost smiled.
    â€œHey, what’s the matter?” prompted Sue. “You look as if something awful’s happened.”
    â€œBarney came by with some bad news,” began Lucy, wishing there was some way to soften what she had to say. “Tucker’s dead.”
    â€œWhat?” Sue didn’t believe what she heard.
    â€œIt’s true. She was found dead this morning. A neighbor noticed the front door was open and called the police. Barney came here looking for an address book, so they can notify her family.”
    â€œWas it an accident?” Sue was struggling to understand.
    Lucy shook her head. “They think she was strangled,” she said, her voice breaking.
    â€œOh my God.” Sue collapsed on a little chair, her long, elegant legs splayed out at an awkward angle.
    Noticing the increase in the volume of the children’s voices, Lucy turned her attention to them. Two of the girls were fighting over the bride’s veil in the dress-up corner and Justin and Matthew were crashing toy wooden cars into each other.
    â€œOkay, quiet down,” she said, rising to her feet and giving Sue’s hand a little pat. “It’s time for a story.”
    Back in the familiar groove of their daily routine, the children gathered on the rug in the corner and sat cross-legged. Lucy settled herself in the rocking chair and opened the first book that came to hand. Afterward, she couldn’t have said what book it was, but it held the kids’ attention. Then, knowing the drill, they unrolled their mats and settled down for quiet time. Lucy popped a cassette of soothing music into the tape recorder and went back to Sue.
    â€œCan I get you some tea? Something to eat?”
    Sue didn’t respond, so Lucy put two mugs of water in the microwave to heat and raided the graham-cracker box once again. Hearing the ding, she dropped tea bags into the mugs.
    â€œDrink this,” she urged Sue.
    Sue took the mug with shaking hands. “I just can’t believe this. I was with her yesterday.”
    â€œI know.” Lucy sipped her tea. “You know what I was thinking last night, when I was talking to Tucker? I was thinking how wonderful it would be to be young again and have my whole life ahead of me.”
    Sue shook her head. “It’s not fair. She loved life—she had so much enthusiasm. Once I asked her if she didn’t get depressed sometimes, and you know what she said? She said she woke up every morning convinced that the day held something wonderful for her, and it was up to her to find that beautiful thing. It might be a smile from one of the kids, or a postcard from a friend, or a kitten…” Sue’s face crumpled as she dissolved into tears.
    Lucy wrapped an arm around Sue’s shoulder and let her cry, grateful they were hidden from the children’s view by a bookcase. Raffi’s gentle voice drifted across the room. Finally, Sue’s shoulders stopped heaving, and she wiped her eyes with a tissue.
    â€œI’m sorry, Lucy. I don’t know what’s the matter with me. It must be the shock.”
    â€œYou don’t need to apologize. You have a right to grieve.” Lucy wondered who else would be grieving for Tucker and remembered Barney’s visit. “You know, Barney was looking for an address book but I don’t think he found anything.”
    â€œShe had a bright pink