Read Online MYSTERY: BRITISH MYSTERY: Missing Hearts (Amateur Sleuth Suspense Thriller) (Cozy Crime Detective Short Stories) by S. Y. Robins - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: S. Y. Robins
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crap about the Galloways’ car.” Nick’s eyebrows were about as far up as they would go. “Yours is much better. Really? I thought he was a professional sculptor.”
“No, apparently not. These little old ladies saw them on Tuesday, right?” When Nick nodded, Emmeline flailed her hands. “That’s when Audrey said she saw him! And she was pissed . He didn’t mention he was entering anything in the craft competition. She said—well, never mind what she said then, because she showed up at the tea shop today.”
“What? Really?”
“Yes! Just before I left, no one else there.” Emmeline drew him over to the couch and leaned in close, suddenly imagining Audrey lurking outside in the bushes, listening; the thought was enough to make her snort with laughter. “She looked terrible, like she hadn’t slept at all, like she was really upset. She kept saying she felt guilty, and talking about what it must have been like to be bludgeoned to death. She nearly threw up talking about the blood!”
“Holy—you’re kidding me.” Nick’s mouth was hanging open. “Really? Audrey?”
“Yes! And then, at the end, I swear , I said something about how it was lucky for her that she had a headache and she wasn’t there, and she said it wasn’t lucky for James Pike.”
“Maybe she thinks you did it,” Nick said slowly. “She thinks you killed the winner, and it would have been her if…no, that can’t be right, she wouldn’t have won anyway.”
“I’m telling you, she knows something.” Emmeline shook her head. “I really think…” But she did it froze on her lips. She looked up to see Nick watching her, frowning. “I don’t know! She was so weird the night of the competition. I met her and I just really didn’t like her, and then while everyone was looking around for a killer, I thought—well, who would no one suspect?”
“Wow.” Nick chewed on a fingernail. “You don’t like her, really? She always seemed really sweet to me.”
“She’s pretty,” Emmeline said in a quelling manner. “Might that have been it?”
He laughed.
“Anyway, it all fits—her saying she feels guilty, covering it up by saying she could have voted for me as a tiebreak, none of it makes sense unless it was her!”
“Maybe…” Nick shook his head. “But something doesn’t add up to me. I don’t think it was her.”
“Murderers can be pretty, you know,” Emmeline said, exasperated.
“I know, I just…” Nick looked around himself, then leaned in conspiratorially. “Let’s tail her.”
“What?”
“Let’s go wait outside her house. See if she goes anywhere.”
“Where would she go? It’s not like there’s a body to hide.”
“I don’t know what she’d do. But it’s worth checking, right? I mean, what were we going to do tonight, anyway? Sit at home, watch some TV.”
“Oh.” He must have forgotten about the wine and steak. Emmeline tried to smile. “Good point.” She took a deep breath. “Okay, let’s go. Are you hungry?”
“We’ll stop somewhere for food. Maybe donuts! We’ll pretend to be cops.” Nick grabbed his keys and led her out to where his tiny, battered car was waiting.
“I thought you made a gazillion dollars on your last book,” Emmeline said, staring at it.
“I did, but it seems more writerly to have a tiny old beater. I feel like someone’s going to accuse me of being a big hack. The book wasn’t that good.”
“Apparently, several million people don’t agree with you.” But Emmeline grinned as she folded herself into the passenger seat. “It suits you.”
“Exactly.” He put it in gear and drove them through town, waving at people as he went. “Wave, Em. You have to make sure if the whole police thing gets in the news, people say, Her? Never! ”
“Uh huh.” Emmeline looked out the window as they pulled up in front of the mayor’s mansion. “They live here ? No wonder they’re having money troubles.”
The house was gigantic, two-story columns
“No, apparently not. These little old ladies saw them on Tuesday, right?” When Nick nodded, Emmeline flailed her hands. “That’s when Audrey said she saw him! And she was pissed . He didn’t mention he was entering anything in the craft competition. She said—well, never mind what she said then, because she showed up at the tea shop today.”
“What? Really?”
“Yes! Just before I left, no one else there.” Emmeline drew him over to the couch and leaned in close, suddenly imagining Audrey lurking outside in the bushes, listening; the thought was enough to make her snort with laughter. “She looked terrible, like she hadn’t slept at all, like she was really upset. She kept saying she felt guilty, and talking about what it must have been like to be bludgeoned to death. She nearly threw up talking about the blood!”
“Holy—you’re kidding me.” Nick’s mouth was hanging open. “Really? Audrey?”
“Yes! And then, at the end, I swear , I said something about how it was lucky for her that she had a headache and she wasn’t there, and she said it wasn’t lucky for James Pike.”
“Maybe she thinks you did it,” Nick said slowly. “She thinks you killed the winner, and it would have been her if…no, that can’t be right, she wouldn’t have won anyway.”
“I’m telling you, she knows something.” Emmeline shook her head. “I really think…” But she did it froze on her lips. She looked up to see Nick watching her, frowning. “I don’t know! She was so weird the night of the competition. I met her and I just really didn’t like her, and then while everyone was looking around for a killer, I thought—well, who would no one suspect?”
“Wow.” Nick chewed on a fingernail. “You don’t like her, really? She always seemed really sweet to me.”
“She’s pretty,” Emmeline said in a quelling manner. “Might that have been it?”
He laughed.
“Anyway, it all fits—her saying she feels guilty, covering it up by saying she could have voted for me as a tiebreak, none of it makes sense unless it was her!”
“Maybe…” Nick shook his head. “But something doesn’t add up to me. I don’t think it was her.”
“Murderers can be pretty, you know,” Emmeline said, exasperated.
“I know, I just…” Nick looked around himself, then leaned in conspiratorially. “Let’s tail her.”
“What?”
“Let’s go wait outside her house. See if she goes anywhere.”
“Where would she go? It’s not like there’s a body to hide.”
“I don’t know what she’d do. But it’s worth checking, right? I mean, what were we going to do tonight, anyway? Sit at home, watch some TV.”
“Oh.” He must have forgotten about the wine and steak. Emmeline tried to smile. “Good point.” She took a deep breath. “Okay, let’s go. Are you hungry?”
“We’ll stop somewhere for food. Maybe donuts! We’ll pretend to be cops.” Nick grabbed his keys and led her out to where his tiny, battered car was waiting.
“I thought you made a gazillion dollars on your last book,” Emmeline said, staring at it.
“I did, but it seems more writerly to have a tiny old beater. I feel like someone’s going to accuse me of being a big hack. The book wasn’t that good.”
“Apparently, several million people don’t agree with you.” But Emmeline grinned as she folded herself into the passenger seat. “It suits you.”
“Exactly.” He put it in gear and drove them through town, waving at people as he went. “Wave, Em. You have to make sure if the whole police thing gets in the news, people say, Her? Never! ”
“Uh huh.” Emmeline looked out the window as they pulled up in front of the mayor’s mansion. “They live here ? No wonder they’re having money troubles.”
The house was gigantic, two-story columns
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