Read Online Dirty Little Murder by Traci Tyne Hilton - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Traci Tyne Hilton
Ads: Link
of her cleaning caddy and clicked the pole out to its fullest extension and swept the corners of the dining room ceiling for cobwebs.
“Are you there? Did I lose you?” Isaac asked.
“No, I’m here. I offered to clean her house, but she declined.”
“Then you should make her some meals. Something she can freeze.”
Though Jane had offered the same thing herself, she wondered if ramen noodles froze well, since that was about all she could afford to feed herself. “She said no thanks for that too.”
“Maybe it would do her good if you went by just to sit and listen. After all her years overseas, that might mean the most to her.” Isaac’s phone crackled while he spoke, as though he were moving in and out of cell reception.
“I have done. I hope it helped, but what do I know?” Jane jabbed the corner with the duster, in an attempt to kill a fast little spider.
“Glad to hear it. How’s everything else going?”
“Fine. I haven’t heard from the police yet, so I guess they don’t need me for anything else.”
“The police? What happened?”
“I discovered a body, Isaac. Don’t you remember? Scene of the crime? Witness? Does this ring any bells for you?” Jane whacked the spider so hard that the plastic duster handle broke. The microfiber duster head fell to the floor with a dull thump. The little black spider scuttled away.
“Don’t bite my head off, please. I’m just trying to help.”
“Did you forget that I found a dead body floating in a hot tub?”
“Sorry.”
Jane let out a long, slow breath and waited for him to say something else.
He didn’t.
“The cops said they’d be getting in touch with me later, and they haven’t yet, so that’s kind of a relief. Maybe Douglas ’s death was just an accident.”
“Why wouldn’t it have been?”
“I don’t know why. But grown men don’t drown in their hot tubs every day.” Jane tossed her broken duster in the cleaning caddy. She grabbed a rag and sprinkled a little lemon oil on it. She rubbed wide circles on the top of the cherry wood dining table.
“Did it look like a murder to you?”
Jane closed her eyes and pictured the scene. The room had been steamy, like the jets of the tub had been going recently. There had been damp towels on the floor, as though someone had been in and out of the water. Had Caramel taken a dip in the tub with her husband that morning? If so… had she left the body there for Jane to discover? Jane shuddered. “How should I know?”
“You were there. You know more than I do.”
Jane knelt down to oil the legs of the table.
“I’ll call back later. You don’t seem to be in the mood to talk right now.”
Jane chewed on her cheek. Isaac was the one in a weird mood, not her. “Fine.”
“Talk to you later, love.”
“Thanks.” Jane hung up before Isaac could say anything else.
After eliminating the dust of two weeks’ worth of construction and making every antique surface in the house shine, Jane went home and went to bed. She had an early cleaning scheduled for the Swanson house. She would have loved to talk it over with Isaac, but barring that, at least she could have a good night’s sleep beforehand.
The next morning, all was quiet at the Swanson house. Jane ran the Swiffer over the wood floors and wondered how Caramel was holding up. From the little she knew of the family, Caramel was a newer wife, like Paula, but not at all like Paula at the same time.
Jane Swiffered over to the big, brick fireplace. Caramel and Douglas ’s wedding portrait hung above it, framed in glossy black. Caramel looked about the same, but that didn’t help date the picture much, considering the effectiveness of Botox. Douglas hadn’t aged much since the picture either. And from the crease between his eyes and the many smile lines, Jane guessed he wasn’t Botoxing.
She ran a finger across the mantle. After the construction dust of last night, this house felt spotless. And empty. She hadn’t made it
“Are you there? Did I lose you?” Isaac asked.
“No, I’m here. I offered to clean her house, but she declined.”
“Then you should make her some meals. Something she can freeze.”
Though Jane had offered the same thing herself, she wondered if ramen noodles froze well, since that was about all she could afford to feed herself. “She said no thanks for that too.”
“Maybe it would do her good if you went by just to sit and listen. After all her years overseas, that might mean the most to her.” Isaac’s phone crackled while he spoke, as though he were moving in and out of cell reception.
“I have done. I hope it helped, but what do I know?” Jane jabbed the corner with the duster, in an attempt to kill a fast little spider.
“Glad to hear it. How’s everything else going?”
“Fine. I haven’t heard from the police yet, so I guess they don’t need me for anything else.”
“The police? What happened?”
“I discovered a body, Isaac. Don’t you remember? Scene of the crime? Witness? Does this ring any bells for you?” Jane whacked the spider so hard that the plastic duster handle broke. The microfiber duster head fell to the floor with a dull thump. The little black spider scuttled away.
“Don’t bite my head off, please. I’m just trying to help.”
“Did you forget that I found a dead body floating in a hot tub?”
“Sorry.”
Jane let out a long, slow breath and waited for him to say something else.
He didn’t.
“The cops said they’d be getting in touch with me later, and they haven’t yet, so that’s kind of a relief. Maybe Douglas ’s death was just an accident.”
“Why wouldn’t it have been?”
“I don’t know why. But grown men don’t drown in their hot tubs every day.” Jane tossed her broken duster in the cleaning caddy. She grabbed a rag and sprinkled a little lemon oil on it. She rubbed wide circles on the top of the cherry wood dining table.
“Did it look like a murder to you?”
Jane closed her eyes and pictured the scene. The room had been steamy, like the jets of the tub had been going recently. There had been damp towels on the floor, as though someone had been in and out of the water. Had Caramel taken a dip in the tub with her husband that morning? If so… had she left the body there for Jane to discover? Jane shuddered. “How should I know?”
“You were there. You know more than I do.”
Jane knelt down to oil the legs of the table.
“I’ll call back later. You don’t seem to be in the mood to talk right now.”
Jane chewed on her cheek. Isaac was the one in a weird mood, not her. “Fine.”
“Talk to you later, love.”
“Thanks.” Jane hung up before Isaac could say anything else.
After eliminating the dust of two weeks’ worth of construction and making every antique surface in the house shine, Jane went home and went to bed. She had an early cleaning scheduled for the Swanson house. She would have loved to talk it over with Isaac, but barring that, at least she could have a good night’s sleep beforehand.
The next morning, all was quiet at the Swanson house. Jane ran the Swiffer over the wood floors and wondered how Caramel was holding up. From the little she knew of the family, Caramel was a newer wife, like Paula, but not at all like Paula at the same time.
Jane Swiffered over to the big, brick fireplace. Caramel and Douglas ’s wedding portrait hung above it, framed in glossy black. Caramel looked about the same, but that didn’t help date the picture much, considering the effectiveness of Botox. Douglas hadn’t aged much since the picture either. And from the crease between his eyes and the many smile lines, Jane guessed he wasn’t Botoxing.
She ran a finger across the mantle. After the construction dust of last night, this house felt spotless. And empty. She hadn’t made it
Similar Books
