Read Online Death by Pumpkin Spice by Alex Erickson - Free Book Online

disappointed.
    â€œThanks.” I took a sip and winced. It might not be spiked, but it wasn’t great, either. It tasted like one of those expensive health drinks made from acai berries and pomegranate, which were two of my least favorite flavors.
    I took a moment to look over the crowd in the hope that I’d catch a glimpse of either Margaret or Quentin, but with all of the masks and costumes, I wasn’t having much luck. There were more white dresses in the room than I’d first realized, and while most of them weren’t the same as the Monroe dress, they did make the search more difficult. Quentin’s gray suit would also blend in, just as long as I didn’t see the silly red bow tie.
    In a way, I felt bad for the guy. He might be our killer, yet he had been belittled in front of his peers by the girl he thought loved him. That had to be hard on anyone. I didn’t condone the murder, of course, but I could see where it might cause even the most rational of people to overreact.
    â€œYou still like him, don’t you?” Will asked suddenly. When I looked at him, he smiled, though it was strained.
    â€œWho?” I asked, playing dumb.
    â€œThe cop. Paul.”
    There was no use denying it. I was never a great liar, and since Paul had just complimented me, I knew my face would betray me if I tried. I’m an admitted chronic blusher.
    â€œI suppose,” I said. “But we’re just friends now.”
    â€œAnd before?”
    I shrugged, not really sure how to answer. What had we been? “We went on one date,” I said. As they say, honesty is the best policy. “That’s as far as it went.”
    A strange look came into Will’s eyes then. I couldn’t place whether it was anger or jealousy or simply mild curiosity. “Just one date?” he asked.
    For some reason, the question ruffled my feathers. “Yeah, just the one.” It came out harsher than I’d intended.
    Will flinched, but his strained smile remained. “Okay.” His gaze flickered over my shoulder. “Darrin’s here. I’m going to run over and talk to him a few minutes.” He walked away. He didn’t ask if I wanted to come, which I suppose I deserved.
    â€œSmooth, Krissy,” I muttered, feeling like a dope. I was becoming a pro at ruining relationships before they ever got started. The guy had been curious, that’s all, and I had to go and snap at him needlessly. The stress was really starting to get to me, I guess.
    â€œIt’ll work out.”
    I jumped, startled, and turned to find Vicki standing behind me. I had a feeling she’d heard most, if not all, of our conversation.
    â€œIf you say so.”
    She winked. “Don’t worry about it. He likes you. Guys are, well, guys. He’ll get over it.”
    That brought a ghost of a smile to my lips. “I hope so. I really don’t want to scare him off.”
    â€œYou won’t.” Vicki put an arm around me and squeezed. “Just be you. That’s all you can do. And if he doesn’t appreciate you for it, well, then, he isn’t the right man.”
    â€œAnd what if Mr. Right never comes along?”
    She laughed, but didn’t answer. “I’d better go find Mason. He’s pretty upset after what happened.”
    â€œGo,” I said, extracting myself from her grip. Just because I was terrible with men and on the verge of ruining my chance with Will, didn’t mean Vicki needed to do the same with her man.
    As she made her way to Mason, I turned back to the crowd and sighed. It was time to see if I could find one of our missing guests. If working on my relationship wasn’t in the cards, I could at least start snooping around.
    And sticking my nose where it didn’t belong was the one thing I was actually good at.

6
    Not surprisingly, no one seemed to know where the missing guests had gone, and it was quite obvious, no one even cared.