Read Online Death Turns A Trick (Rebecca Schwartz #1) (A Rebecca Schwartz Mystery) (The Rebecca Schwartz Series) by Julie Smith - Free Book Online

threatening gesture, but I doubt he even noticed, he was so full of himself: “‘This sensible warm motion to become a kneaded clod; and the delighted spirit…’”
    If that had gone on much longer, I probably
would
have killed him, but Mickey saved his life by making a grand entrance with a fragrant paper bag. He shut up, and I lowered the weapon. “I was about to do you a favor,” I said to Mickey.
    Alan sneaked up behind her and nuzzled her ear: “Would you have missed this sensible warm motion?”
    She shook him off. “You children behave. I’ve brought breakfast.” She opened the bag and started arranging croissants on a plate. The pastries were a real extravagance on the kind of budget she and Jerko lived on. It disoriented Alan so much he set the table.
    I poured coffee and orange juice, and Mickey dredged up some butter and strawberry preserves. After a croissant and two cups of coffee, I felt a lot better. Strong enough to talk to Mom and Dad. I would have called them if Mom hadn’t beat me to the punch. The phone rang just about then.
    “Hi, Mom,” said Mickey. “Oh, she’s with us. Certainly she’s all right. I’ll prove it.”
    She passed me the receiver. “Thank God you’re all right, darling,” said Mom. “I called and you weren’t home.”
    “I know, Mom. I’m not at home a lot. I can drive and everything. But just this once, there
is
a little something wrong. I was going to call you before you heard it on the radio, but…”
    “The radio? What, has your house burned down?”
    "No, Mom. Now listen. Someone was killed there.”
    “What, in your building? I knew it wasn’t safe on Telegraph Hill. Just last year they killed a girl in her own bed.”
    “Her husband killed her. Look, this killing was in my apartment.”
    “Your
apartment? Oy. Are you sure you’re all right, darling? I could come right over.”
    “I’m okay. I wasn’t there at the time. I’d left my purse at a party. She—the victim—came to return it, and she got there before I did. By the time I got home, she was dead. Someone bashed her with my Don Quixote sculpture.”
    “Thank God it wasn’t you!”
    “The police don’t seem to think it was a burglary. My house was ransacked, but nothing was missing.”
    “So why ransack it?”
    “To make it look like a burglary, I guess. Or maybe because the murderer thought Kandi—the dead woman—had brought something that he wanted.”
    “What? I’m not following.”
    “Can I talk to Daddy? I’d like to tell him, too.”
    “He had to run an errand. I’ll tell him. Listen, should we call off the party?” My parents’ thirtieth wedding anniversary party was scheduled for the next day. Sunday.
    “What, are you crazy?” I said. “
I’m
not dead.”
    “But, darling, you’re upset. Party or no party, my children come first.”
    “Mom, I’ll have a great time. Everyone’ll want to talk to me because I’ll be notorious.”
    “You sure? It’s not too late.”
    “Positive. Listen, I’ve got to go home and put my house back together.”
    “You’re not going back to the place alone?”
    “Mickey will drive me. I’ll have her come in and make sure no one’s there.”
    “You’re not under suspicion, are you, dear?”
    “No, Mom. They’ve arrested a friend of mine. I’m his lawyer.” Once that was out, I had to tell her the whole story, and I believe she was more upset by my going to a party at a bordello than she was about the murder.
    Not being able to fit into any of Mickey’s jeans, I had to wear my silver blouse and black skirt back to my house. I looked as grubby as I felt. I contemplated a shower and then a blitz of my house, but I knew the blitz would have to wait until I’d seen Parker.
    Mickey didn’t want to go in with me, because it meant taking me to my car, then driving all the way back to Telegraph Hill. But I needed her to help me move furniture. That Flokati rug had cost me $150 on sale at Macy’s and I wasn’t about to throw