Read Online Pink Velvet Murder: A Frosted Love Cozy Mystery - Book 9 (Frosted Love Cozy Mysteries) by Carol Durand, Summer Prescott - Free Book Online Page B

than relieved. They had met for lunch at the
Perfect Pig, Chas filling her in on what had happened with Carlton and Donna,
and although she was disgusted beyond belief, she could see how a naïve young
girl would easily fall victim to the art thief’s considerable charm. “So,
basically, he made his living by charming women in order to get to their art
pieces, which he then stole and resold,” she summed up.
    “Exactly.
Apparently he’d gone so far as to have an affair with Mrs. Dowler, the Home Ec
teacher. Her husband said that he’d suspected that something was amiss, but
could never quite figure out what. Dobbs admitted that he had planned to
blackmail the poor woman into giving up her extensive art collection, but when
she threatened to go to the police, he killed her. He had been at the bake-off
that night, saw the argument between Donna and her teacher, and seized the
opportunity to set someone else up for the crime. Donna didn’t know that
Carlton had poisoned the cake and killed Mrs. Dowler, but when police scrutiny
turned her direction, he gallantly came in and told her he’d hide her until the
investigation was called off, then take her away to an exotic location where
she’d never be bothered again. Poor girl was so frightened at having been
framed for murder that she believed him, and now may be facing charges because
she knew about his thievery and didn’t report it.”
    “He
ruined her life,” Missy said sadly. “And I don’t even want to know how
Priscilla Chadwick reacted to all of this.”
    “I
would imagine sedatives were needed,” Chas said wryly. “I knew this guy was a
bad character from the moment that I met him, that’s why I took the tea glass
that he had used when he faked an ankle injury, and ran it for prints. Turns
out he’s wanted internationally for art theft.”
    “You
took the glass? Wow, I didn’t realize you found him that suspicious…I just
thought you were jealous,” she smiled shyly.
    “Oh,
I was, make no mistake. Which just makes seeing justice done all the more
satisfying,” he grinned.
    “Chas…I
have to tell you something,” she frowned sadly. “I haven’t been entirely honest
with you…” She told him about the doggie “date” in the park, and that it had
meant nothing to her, but that she just thought he should know about it because
she never wanted to have secrets of any kind come between them. He said that he
understood, and thanked her for her honesty, reaching for her hand and bringing
it to his lips.
    “I
trust you, Missy,” he said huskily. “I know that Carlton Dobbs seems to have
quite a way with women, and it bothered me to see him flirting with you, but
there was never a moment when I doubted you,” he gazed into her eyes as though
he saw her soul and was more than fond of what he saw.
    Missy
felt that she had reached her crossroads. It was finally time to tell this
amazing man how she felt about him, and let the chips fall where they may. She
took a deep breath, and feeling like she was standing on a high dive, she made
the decision to jump. “Chas, there’s something that I want to tell you. I’ve
had a habit of shying away from relationships for a long time, partly because I
was too busy trying to keep the business that I inherited up and running, but
also partly because I was afraid. I don’t know why, because my parents had this
amazing, warm and wonderful relationship, but, I don’t know, I guess maybe I
thought that those kinds of dreams only came true for a few people and I
probably wasn’t one of them. So, Chas, I guess what I want to say, and what
I’ve been wanting to say for quite some time now…” she took his hand and leaned
forward, her kitten grey eyes holding his captive. “…is that I…”
    “Well,
well, well, look who we have here!” Mayor Felton Chadwick’s voice boomed as he
spotted them and strode to their table. Missy and Chas looked at each other,
stunned at the unexpected interruption in what was