Read Online Murder of a Botoxed Blonde by Denise Swanson - Free Book Online

another cracker. “And, for once, Vince actually seems serious. As long as you want children, you’re in like Flynn.”
    Loretta held up her hand, palm out. “Chill. We’ve only been seeing each other a couple of months.” She opened a bag of potato chips. “No offense, Skye, but your brother would have to really prove to me he’s straightened up before I’d even consider getting serious. So let’s not go planning the wedding yet.”
    “It’s not me you have to worry about.” Skye giggled. “But Mom’s probably already decorating the nursery.”
    Trixie started to hum “Rock-a-bye Baby” and Loretta threw a pillow at her.
    “Hey, you never really answered my question. Surely, you didn’t give up your Thanksgiving just because my parents were nicer than you expected.”
    “Sort of. I just thought it’d be good to spend some time with May. Maybe bond a little as friends rather than prospective daughter-and mother-in-law.”
    “And?” Skye prodded.
    “And your mom pointed out it was either this, or dinner with fifty of your closest relatives probing me like they were aliens and I was their abductee.”
    “Now, that’s a reason I believe.” Skye toasted Loretta with her can of Diet Coke. “So, how did you know to bring all these supplies?” She pointed to the food and drink covering the coffee table.
    “Girl.” Loretta shifted position and hugged her satin clad knees. “My law firm had a meeting at a spa a few years ago, and I darned near starved.”
    “Isn’t that the point—to cleanse the body and get healthy?” Trixie asked.
    Skye looked at her sharply. “Trixie, honey, you drive way too fast to worry about cholesterol. Besides, who eats all the candy from my jar at school?”
    “That doesn’t count.” Trixie wrinkled her nose. “Chocolate is the catnip of the female world.”
    “I see.” Sometimes Trixie’s logic was beyond Skye, so she turned to Loretta. “Anyway thank you for sharing your stash.” Skye jerked her thumb at Trixie. “She was having such withdrawal pains, I thought she was going to eat my fudge-colored eye shadow.”
    “Me?” Trixie grabbed another Hershey bar and peeled off the wrapper. “You should talk. You have such a love/hate relationship with chocolate you should be dating it.”
    Before Skye could retaliate, Loretta demanded, “Now, tell me the real reason you two are here.”
    Skye looked at Trixie, who shrugged. “Okay, but don’t tell Mom or the others.”
    “Deal.”
    “Margot contacted me about a month ago about some problems they were having with the spa.” Skye recounted Margot’s conversation, the newspaper stories, and Trixie’s cajoling, then ended with, “Which is why we’re here.”
    “Do you two have a plan?”
    “As a matter of fact, we do.” Skye swung her legs off the bed. “Our theory is that the vandal is really a treasure hunter and is one of the staff.”
    “Makes sense.” Loretta nodded. “Could be one of the locals Margot and the good doctor hired for the nonprofessional positions, since they’d be most likely to know about the rumor of the secreted jewelry even before the newspaper ran the story.”
    “Right.” Trixie picked up where Skye had left off. “And since today’s paper has a riddle which is supposed to be a clue to the treasure’s location, we figure the treasure hunter should be out tonight.”
    “You two solved the riddle?” Loretta frowned.
    “No. Unfortunately, the only one I know who is good at riddles is Simon, and I can’t ask him.” Skye frowned. “But we figure that if we sort of hang around outside in the shadows, we have a good chance of seeing anyone who tries to dig something up.”
    “What if the treasure is inside the mansion?” The lawyer in Loretta’s voice was loud and clear.
    “We figure that if the treasure is inside the building, the treasure hunter will have to wait until it’s emptier—which would mean after the guests leave on Sunday,” Skye answered, not sounding