Read Online Cover Story by Erika Chase - Free Book Online Page B

to continue with the planning and make the final decision once they knew more about where the investigation was heading. Or once she’d read the book. That was now the priority.
    â€œHere now . . . I’ve got the guest list on the go. I’ll also give Sally-Jo a call and confer on a menu, or maybe the two of you could come by here and we’ll do that?” She sounded like she was thinking out loud, so Lizzie didn’t answer. “Would you mind drafting a press release? And remember, you said you’d stop by and talk to George Havers at the
Colonist
to try and get some publicity. Have you also given some thought as to where else Teensy could do a signing?”
    â€œI’m on it, Molly. Now don’t you forget to take a rest at some point, too. I’ll check with you later on and let you know how my list is progressing.”
    â€œYou see, now you have a legitimate reason to call me without seeming overly—and do I emphasize the
overly
—concerned about my welfare.” Molly chuckled and hung up.
    Lizzie smiled. Molly sounded back to her old self. And Lizzie had a task. She’d quickly write out a short press release, or what she figured one would look like, and take it down to the
Colonist
. She might even take a quick drive around town, particularly by Bob’s favorite hardware store, and see if she could spot his blue pickup. Couldn’t hurt.
    After writing her two-paragraph press release, which had taken much longer than she’d counted on thanks to Brie sauntering back and forth across the keyboard, Lizzie printed it out, checked on Edam, who was sound asleep on her bed as usual, locked up the house and drove over to the Main Street offices of the newspaper. Luckily she found a parking spot right in front of the
Colonist
’s offices. She eyed the police station parking lot adjacent to the offices but Mark’s Jeep wasn’t parked in it.
    George Havers looked up from the Chinese takeout he was eating at the front desk when she walked in. He tried to smile but his mouth was too full. Lizzie said, “Just go on ahead and finish. I love watching people eat.”
    Havers took a swig out of the water bottle on the desk and smiled at her. “Sorry about that. I let Kevin go have lunch with his girlfriend and I’m covering the front, but I’m also hungry. Now before you even ask, I don’t have anything on Orwell Rivers’s murder.”
    Lizzie’s mouth gaped. “What do you mean?”
    â€œWell, the only time you come to my office is when you want information about a murder. And the only one recently is Orwell Rivers. So . . .”
    â€œHumph. That’s really the only time I come here? Well, I’m changing my pattern. I’m here to give you a story. I have a press release for you about Teensy Coldicutt’s new book,
The Winds of Desire
, and the launch being held at Molly Mathews’s house.” She handed him the page. “We’re hoping you’ll send out a photographer to the event and maybe do a story beforehand. Something about local woman returns home and writes a blockbuster novel. Along those lines.”
    Havers laughed. “You sound exactly like a PR person. And I’d be happy to do both those things.” He read through the press release. “Wasn’t Orwell Rivers her publisher?”
    â€œYes.”
    He sat straight up and looked closely at Lizzie. “And did the mugging of Molly Mathews have anything to do with Miz Coldicutt’s book? I’d heard some books went missing.”
    â€œIt appears so.”
    â€œHuh. Imagine that. Looks like I’ll have to do a quick rewrite of that story now.”
    â€œThe police hadn’t told you that?”
    â€œThey didn’t give me all those details. Do you think Miz Mathews would mind if I called to interview her? She’s home from hospital, I gather.” Havers put the lid back on the now-empty