Read Online Death by Killer Mop Doll (An Anastasia Pollack Crafting Mystery) by Lois Winston - Free Book Online Page B

rather complex.”
    Sheri threw her arms up. “I don’t believe this! How could you? Why?”
    “ Why doesn’t matter,” I said. “You two can argue about that some other time. The point is Vince and Monica have good reason to sabotage a show that neither one of them wants to take part in, and they’d walk away with their pockets lined.”
    I paused for a moment to let that sink in. “So I’ll ask you again, Sheri, do either Vince or Monica have a key to this room?”
    She grimaced. “They both do.”
    “Then I suggest you concentrate your efforts investigating them and stop trying to blame me and my fellow editors. We may not be happy about getting roped into doing this show, but we don’t behave like juvenile delinquents when things aren’t going our way.” I turned to leave.
    “Where are you going?” she asked.
    “To work. I have a magazine deadline to meet. And thanks to some hooligans, another mop doll to make. Coming, Mama?”
    “You go on without me, dear. I’ll stay to help Lou.” She smiled up at him. “Besides, I think a nice long, relaxing lunch is in order, don’t you?”
    Lou smiled down at Mama, patting her hand. “An excellent idea, my darling. We have some things to discuss.”
    “And afterwards we can go shopping for furniture for the set,” she suggested.
    _____
    Lou waylaid me as I was about to step into the elevator. “I need to speak with you.” He glanced up and down the hall to make sure we were alone before continuing, his voice lowered to a near-whisper. “I just wanted to let you know I’ll straighten things out with your mother and Sheri.”
    “Good luck,” I said.
    He winced. “Flora’s such a delicate creature, you know, and I’m afraid I got a bit carried away trying to impress her on the ship.”
    My mother? A delicate creature? The Steel Magnolias of way down yonder in the land of Dixie couldn’t hold a candle to the Titanium Flora of the North. Mama had survived widowhood five times and was brave enough to be planning another plunge into matrimonial waters. Besides, she went nose-to-nose and toe-to-toe with Comrade Lucille on a daily basis. She could survive not getting her way once in her life.
    “Mama can be very headstrong.”
    “And I can be very persuasive.” He reached into his pocket and removed a small robin’s egg blue velvet box. No mistaking that trademark color. Tiffany & Co. With a flick of his thumb, he flipped open the lid, revealing a chunk of ice the size of Cleveland. “By this time tomorrow, Sheri will have her credit, Flora will have her ring, and all will be right with the universe.”
    “We still don’t know who trashed the set.”
    He snapped the box shut and shoved it back in his pocket. “There is that.”
    “You don’t really believe this has anything to do with Trimedia’s union problems, do you?”
    “No.” Lou scowled for a moment before something clicked inside him, and he broke out in a broad grin. “Your mother told me you’re a bit of a detective.”
    “Hardly. In case you haven’t noticed, Mama tends to exaggerate.”
    “She said you solved a murder.”
    “I got lucky.”
    “So maybe you’ll get lucky again. What do you think?”
    “I think everyone has a motive except you and Sheri.” But I didn’t believe any of my coworkers were involved. My money was on Vince and/or Monica. Who knew how far they’d go to avenge the slight their celebrity egos had suffered? But right now I was leaning more toward Monica. She was the only person who hadn’t seemed upset by the vandalism. Everyone else acted angry—or in Vince’s case, annoyed. Only Monica appeared fretful. Like she had something to hide. And what was with the nervous chatter about The Pink Panther ?
    There was also the melodrama outside the ladies’ room at the Marriott Marquis the evening of the press conference. I described the scene I had observed to Lou.
    “That’s Ray Rivers,” he said. “Monica’s husband and agent. He’s always