Read Online Stirring the Plot (A Cookbook Nook Mystery) by Daryl Wood Gerber - Free Book Online Page A

shouted. “I did not take that stone. Emma. She must have planted it in my bag. She’s trying to frame me.”
    “Emma Wright, the Pet Taxi girl?” Cinnamon said. “Why would she do that?”
    “She doesn’t like me.”
    “Nobody does,” Mrs. Davies muttered under her breath but loud enough for all to hear.
    Trisha shot her a cruel look. “Emma was here. Last night. It was her induction into the Winsome Witches coven.”
    “Coven?” Cinnamon looked from one woman to the next. Maya, Bingo, and my aunt stood taller.
    “It’s not a real coven,” I explained. “It’s a charity group that gets together every Halloween to raise money for literacy.” How could Cinnamon not have heard about them? She must be asking rote questions.
    Trisha said, “After I changed clothes, I . . . I went for a walk. I was steaming mad. When I returned”—she jammed her foot against the carpet—“I saw Emma. She was with my mother. Emma was crying. Mother looked like she’d been crying, too. I didn’t want to intrude. That’s when I left. For real.”
    “Why didn’t you interrupt?” Bingo said, acid in her tone. “You didn’t seem to have any compunctions earlier about barging in on the party and dressing down your mother in front of everyone.”
    “Bingo, don’t.” My aunt petted her arm.
    Bingo shook her off.
    Trisha continued. “I . . . I went to my boyfriend’s place. Emma must have stuck around and killed my mother, and then she stole the gem and planted it in my stuff.”
    “Why would Emma do that?” Bingo said. “She doesn’t have a mean bone in her body.”
    “How do you know?” Trisha responded. “Why do you think I did it? You don’t know me.”
    “As a matter of fact, I do, young lady. I was one of your mother’s best friends. She confided in me.”
    Cinnamon cleared her throat. “What time did you arrive at your boyfriend’s place, Miss Thornton?”
    Trisha crossed her arms. “Ten.”
    “Can he corroborate that?”
    “No, he . . . he wasn’t there, but you can tell I was. I left dishes in the sink. Someone must have seen the lights go on and heard me pacing.”
    “Because you were mad at your mother,” Maya pointed out.
    “Stop it. All of you.” Trisha spun in an arc to address us. “I did not poison her.”
    Cinnamon said, “I didn’t say she was poisoned.”
    Trisha’s face turned dark. “Yes, you did. You said she was injected with something.”
    “No, I didn’t.” Cinnamon cut a quick look at me, warning me to keep my mouth shut. Had I guessed correctly? Had Pearl been poisoned?
    “You said you’d be running tests,” Trisha said. “That suggests poison. No, wait!” She held up a finger. “Mother was recently diagnosed as a diabetic. Did she mess up her insulin?”
    Deputy Appleby reappeared at the French doors. “Boss, the EMTs have everything they need. We’re waiting for the coroner. I took copious pictures.”
    Cinnamon said, “Rope off the area and track down Emma Wright.”
    Bingo cleared her throat. “Excuse me, Chief Pritchett, I don’t mean to sound crude, but will we be allowed to hold the luncheon despite our friend’s death?” By default, Bingo was now the leader of the Winsome Witches. She looked to the others for support. Maya and my aunt grabbed her hands. “Big donors are coming. We can’t afford to cancel.”
    “Yes, of course.” Cinnamon gave a quick nod. “I’m sorry for your loss. Now, if you’ll excuse me.” She joined her colleagues on the patio.
    My aunt hurried to me and gave me a huge hug. “Thank you for coming. The three of us were so distraught. Bingo was grinding her teeth to chalk. Maya was running in circles with that idiot tray of coffee. We needed someone reasonable. It’s so tragic.”
    “Poor Pearl,” I said, feeling an acute loss. Pearl—Dr. Thornton—was the person who had helped me recover from the shock of finding my husband’s suicide note two years after his death. The revelation had rattled me to the