Read Online Cupid's Corpse: A Cozy Mystery (Gemma Stone Cozy Mystery Book 3) by Willow Monroe - Free Book Online
Authors: Willow Monroe
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whole place was subdued, a sad empty feeling, almost as if the lodge itself was mourning the loss of Mr. Muzak. Gemma looked up to see Missy Tyler coming toward her table with a fresh pot of coffee.
“Refill?” Missy asked.
“Yes, please,” Gemma said, pushing the cup in her direction. “Looks like you’re a little short staffed today.”
Missy shook her head. “Oh, half the wait staff and almost all of the housekeeping staff called out today. They’re so upset over losing Mr. Muzak that they just couldn’t work.”
“I’m sure he’ll be missed,” Gemma said.
“Not by me,” Missy snapped.
“You didn’t like Mr. Muzak?” Gemma asked.
“Stupid old fool running around pretending to be Cupid. He ran this place like it was some sort of love nest when his own wife was sleeping with his manager,” Missy said, lowering her voice when she said the last part. “I heard they were planning on running away together after this weekend.”
“Really,” Gemma said. “Do you think one of them killed him?”
“Probably. I don’t care. He’s dead and that’s all that matters and soon she’ll be gone.”
“And what will happen to the lodge?”
“It’ll go back up for auction. She’s never made a secret of the fact the she hates the place. This time I’ll be able to buy it and run it properly. I’ve been saving as much as I can and just waiting for my chance.”
As Missy stalked away from the table to seat a young couple who had entered the restaurant, Gemma wondered if she’d just been talking to Mr. Muzak’s killer. She couldn’t remember if Missy had been on the floor when he was killed. And then she wondered if Missy would know how to rig a crossbow.
Gemma waited as long as she could on Nick. She checked her cell to see if there were any texts, found none and then remembered that she’d been told the cell service here was sketchy at best. Growing restless, she decided to walk back up to the cabin to see if he had just returned there, gotten to working on his story and forgot all about her. It wasn’t like him, but he certainly seemed to have changed in the past day or so, and that worried her as well.
Gathering her dishes, she carried them to the counter. Missy nodded her thanks and Gemma turned to go. In the lobby, she saw Joel and Natasha, who appeared to be working on a project of sorts. Again, Gemma was surprised that they hadn’t been arrested. Perhaps, even with the crossbow there wasn’t enough evidence. And neither of them appeared to be ready to escape.
“Hello, Natasha,” Gemma said, gently touching the taller woman’s shoulder. “It’s good to see you up and about.”
“Mrs. Vanderhaden,” Natasha said and then slowly turned toward Gemma. Her eyes were red and swollen but she’d done her best to hide that with make-up. “Boris would have wanted me to continue his beautiful weekend as best I could,” she answered.
“Yes, he would have,” Gemma agreed and then she saw the photo albums and various beautifully bound journals. “What are you working on here?”
“Oh, my husband was quite a prolific writer. He kept a journal almost all of his life, sometimes on just mundane daily things that we shared. Sometimes he expounded on love and what it meant to him.”
“He even wrote poetry,” Joel added.
Natasha touched a stack of envelopes on the edge of the table bound with a red ribbon, her fingers shaking slightly. “These are love letters that he wrote to me all through our married life.”
“And you want to share them with your guests?” Gemma asked, surprised. Natasha appeared to be such a private woman.
She shrugged. “Sheriff Burton and her men went through them all last night. And it’s not like there are secrets here. Boris had no secrets. Actually, the things he wrote to me are a poetic tribute to love in all forms.”
“So not an enemy in the world,” Gemma said.
Both Joel and Natasha shook their heads. “At least in his mind. Boris loved
“Refill?” Missy asked.
“Yes, please,” Gemma said, pushing the cup in her direction. “Looks like you’re a little short staffed today.”
Missy shook her head. “Oh, half the wait staff and almost all of the housekeeping staff called out today. They’re so upset over losing Mr. Muzak that they just couldn’t work.”
“I’m sure he’ll be missed,” Gemma said.
“Not by me,” Missy snapped.
“You didn’t like Mr. Muzak?” Gemma asked.
“Stupid old fool running around pretending to be Cupid. He ran this place like it was some sort of love nest when his own wife was sleeping with his manager,” Missy said, lowering her voice when she said the last part. “I heard they were planning on running away together after this weekend.”
“Really,” Gemma said. “Do you think one of them killed him?”
“Probably. I don’t care. He’s dead and that’s all that matters and soon she’ll be gone.”
“And what will happen to the lodge?”
“It’ll go back up for auction. She’s never made a secret of the fact the she hates the place. This time I’ll be able to buy it and run it properly. I’ve been saving as much as I can and just waiting for my chance.”
As Missy stalked away from the table to seat a young couple who had entered the restaurant, Gemma wondered if she’d just been talking to Mr. Muzak’s killer. She couldn’t remember if Missy had been on the floor when he was killed. And then she wondered if Missy would know how to rig a crossbow.
Gemma waited as long as she could on Nick. She checked her cell to see if there were any texts, found none and then remembered that she’d been told the cell service here was sketchy at best. Growing restless, she decided to walk back up to the cabin to see if he had just returned there, gotten to working on his story and forgot all about her. It wasn’t like him, but he certainly seemed to have changed in the past day or so, and that worried her as well.
Gathering her dishes, she carried them to the counter. Missy nodded her thanks and Gemma turned to go. In the lobby, she saw Joel and Natasha, who appeared to be working on a project of sorts. Again, Gemma was surprised that they hadn’t been arrested. Perhaps, even with the crossbow there wasn’t enough evidence. And neither of them appeared to be ready to escape.
“Hello, Natasha,” Gemma said, gently touching the taller woman’s shoulder. “It’s good to see you up and about.”
“Mrs. Vanderhaden,” Natasha said and then slowly turned toward Gemma. Her eyes were red and swollen but she’d done her best to hide that with make-up. “Boris would have wanted me to continue his beautiful weekend as best I could,” she answered.
“Yes, he would have,” Gemma agreed and then she saw the photo albums and various beautifully bound journals. “What are you working on here?”
“Oh, my husband was quite a prolific writer. He kept a journal almost all of his life, sometimes on just mundane daily things that we shared. Sometimes he expounded on love and what it meant to him.”
“He even wrote poetry,” Joel added.
Natasha touched a stack of envelopes on the edge of the table bound with a red ribbon, her fingers shaking slightly. “These are love letters that he wrote to me all through our married life.”
“And you want to share them with your guests?” Gemma asked, surprised. Natasha appeared to be such a private woman.
She shrugged. “Sheriff Burton and her men went through them all last night. And it’s not like there are secrets here. Boris had no secrets. Actually, the things he wrote to me are a poetic tribute to love in all forms.”
“So not an enemy in the world,” Gemma said.
Both Joel and Natasha shook their heads. “At least in his mind. Boris loved
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