Read Online Frosted on the Ferris Wheel by Laura Pauling - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Laura Pauling
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wrapped around her finger. He’s hopelessly in love with her.”
Holly bit down on the inside of her mouth.
“Hey ladies!” Millicent called. “About time you guys got here. Holly and I were wondering...”
Charlene, Kitty, and Ann joined them.
“We ready?” Charlene asked. “Where should we meet? Hope you have some place a little more private here.”
Millicent nudged Charlene with her fist. “You don’t have to put up the tough act with me.” She waved them all on. “Just follow me.”
They entered the kitchen where Pierre was hard at work. He offered a smile, his cheeks flushing with color. “Enjoy your time, ladies.”
“Thanks, Papa!”
Millicent led them through the kitchen to a backroom with a table and chairs all set up. A chocolate chip cheesecake sat in the center. Holly placed her pitcher of iced-tea beside it.
Once they were all seated, Charlene pulled out her notebook. “Let’s get started.”
Millicent cleared her throat. “First, I wanted to express my thanks at inviting me to your secret club. I’ve known about it for a while, waiting and hoping someday I would receive an invitation. And the day finally came.” She dabbed at the corner of her eyes. “So thank you. I promise you won’t regret it.”
“Don’t worry. You’ll be put to work later today.” Charlene read over her notes. “Basically, we’ve got nothing. We can’t seem to pinpoint a motive for anyone. Even the cops seem a bit befuddled from what I can tell.”
“Oo! Oo!” Millicent raised her arm like she was a schoolgirl. “I know you’ve all tried to subtly interrogate Trent, but sometimes he lets more slip with me, knowing that I’m an investigative reporter. And lately, with our changing relationship, I might get him to admit to more than usual.” She giggled at the seductive tone to her voice, showing exactly how she intended to woo that information from him.
Kitty and Ann glanced at Holly with sympathetic smiles. Holly’s insides crumbled a bit more.
“That might work. My bacon quiche hasn’t been doing the trick lately,” Charlene said, without batting an eye at the fact that Millicent practically admitted to seducing her son.
“No wonder,” Millicent said with a gasp. She smiled slyly. “Melted chocolate, fresh strawberries, and lacy undergarments work wonders.”
Holly stifled a gasp, Millicent’s words a stabbing pain to her heart.
Ann piped up. “Why don’t we cover what we do know?”
Refusing to completely shut down, Holly said, “Most likely the murder was planned, not a heat-of-the-moment thing.”
“It’s called a crime of passion,” Millicent said snootily.
“What else?” Charlene asked.
“Most likely,” Kitty sliced a piece of cheesecake, “the suspects are the victim’s wife, Judy Schilling, and his business partner at Sunny Side Realty, Joel Atherton.”
Holly thought about her run-ins with Chip. Yes, he seemed completely separate from this murder, but he was at the crime scene that morning. And, she’d overheard him talk about payment and finishing the job. And, he’d threatened her. “There might be someone else.”
“Who?” Millicent’s eyes narrowed in suspicion as if it was absurd that Holly might know something she didn’t.
“Chip. The guy you had a date with the other night. He’s a worker at the fair. He’s been setting up the rides. He was at the crime scene. He’s talked about payment and finishing the job.” She kept to herself his threats, because it would expose her failed espionage missions, and she couldn’t handle being humiliated right then.
“Pfft.” Millicent waved her hand. “First of all, I wasn’t on a date. And I haven’t seen him since. Second, I’ve been living in this town for years. Those fairground workers are all the same. A lot of wind but no sail.” She looked pointedly as Holly. “The biggest lesson I’ve learned in writing mysteries is that we can’t create suspects based on appearance. They are
Holly bit down on the inside of her mouth.
“Hey ladies!” Millicent called. “About time you guys got here. Holly and I were wondering...”
Charlene, Kitty, and Ann joined them.
“We ready?” Charlene asked. “Where should we meet? Hope you have some place a little more private here.”
Millicent nudged Charlene with her fist. “You don’t have to put up the tough act with me.” She waved them all on. “Just follow me.”
They entered the kitchen where Pierre was hard at work. He offered a smile, his cheeks flushing with color. “Enjoy your time, ladies.”
“Thanks, Papa!”
Millicent led them through the kitchen to a backroom with a table and chairs all set up. A chocolate chip cheesecake sat in the center. Holly placed her pitcher of iced-tea beside it.
Once they were all seated, Charlene pulled out her notebook. “Let’s get started.”
Millicent cleared her throat. “First, I wanted to express my thanks at inviting me to your secret club. I’ve known about it for a while, waiting and hoping someday I would receive an invitation. And the day finally came.” She dabbed at the corner of her eyes. “So thank you. I promise you won’t regret it.”
“Don’t worry. You’ll be put to work later today.” Charlene read over her notes. “Basically, we’ve got nothing. We can’t seem to pinpoint a motive for anyone. Even the cops seem a bit befuddled from what I can tell.”
“Oo! Oo!” Millicent raised her arm like she was a schoolgirl. “I know you’ve all tried to subtly interrogate Trent, but sometimes he lets more slip with me, knowing that I’m an investigative reporter. And lately, with our changing relationship, I might get him to admit to more than usual.” She giggled at the seductive tone to her voice, showing exactly how she intended to woo that information from him.
Kitty and Ann glanced at Holly with sympathetic smiles. Holly’s insides crumbled a bit more.
“That might work. My bacon quiche hasn’t been doing the trick lately,” Charlene said, without batting an eye at the fact that Millicent practically admitted to seducing her son.
“No wonder,” Millicent said with a gasp. She smiled slyly. “Melted chocolate, fresh strawberries, and lacy undergarments work wonders.”
Holly stifled a gasp, Millicent’s words a stabbing pain to her heart.
Ann piped up. “Why don’t we cover what we do know?”
Refusing to completely shut down, Holly said, “Most likely the murder was planned, not a heat-of-the-moment thing.”
“It’s called a crime of passion,” Millicent said snootily.
“What else?” Charlene asked.
“Most likely,” Kitty sliced a piece of cheesecake, “the suspects are the victim’s wife, Judy Schilling, and his business partner at Sunny Side Realty, Joel Atherton.”
Holly thought about her run-ins with Chip. Yes, he seemed completely separate from this murder, but he was at the crime scene that morning. And, she’d overheard him talk about payment and finishing the job. And, he’d threatened her. “There might be someone else.”
“Who?” Millicent’s eyes narrowed in suspicion as if it was absurd that Holly might know something she didn’t.
“Chip. The guy you had a date with the other night. He’s a worker at the fair. He’s been setting up the rides. He was at the crime scene. He’s talked about payment and finishing the job.” She kept to herself his threats, because it would expose her failed espionage missions, and she couldn’t handle being humiliated right then.
“Pfft.” Millicent waved her hand. “First of all, I wasn’t on a date. And I haven’t seen him since. Second, I’ve been living in this town for years. Those fairground workers are all the same. A lot of wind but no sail.” She looked pointedly as Holly. “The biggest lesson I’ve learned in writing mysteries is that we can’t create suspects based on appearance. They are
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