Read Online Murder Under the Tree by Susan Bernhardt - Free Book Online

“Lovely voices!” I said, and clapped when they finished. “Come in. I am so glad you’re here.” I had never been so glad to see anyone.
    “Kay, what's wrong?” Deirdre asked in a low voice. I must have looked desperate.
    Deirdre could always sense when something was wrong. “Margo's in the kitchen.”
    “Oh.” Deirdre’s eyebrows drew together.
    “You poor thing,” Elizabeth added. She handed me another fruitcake.
    I was about to close the door when I spotted Phil's aunt and uncle coming out of the car at the end of the driveway. I waved and waited for them outside on the porch, Elizabeth's fruitcake in hand, as they walked up to the house. I looked over at Ted's house. I saw the curtain in the living room twitch. Hmm...Did we have a new neighbor?
    “Merry Christmas, Kay!” We hugged.
    “So happy you could make it,” I said.
    “Lovely home,” Uncle Ben said. “Sudbury Falls looks like a nice little town.”
    They handed me a wrapped round package. “Better put this in the refrigerator. It's Uncle Ben's favorite,” Aunt Mary said. She looked down at Elizabeth's fruitcake. “Looks like you'll have plenty.”
    I glanced once more at Ted's house before closing the door. The curtain was still.
    Everyone sat in the living room visiting, other than Chef Margo. Phil took drink orders. I had plates of appetizers on various tables and passed those around. Aunt Mary commented on our beautiful Christmas tree and the other decorations. Elizabeth stood up and walked over to get another nibble. She wore a short, low-cut, forest green dress that looked like it was spray painted on, except that it got even lower when she bent over the tray of appetizers. I had remembered to keep the heat turned up.
    Across the room I saw Uncle Ben look over at Aunt Mary and wink at her. How sweet, I thought. They've been married for what, almost sixty years? Then as Elizabeth passed him, I saw Ben wink at her as well, after he gave her the once-over, three times, and ran his hand over his thinning hair.
    I went back in the kitchen and watched Margo work like a whirling dervish, adding salt and other spices, ruining my meal.
    I took the salt shaker out of Margo's hands and put it down on the counter. “Margo, I think that is enough salt. Phil is trying to watch his salt intake. Why don't you go into the living room and sit down and visit with Aunt Mary and Uncle Ben for a while.”
    Elizabeth came into the kitchen. Her face flushed. Her eyes wide and glowing. “Kay, I think John is going to ask me to marry him!”
    “Really? Great!” I gave her a hug. “But you haven't been seeing each other that long.” I thought back to when just a couple of months ago, Elizabeth was dating three other men, all at the same time.
    She gave me her pained stare. Then said, “What should I say, Kay?” She grabbed my arm. “ What ...should I do?”
    Just then Andy came into the kitchen. He looked between Elizabeth and myself. Elizabeth took her hand off my arm. “Dad sent me in. We need more appetizers.”
    I took out the spinach-artichoke dip I was keeping warm in the oven, spooned it into a small bread bowl, and handed it to Andy. “Thanks, Andy.” I smiled.
    “What makes you think he's going to?”
    After Andy left the room, Elizabeth looked over at Margo. Margo was adding more cream to the chestnut soup. Much more. Probably thinking Margo was too far gone into re-seasoning, she continued. “I was getting dressed in his bedroom. I saw a receipt from a jewelers... for a diamond ring. A big diamond ring.”
    Deirdre walked into the kitchen. “Kay, what can I do to help?”
    “You want to help?” I whispered to Deirdre, looking at the salt shaker back in Margo's hands. The situation with Margo was beyond any damage control. “Make me a drink!”
    Soon we all sat down to Christmas dinner. I said grace. Phil made a toast, reprising last night's “God bless us everyone.” We started with the chestnut cream soup. Margo had allowed the soup