Read Online Gilt by Association by Karen Rose Smith - Free Book Online Page B

added, “I’ll put the crunchies in Sophia’s dish.”
    Fifteen minutes later, Caprice had called her neighbor, telling her she didn’t have to stop in. She knew Bella would never approve of her outfit, but then Bella wasn’t going to be present at her mom and dad’s. She’d changed into a pair of wide-legged jeans, and added a sweatshirt from a Pennsylvania wolf sanctuary, opting for practical clothes. After all, her nod to retro could go beyond the Beatles and her collection of John, Paul, George, and Ringo T-shirts. Vintage styles had become a pastime for her, and she enjoyed mixing and matching eras, falling back into styles that could still be classic or funky. Bella often criticized her sense of style because it was unique. Tonight she didn’t care about “unique.”
    By the time she ran downstairs, she could smell coffee brewing and Vince was calling Lady inside.
    She went toward the kitchen, still feeling numb. She knew the feeling from before. She’d known the victims in the other two murders she’d solved, too, but not the way she’d known Louise. Louise had practically been family, hadn’t she? As an adult, Caprice hadn’t seen her around as much, hadn’t visited her as much, hadn’t talked to her as much. But like all good memories from childhood, when you saw someone who’d been in your life that many years, a warm feeling bumped around your heart. Now, thinking of Louise lying there on the earthy floor of the greenhouse, Caprice felt sudden tears burn in her eyes again.
    Stopping in the living room by the cat tree, she petted Sophia. Sophia seemed to understand something was wrong because she bobbed her head into Caprice’s hand and then licked her thumb. Caprice stroked her feline’s silky fur for a couple of seconds until Lady bounded in, wet paws and all, and stood at her feet.
    Animals understood. They really did.
    But her sister and brother did, too, so she joined them in the kitchen.
    Usually the buttercup vintage-style appliances made her feel as cheery as the kitchen looked. But not now.
    Nikki took one glance at her and nodded to the coffeepot. “I thought we should talk a little bit before we go see Mom. We have to absorb what happened before we can comfort her.”
    Vince pulled lime green, yellow, and turquoise mugs from the mug tree and set them on the table. “You two haven’t told me much, and I think you ought to go over it for me again, just in case the police call you in for questioning.”
    â€œDetective Carstead said he might want to talk to me again because I knew Louise,” Caprice said, heading to the refrigerator for the cream. Situations like this definitely called for sugar and cream, even though Nikki had probably used one of her chocolate-flavored coffees. Comfort came in many packages, and chocolate-flavored coffee, cream, and sugar were one of them.
    Vince spied the round, brightly colored, tightly lidded canister that sat on the counter and peeked inside, finding more of the cranberry and white chocolate cookies that she had baked for Bella’s family. A little stale? Vince would probably dip them in his coffee.
    â€œHelp yourself,” she said.
    Vince did and looked thoughtful. “You told me Louise was shot three times. All in the chest?”
    Caprice sank into the chair at the table. The yellow braided seat covering slid a little as she made herself comfortable and crossed her legs.
    â€œThree times in the chest. It was awful.”
    â€œYou said there was a lot of blood, but was she like totally torn apart?”
    â€œVince,” Nikki reprimanded. “We’re supposed to be absorbing it, not reliving the gory details.”
    Caprice shook her head. “I think there was lots of blood because of where the bullets hit, so I don’t think it was a shotgun or anything like that, if that’s what you’re getting at. But I have no idea what