Read Online The Iced Princess by Christine Husom - Free Book Online

“Will Dalton? . . . This is Assistant Chief Lonsbury with the Brooks Landing Police Department. Are you somewhere you can talk? . . . All right, I’ll wait.” Clint covered the phone and told us Will was going into another room.
    He resumed his conversation. “Mr. Dalton, I’m at Curio Finds, and I’m sorry to tell you your wife was found unresponsive here a few minutes ago. Sadly, she’s dead. . . . Mr. Dalton? Will? Are you still there? . . . I know it’s tough to think right now, but can you tell me if your wife had any medical conditions you were aware of, like a heart problem? . . . No? Okay, well, we’re waiting for the coroner, and she’ll help us get to the bottom of it. . . . Where are you now? . . . Okay, well, I’d caution you about driving. We can send someone to pick you up. . . . If you’re sure . . . All right,then, here’s my number. . . . Yeah, it’s the same one that showed up on caller ID. . . . We’ll be waiting for you here.”
    Clint hung up. “He’s at a meeting in St. Paul and is going to have his assistant drive him to Brooks Landing.”
    â€œWhat a shock for the poor guy. I’m glad he’s got someone to drive him,” I said.
    Mark grimaced. “Clint, do you think it’s a good idea for Molly’s husband to see her like that?”
    â€œNo, I don’t. It’s going to take Mr. Dalton an hour to get here, at least, depending on traffic. The coroner will have her on a gurney by then.”
    Their discussion left me feeling weak. Finding Molly and being there with Clint and Mark was completely unreal. And then there was Will Dalton, who had just gotten the blow of a lifetime from the assistant police chief. He just received such horrible news, and being out of town made it seem worse. Poor Will Dalton. His wife had left for her first day of work that morning. Her first—and last—day of work.
    â€œIs it okay to call my parents and Pinky now?” I hesitated to ask, but with the police cars sitting out front and the other emergency vehicles about to arrive, they would be hearing about it from someone else in no time flat.
    â€œYeah, go ahead, but tell them not to come in and to keep quiet about what’s going on until we’ve sorted things out.”
    â€œPinky might have trouble with that,” Mark said.
    I nodded. “That’s a good point. Clint, if Pinky can at least tell Erin, it will help save her from exploding, trying to hold in the news.”
    â€œErin is one of the Three Musketeers,” Mark said.
    Clint raised his eyebrows. “All right. It’s only a matterof time before the whole town knows. But I don’t want her starting any gossip. You tell her that.”
    Yes, sir.
I walked into Brew Ha-Ha pondering the best way to break the news to my parents. When I made the call and got connected, it was to their answering machine instead. “Hi, Mom and Dad, it’s Cami. Call me when you get home. ’Bye.” Dad hadn’t mentioned plans of going anywhere when we’d talked earlier, but then again it was a very brief conversation. I decided not to try either of their cell phones. They didn’t need to get that kind of call when they were out and about. My mother had been under medical care for months, and consequently, my parents didn’t stay away from home for long.
    I hung up and dialed Pinky’s number, wondering how I was going to spring the news on her. No need to wonder—the words sprung out of my mouth with a life of their own. “Pinky, Molly died right here in my shop bathroom. Clint and Mark are here, and Clint thinks she got
poisoned
.”
    Pinky screamed, and it started my eardrum pounding. I pushed the phone away, as far as my arm would reach. After she stopped screeching, I switched the phone to my other hand