Read Online Engaged in Death (A Wedding Planner Mystery) by Stephanie Blackmoore - Free Book Online

breakfast in bed since it’s your first day back. I wondered if we got the paper, which is dumb, because no one’s lived here for years, but it was early and I was out of it. I opened the door and saw him, and it was still pretty dark, so I walked over to figure out who was lying there and if they needed help. When I realized who it was, I panicked and dropped the Pop-Tarts,” Rachel had prattled on in a rush before she’d begun to cry.
    I’d gently steered my sister around so we couldn’t see Mr. Hartley’s body. “It’s okay, Rach. Not really okay, but we have to do something.”
    “I can make more Pop-Tarts.”
    “We could do that.” I’d pulled her up the porch steps. “But I was thinking maybe we should call the police.”
    “Oh, right, of course.” Once we had gotten back inside, the door shut firmly behind us, we’d snapped out of it and done a pretty good job of dealing with the body on the lawn. The police had arrived about five minutes after we’d called 911. We’d been here ever since, hunkered down around the old oak table in this octagonal room, drinking cold coffee with Port Quincy’s finest man and woman in blue.
    “Tell me again.”
    “Just like she said,” Rachel began. “We—”
    “Nope, we’ve told you enough,” I interrupted. “We’re not going to change our story.”
    “Your story?” Chief Truman perked up.
    Oops, bad choice of words.
    “Our truthful accounting of what happened. Do we need a lawyer?”
    The chief smirked. “I thought you are a lawyer.”
    I flinched. “I am, but I don’t practice criminal defense, and I don’t know anything about murder investigations. Are we suspects?”
    Rachel tensed up next to me. I grabbed her hand under the table and gave it a reassuring squeeze. No matter what, I wasn’t going to let them incriminate my little sister or me.
    “Neither of you appear to have been in a struggle,” Faith said slowly.
    Rachel relaxed.
    “Now hold on.” Truman shot Faith a dirty look and leaned closer to us across the table. “Ma’am, a man was murdered right here at Thistle Park while you and your sister were admittedly on the premises. What I can’t wrap my head around is your claim neither of you heard a peep last night.”
    Geez, what was with the ma’ams flying around this town? I obviously needed better wrinkle cream. I didn’t know what pissed me off more, the fact I was a possible murder suspect or that I’d just been called ma’am again.
    “I did have a nightmare sometime before Rachel woke me. Someone was screaming in my dream. Or at least I thought it was a dream at the time.”
    Duh. Why hadn’t I made that connection until now?
    “What time was that?” Faith sat up straighter, her pen poised over her little notebook, the picture of an eager student.
    “I don’t know,” I stammered, sounding defensive.
    Chief Truman and Faith exchanged knowing glances.
    I rushed in to fill their disappointed silence. “I feel awful about what happened. I really do. That poor man. But we didn’t have anything to do with it.” I couldn’t wait for Shane Hartley to leave yesterday, but that didn’t mean I had been hoping for his demise.
    “Oh, come on,” Rachel said wearily. “I don’t want to speak ill of the dead, but the guy was a class-A jerk. I’m sure he had lots of enemies.”
    Faith gave her a disapproving glare.
    “And no matter who killed him, it’s awfully convenient he ended up dead on my—Sylvia’s—front lawn.” I took a swig of water and tried to set the glass neatly on the table. My hands shook so badly I splashed most of the water out of the glass. This earned another portentous look between Truman and Faith.
    “True, but we have several witnesses who saw you get into a physical altercation with the victim yesterday.” Chief Truman was barely able to contain his glee, as if he’d just laid down a royal flush.
    How in the heck does he know that?
    “Why would you try to hide that from me?” He cracked his