Read Online For Better or Hearse by Laura Durham - Free Book Online Page A

spent half the day with the dead body and they don’t consider her a suspect, even though she had more opportunity to kill Henri than anyone. And a pretty good motive, too.”
    â€œRemind me not to call you as a character witness,” I said out of the corner of my mouth.
    â€œWhat’s your motive?” Darcy readjusted her glasses. “You barely even knew Henri.”
    â€œNot that you had to know him very long to despise him.” Georgia took the flute of champagne out of the waiter’s hand before he could place it on the table.
    â€œThe argument we had about Peking Duck, although it was less of a disagreement and more of him chasing me out of his kitchen.”
    Georgia took a gulp of champagne. “Welcome to my world. He chased me out of the kitchen almost every day. If that was a reason to kill someone, he’d have been dead years ago.” She placed the nearly empty crystal glass on the table and patted my arm. “I wouldn’t lose any sleep over it, doll.”
    My phone trilled and I dug it out of my purse. I looked at the caller ID. Richard. Kate and I had an appointment in half an hour to meet Richard and a bride at the rental showroom so she could select the linens and tableware for her wedding. Richard loved these meetings and could examine every cloth until he found the perfect match, whereas I lost steam after the third ivory damask.
    â€œDon’t tell me you’re already there,” I said after flipping my phone open.
    â€œI’ve put together some looks and wanted to get your opinion before the bride arrives. Do you think she’ll go for fuchsia and tangerine iridescent overlays?”
    I swallowed a mouthful of salad. “Doesn’t this bride want pastels?”
    Richard groaned. “If I have to do another pastel wedding, I’m going to kill myself. You need to see these overlays, Annabelle. They’re scrumptious, and they have beaded chair caps to go with them.”
    â€œYou’re going to try to sell her on chair caps?” I couldn’t imagine my conservative bride going for covering only the top half of the chair back and dangling beads off them.
    â€œThey’re the latest thing in chair accessories, Annabelle. Not quite a chair cover, but a little something to finish the look. Did I mention that they’re beaded?”
    â€œIsn’t this a garden party?”
    â€œI thought of making it more ‘garden party in the Kasbah.’ Do you still have that source for renting a camel?”
    Now it was my turn to groan. “We’ll be right there.” I dropped the phone in my purse and took a final gulp of iced tea.
    â€œLet me guess.” Kate put her fork down and pulled her jacket off the back of her chair. “That was Richard.”
    I nodded. “He’s already at the showroom, and they have new cloths. And beaded chair caps.”
    â€œSay no more.” Georgia laughed. She’d tried to convince Richard to cross over to hotel catering a fewyears ago, but he hadn’t been able to handle the concept of standard beige linens and banquet chairs. “I hope you get there before it’s too late.”
    I shook my head. “With Richard I’d say we’re way past that point.”

Chapter 10
    â€œTell me this isn’t the most delicious fabric you’ve ever seen.” Richard opened the door to Perfect Party Rentals with swaths of shimmery orange and pink organza draped over his shoulders.
    â€œIt’s like an upscale toga party,” Kate whispered to me.
    â€œBe glad it’s not.” I leaned into her ear. “Those are see-through overlays.”
    We followed him into the English basement showroom, which had been chosen precisely for its lack of windows and abundance of wall space for displays. Racks of cloths and glass shelves packed with china and crystal lined the walls of the compact space, and small tables were set up throughout the two open