Read Online Never Buried: A Leigh Koslow Mystery by Edie Claire - Free Book Online
Authors: Edie Claire
Tags: Fiction, General, Thrillers, Mystery & Detective, Women Sleuths, Koslow; Leigh (Fictitious Character), Pittsburgh (Pa.), Women Cat Owners, Women Copy Writers
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to know when to back off. As mild-mannered as Cara was, when her buttons were pushed, a tigress emerged. "It's just something to think about," Leigh said softly. "We need to be careful about remembering to turn on the security system."
Cara's face returned to its normal color. "I've been very careful about the security system ever since the body was found," she responded calmly. "I'm not an idiot."
They were interrupted by the sound of a slamming car door followed closely by heavy knocks on the front door. If she hadn't known who it was, Leigh might have been concerned. Knowing who it was was even worse.
The cousins looked at each other. "I'll get it," Leigh said bravely.
She opened the door and braced herself.
" What in the hell were you thinking, Koslow ?! Don't you know when you're interfering in a official police investigation? You could have given away vital information—tipped off a suspect, for God's sake!"
"I didn't tell Vestal anything," Leigh placated, wiping flecks of spit off her forehead. "I just got him to tell me things. And I was good at it!" she protested. "He spilled his guts without so much as a whimper."
Maura took a deep breath, but her voice was still strained. "You just don't get it, do you? It's not your job ! You are merely a bystander, do you understand? You leave the investigating to me from now on, or I swear—"
Maura broke off as Cara slipped quietly into the hall. Leigh knew her cousin had been listening to the whole exchange, undoubtedly with some glee, but at least she had the decency to intercede before the real violence started.
"Oh, hello, Maura," Cara said graciously. "You have wonderful timing. We were just about to have some rather excellent homemade spaghetti marinara. Please join us."
Maura looked from Leigh, the picture of innocence, to Cara, the picture of sincerity, and gave up. "Hi, Cara," she answered calmly. "That sounds great. Thanks."
***
The spaghetti marinara had not been falsely advertised. When it was gone, Cara passed around a bowl of fruit salad. "Well, now," she said in a well-polished hostess' voice, "You ladies have been rather quiet. I was hoping we might have a nice, animated conversation over dessert. Shall we?"
Leigh shot a warning look at Cara, and Maura shot one at Leigh. Both were ignored. "All right, fine," Cara continued. "I'll pick the topic. Today's topic is corpses, specifically those that reappear at a previous place of residence. Oddly enough, I happen to have been party to just such an occurrence. I was told that, for the sake of the baby of course, I should not trouble myself over the corpse's motives. So naturally, I haven't. However, it would appear that someone —again, not me—has been possessed by the spirit of Miss Marple and has been doing some investigating herself. Am I right? Would anyone else like to comment?"
Leigh sat with her arms folded. Maura's eyes darted from cousin to cousin.
"All right," Leigh said, resigned. "Yes. I have been doing a little sleuthing. But I shouldn't have, as you clearly overheard earlier. And I'm done now, so there's no point in belaboring the issue. The Avalon police can handle things just fine without either of us getting any more involved."
Maura laughed sarcastically. "A lovely speech, Koslow. I'll believe it after I get a tracking device embedded in your neck."
"No, really," Leigh insisted. "The body has been identified, but there's no real reason to think that anyone is—" She broke off, realizing she was at cross purposes with herself. She wanted to protect Cara from the more unpleasant details, yes. That seemed logical since the doctor had told her to take it easy. But if they really were in any physical danger, Cara had to know the facts for her own protection.
"All right," Leigh sighed. "It's like this, Cara. I was worried that the body wasn't left here as a random prank, so I decided to speed things up a little. You know, help Maura out." Maura started to open her mouth, but
Cara's face returned to its normal color. "I've been very careful about the security system ever since the body was found," she responded calmly. "I'm not an idiot."
They were interrupted by the sound of a slamming car door followed closely by heavy knocks on the front door. If she hadn't known who it was, Leigh might have been concerned. Knowing who it was was even worse.
The cousins looked at each other. "I'll get it," Leigh said bravely.
She opened the door and braced herself.
" What in the hell were you thinking, Koslow ?! Don't you know when you're interfering in a official police investigation? You could have given away vital information—tipped off a suspect, for God's sake!"
"I didn't tell Vestal anything," Leigh placated, wiping flecks of spit off her forehead. "I just got him to tell me things. And I was good at it!" she protested. "He spilled his guts without so much as a whimper."
Maura took a deep breath, but her voice was still strained. "You just don't get it, do you? It's not your job ! You are merely a bystander, do you understand? You leave the investigating to me from now on, or I swear—"
Maura broke off as Cara slipped quietly into the hall. Leigh knew her cousin had been listening to the whole exchange, undoubtedly with some glee, but at least she had the decency to intercede before the real violence started.
"Oh, hello, Maura," Cara said graciously. "You have wonderful timing. We were just about to have some rather excellent homemade spaghetti marinara. Please join us."
Maura looked from Leigh, the picture of innocence, to Cara, the picture of sincerity, and gave up. "Hi, Cara," she answered calmly. "That sounds great. Thanks."
***
The spaghetti marinara had not been falsely advertised. When it was gone, Cara passed around a bowl of fruit salad. "Well, now," she said in a well-polished hostess' voice, "You ladies have been rather quiet. I was hoping we might have a nice, animated conversation over dessert. Shall we?"
Leigh shot a warning look at Cara, and Maura shot one at Leigh. Both were ignored. "All right, fine," Cara continued. "I'll pick the topic. Today's topic is corpses, specifically those that reappear at a previous place of residence. Oddly enough, I happen to have been party to just such an occurrence. I was told that, for the sake of the baby of course, I should not trouble myself over the corpse's motives. So naturally, I haven't. However, it would appear that someone —again, not me—has been possessed by the spirit of Miss Marple and has been doing some investigating herself. Am I right? Would anyone else like to comment?"
Leigh sat with her arms folded. Maura's eyes darted from cousin to cousin.
"All right," Leigh said, resigned. "Yes. I have been doing a little sleuthing. But I shouldn't have, as you clearly overheard earlier. And I'm done now, so there's no point in belaboring the issue. The Avalon police can handle things just fine without either of us getting any more involved."
Maura laughed sarcastically. "A lovely speech, Koslow. I'll believe it after I get a tracking device embedded in your neck."
"No, really," Leigh insisted. "The body has been identified, but there's no real reason to think that anyone is—" She broke off, realizing she was at cross purposes with herself. She wanted to protect Cara from the more unpleasant details, yes. That seemed logical since the doctor had told her to take it easy. But if they really were in any physical danger, Cara had to know the facts for her own protection.
"All right," Leigh sighed. "It's like this, Cara. I was worried that the body wasn't left here as a random prank, so I decided to speed things up a little. You know, help Maura out." Maura started to open her mouth, but
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