Read Online The Lime and the Dead: A Key West Culinary Cozy - Book 3 by Summer Prescott - Free Book Online Page A

Tiara summoned up the courage to reassure
the sadly disturbed woman sitting beside her on the ledge. “He can’t prove that
you asked him to do this, right?” she asked.
    “No,
I suppose not. It’s just his word against mine,” her tears stopped and she
looked thoughtful.
    “Exactly,”
Tiara led her down the path that might save both of their lives. “So maybe he
was jealous of Bella. Maybe she rejected him and he wanted revenge, right?” she
spun out the story, hoping that the blonde bought into it.
    “Right!”
Amber brightened, the light bulb turning on in her brain. “And who are they
going to believe, a TV star or a chauffeur?” she asked excitedly, warming to
the idea.
    “I
think I may have even seen Bella being mean to him,” Tiara continued the lie.
    “Of
course, because she was mean to everyone! We probably even have that on tape
somewhere,” Amber grew more animated and Tiara was afraid she might
accidentally wiggle her way off of the ledge.
    “See,
it’s going to be okay,” she promised, using a soothing tone to bring the
excitement level down. “Let’s go inside and let them know what a sinister
person Tucker really is,” she suggested, holding her breath while she waited
for Amber’s reaction.
    “Okay,”
she nodded, with a ghost of a smile. Tiara sagged with relief, but tried
valiantly not to let it show. Standing slowly, she reached for Amber’s hand,
hoping against hope that she’d cooperate. Amber placed her hand in Tiara’s and
stood too quickly, throwing herself off balance. She teetered on the ledge,
seeming to hang in mid-air, then toppled down, dragging Tiara with her.
    **
    Marilyn
screamed aloud when she saw her daughter torn from the ledge by the reality
star, still holding hands as they fell. She hid her face in her hands, unable
to watch any longer.
    “It’s
okay,” Kelcie’s shaking voice reached her ears. “They fell right into the net
that the fire department set up,” she informed her boss, guiding her to a chair
just as her legs gave out. “Look, they’re standing by the ambulance, they’re
okay,” she soothed, patting Marilyn’s back as she sobbed with relief.
    Marilyn
forced herself to look at the screen, relieved to see her brave daughter
looking none the worse for the wear, being embraced by Sabra Remington, while
Bernard Cortland put handcuffs on Amber and led her to a waiting ambulance. She
would be transported to a local hospital for a psychiatric evaluation, and from
there, would be taken into police custody. Tucker had been located trying to
leave the country in the cargo hold of a cruise ship, and was being held
without bond.
    **
    “How
did you know that it was Amber and not me,” Tiara asked Detective Bernard
Cortland, after the ambulance carrying Amber to the hospital had pulled away.
    “Because
the hairs found on the body and at the scene were bleached blonde, not natural
blonde, and because Amber wears a size six shoe that matches the prints we
found. Your size nine made it pretty obvious. I also looked at your hands.
Bella was strangled, which wouldn’t be impossible for someone with small hands
like yours, but would present a bit of a challenge, and there were no
indications of trauma on yours. When we searched the limo, we found the rope
that had been used to strangle her, and when we checked Tucker’s hands, he had
rope burns. There’s other forensic evidence too, but that’ll come out at the
trial. Suffice to say, you and your mother are off the hook for this one,” he
said, having the grace to look contrite.
    “She’s
still going to be mad at you, you know,” Tiara smiled.
    “I’m
aware,” the detective sighed.
     

Chapter 14
    Marilyn
went out to water the ferns on her front porch, and Fluffy, Tiara’s
newly-adopted best friend, followed closely, observing her every move, always
ready to offer and receive affection. She moved some fronds aside to make room
so that the spout of her watering can could reach the soil in the