Read Online Silver Scream: A Bed-And-Breakfast Mystery by Mary Daheim - Free Book Online
Authors: Mary Daheim
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looked not very much worse than it usually did after a more conventional gathering of guests.
There was something different about the downstairs bathroom, however. It wasn’t obvious at first. Judith, who had started sneezing after dinner and fervently hoped she wasn’t catching cold, sneezed again as she rearranged the toiletry articles by the sink. A bit of white powder floated up into the air and made her sneeze again.
Judith looked at herself in the mirror. Ellie Linn had almond-colored skin. Winifred Best’s complexion was the color of milk chocolate. Angela La Belle was fair, but not that fair. None of them would have worn such a pale shade of face powder.
“Joe,” she called from the entry hall, “come here. I want you to see something.”
Joe, who’d just dumped what he estimated to be about three hundred dollars’ worth of uneaten hors d’oeuvres into the garbage, came in from the kitchen.
“What is it?” he asked.
“You used to work vice years ago,” Judith said, pointing to a small film of white powder at the edge of the sink. “Is that what I think it is?”
Joe ran his finger in the dusty residue, then tasted it. “Yes,” he said. “It’s what you think it is. Cocaine.”
“Damn!” Judith swore. “I suppose it’s to be expected.”
Joe nodded. “I’m afraid so. Too many Hollywood types get mixed up with this stuff.”
She sighed. “Well, it’s only for one more night.”
He chucked his wife under the chin. “That’s right. Face it, they’re probably not the first guests you’ve hosted who’ve had a habit.”
“That’s true.” Judith gave Joe a weary smile. “I’ll just be glad when they’re gone. I prefer normal people.”
Joe lifted an eyebrow. “Like the gangsters and superstar tenors and gossip columnists you’ve had in the past?”
Since all of the guests that he mentioned had been murdered or involved in murder, Judith shuddered. “No, not like that. I was thinking of the Kidds and even the Izards. They’re the ones who should be here this weekend, not this crew from L.A.”
Joe shrugged. “As you said, it’s only for one more night. What could possibly happen?”
Around two A.M ., Judith was awakened by muffled noises from somewhere in the house. The guests, she thought hazily, returning from their revels. When the Flynns had gone to bed around eleven, the Hollywood crew had not yet come back. But, as with all Hillside Manor guests, they had keys to the front door. Judith rolled over and drifted off again.
But moments later louder noises made her sit straight up in bed. She glanced at Joe, who was snoring softly. He’d put in a long day; there was no need to rouse him. Judith donned her robe and slippers, then headed down to the second floor.
The lights were on in the hall. Bruno, clad only in underwear decorated with Porky and Petunia Pig figures, was collapsed on the settee. Winifred and ChipsMadigan stood over him while Dirk Farrar peered out from behind the door of Room Four. Angela, Ellie, Ben, and Dade were nowhere to be seen.
“What’s going on?” Judith asked, noting that Bruno was shuddering and writhing just as he had done on the back porch.
Dirk opened the door a few more inches. “Another damned spider. Big as a house. Or so he says.” He smothered a smile.
“No!” Judith couldn’t believe it. In late summer, harmless, if imposing, wood spiders sometimes crawled into the basement, but it was too late in the year for them to show up. She marched to Bruno’s room, where the door was ajar.
Ben Carmody was standing by Bruno’s bed, laughing so hard that his sides shook. “Look,” he finally managed to say. “It’s a spider, all right, but…”
Judith charged over to the bed, then gave a start. “Ohmigod!”
A black, long-legged creature with a furry body lay on the bottom sheet just below the pillows. Judith stood frozen in place until Ben picked the thing up by one leg and bounced it off the floor.
“It’s
There was something different about the downstairs bathroom, however. It wasn’t obvious at first. Judith, who had started sneezing after dinner and fervently hoped she wasn’t catching cold, sneezed again as she rearranged the toiletry articles by the sink. A bit of white powder floated up into the air and made her sneeze again.
Judith looked at herself in the mirror. Ellie Linn had almond-colored skin. Winifred Best’s complexion was the color of milk chocolate. Angela La Belle was fair, but not that fair. None of them would have worn such a pale shade of face powder.
“Joe,” she called from the entry hall, “come here. I want you to see something.”
Joe, who’d just dumped what he estimated to be about three hundred dollars’ worth of uneaten hors d’oeuvres into the garbage, came in from the kitchen.
“What is it?” he asked.
“You used to work vice years ago,” Judith said, pointing to a small film of white powder at the edge of the sink. “Is that what I think it is?”
Joe ran his finger in the dusty residue, then tasted it. “Yes,” he said. “It’s what you think it is. Cocaine.”
“Damn!” Judith swore. “I suppose it’s to be expected.”
Joe nodded. “I’m afraid so. Too many Hollywood types get mixed up with this stuff.”
She sighed. “Well, it’s only for one more night.”
He chucked his wife under the chin. “That’s right. Face it, they’re probably not the first guests you’ve hosted who’ve had a habit.”
“That’s true.” Judith gave Joe a weary smile. “I’ll just be glad when they’re gone. I prefer normal people.”
Joe lifted an eyebrow. “Like the gangsters and superstar tenors and gossip columnists you’ve had in the past?”
Since all of the guests that he mentioned had been murdered or involved in murder, Judith shuddered. “No, not like that. I was thinking of the Kidds and even the Izards. They’re the ones who should be here this weekend, not this crew from L.A.”
Joe shrugged. “As you said, it’s only for one more night. What could possibly happen?”
Around two A.M ., Judith was awakened by muffled noises from somewhere in the house. The guests, she thought hazily, returning from their revels. When the Flynns had gone to bed around eleven, the Hollywood crew had not yet come back. But, as with all Hillside Manor guests, they had keys to the front door. Judith rolled over and drifted off again.
But moments later louder noises made her sit straight up in bed. She glanced at Joe, who was snoring softly. He’d put in a long day; there was no need to rouse him. Judith donned her robe and slippers, then headed down to the second floor.
The lights were on in the hall. Bruno, clad only in underwear decorated with Porky and Petunia Pig figures, was collapsed on the settee. Winifred and ChipsMadigan stood over him while Dirk Farrar peered out from behind the door of Room Four. Angela, Ellie, Ben, and Dade were nowhere to be seen.
“What’s going on?” Judith asked, noting that Bruno was shuddering and writhing just as he had done on the back porch.
Dirk opened the door a few more inches. “Another damned spider. Big as a house. Or so he says.” He smothered a smile.
“No!” Judith couldn’t believe it. In late summer, harmless, if imposing, wood spiders sometimes crawled into the basement, but it was too late in the year for them to show up. She marched to Bruno’s room, where the door was ajar.
Ben Carmody was standing by Bruno’s bed, laughing so hard that his sides shook. “Look,” he finally managed to say. “It’s a spider, all right, but…”
Judith charged over to the bed, then gave a start. “Ohmigod!”
A black, long-legged creature with a furry body lay on the bottom sheet just below the pillows. Judith stood frozen in place until Ben picked the thing up by one leg and bounced it off the floor.
“It’s
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