Read Online Cupid's Corpse: A Cozy Mystery (Gemma Stone Cozy Mystery Book 3) by Willow Monroe - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Willow Monroe
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everyone and he just assumed everyone loved him as much.”
Not everyone, Gemma thought, including you two. Aloud, she said, “What a wonderful tribute. I know the remaining guests will love it.”
“We hope so,” Joel said.
“Oh, look at the time,” Gemma said, glancing at her watch, one of Holly’s designs. “I need to get going. I’ll take a closer look at this once you get it all set up. It sounds quite interesting.”
“Thank you,” Natasha said.
“And, if there’s anything I can do, please let me know,” Gemma said.
“Thank you. We will,” Joel said, but he never took his eyes off of Natasha.
Chapter Seven
W hen Gemma approached the cabin and saw the empty parking space out front, she was disappointed that Nick had not returned. Where had he gone to meet Harold? He hadn’t mentioned that part, but he’d been very excited. She checked her phone. One bar and no texts or missed calls. There were no messages on the land line phone in the cabin either.
Realizing that Nick probably had no cell service either, wherever he was, she decided to wait a while longer before she panicked. Gemma prowled around the cabin, restless and just a little bit worried about Nick. Everyone else had been down at the lodge that morning, so the meeting with Harold had been just the two of them, and evidently quite secretive.
Gemma picked up her tablet and found that she had several emails from Holly. She smiled as she read them. Ross already knew about the murder.
“Bad news travels fast,” Gemma said to herself. She really wished Ross was here to bounce around some ideas and get his insights. Even if he was here, he wouldn’t be invited into this investigation. It was clearly out of his jurisdiction.
Gemma sent off a quick email assuring Holly that she was safe and sound, behaving herself and keeping her nose out of the murder investigation. Then she settled down to write an email to Ross, as much to gather her own thoughts as to get his.
Gemma described the murder and then she told him about Natasha and Joel and how they were obviously carrying on behind Mr. Muzak’s back. Rumor has it they were planning on running away after this weekend, she wrote. Everyone knew about it. At first glance, one or both of them would seem to be the culprits. Joel was an avid crossbow hunter, skilled with the weapon. Natasha could have paid him to do it, or paid someone else for that matter. Missy Tyler, the event planner, made no bones about the fact that she hates the Muzaks. So there are three suspects right there. Maybe there’s a jealous lover involved somehow that I haven’t discovered yet.
Gemma thought about that and then she added, Nick is off right now at some sort of secret meeting with a guy named Harold Holland, who he thinks has something to do with the blackmailing scheme. I’ll let you know more soon. Then she hit SEND.
A sound outside her door had her on her feet immediately, thinking Nick had returned, but it turned out to be nothing. Perhaps the wind. At least the snow had stopped for the time being.
Gemma paced.
The telephone rang, a loud, old-fashioned sound and she nearly jumped out of her skin. She snatched it up immediately. “Hello.”
“Hello, Mrs. Vanderhaden?”
“Yes,” Gemma said after only a brief hesitation. “Who is this?”
“It’s Sheriff Burton.”
“Oh, hello. Can I help you?” Gemma asked.
“I was hoping you could spare us a little time later this afternoon. Say around three,” Donna Burton said.
Gemma heard papers being shuffled around and noted that the sheriff sounded awfully tired. “Yes, of course. That would be fine.”
“Good. See you then.”
After she hung up, Gemma knew she could not just sit there until three in the afternoon and wait for Nick to come back. And she really needed to talk to him. There was no way she could continue to pretend she was Carolyn Vanderhaden in a one on one interview with the sheriff. She bundled up in her coat and scarf and
Not everyone, Gemma thought, including you two. Aloud, she said, “What a wonderful tribute. I know the remaining guests will love it.”
“We hope so,” Joel said.
“Oh, look at the time,” Gemma said, glancing at her watch, one of Holly’s designs. “I need to get going. I’ll take a closer look at this once you get it all set up. It sounds quite interesting.”
“Thank you,” Natasha said.
“And, if there’s anything I can do, please let me know,” Gemma said.
“Thank you. We will,” Joel said, but he never took his eyes off of Natasha.
Chapter Seven
W hen Gemma approached the cabin and saw the empty parking space out front, she was disappointed that Nick had not returned. Where had he gone to meet Harold? He hadn’t mentioned that part, but he’d been very excited. She checked her phone. One bar and no texts or missed calls. There were no messages on the land line phone in the cabin either.
Realizing that Nick probably had no cell service either, wherever he was, she decided to wait a while longer before she panicked. Gemma prowled around the cabin, restless and just a little bit worried about Nick. Everyone else had been down at the lodge that morning, so the meeting with Harold had been just the two of them, and evidently quite secretive.
Gemma picked up her tablet and found that she had several emails from Holly. She smiled as she read them. Ross already knew about the murder.
“Bad news travels fast,” Gemma said to herself. She really wished Ross was here to bounce around some ideas and get his insights. Even if he was here, he wouldn’t be invited into this investigation. It was clearly out of his jurisdiction.
Gemma sent off a quick email assuring Holly that she was safe and sound, behaving herself and keeping her nose out of the murder investigation. Then she settled down to write an email to Ross, as much to gather her own thoughts as to get his.
Gemma described the murder and then she told him about Natasha and Joel and how they were obviously carrying on behind Mr. Muzak’s back. Rumor has it they were planning on running away after this weekend, she wrote. Everyone knew about it. At first glance, one or both of them would seem to be the culprits. Joel was an avid crossbow hunter, skilled with the weapon. Natasha could have paid him to do it, or paid someone else for that matter. Missy Tyler, the event planner, made no bones about the fact that she hates the Muzaks. So there are three suspects right there. Maybe there’s a jealous lover involved somehow that I haven’t discovered yet.
Gemma thought about that and then she added, Nick is off right now at some sort of secret meeting with a guy named Harold Holland, who he thinks has something to do with the blackmailing scheme. I’ll let you know more soon. Then she hit SEND.
A sound outside her door had her on her feet immediately, thinking Nick had returned, but it turned out to be nothing. Perhaps the wind. At least the snow had stopped for the time being.
Gemma paced.
The telephone rang, a loud, old-fashioned sound and she nearly jumped out of her skin. She snatched it up immediately. “Hello.”
“Hello, Mrs. Vanderhaden?”
“Yes,” Gemma said after only a brief hesitation. “Who is this?”
“It’s Sheriff Burton.”
“Oh, hello. Can I help you?” Gemma asked.
“I was hoping you could spare us a little time later this afternoon. Say around three,” Donna Burton said.
Gemma heard papers being shuffled around and noted that the sheriff sounded awfully tired. “Yes, of course. That would be fine.”
“Good. See you then.”
After she hung up, Gemma knew she could not just sit there until three in the afternoon and wait for Nick to come back. And she really needed to talk to him. There was no way she could continue to pretend she was Carolyn Vanderhaden in a one on one interview with the sheriff. She bundled up in her coat and scarf and
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