Read Online The Mortal Groove by Ellen Hart - Free Book Online

English PI yesterday—and hired another.”
    This made an even half dozen. “What about Cecily?” asked Jane.
    Cecily Finch was Hattie’s nanny. Cordelia had hired her to help out when Octavia had first dropped Hattie on Cordelia’s doorstep. She’d moved to England to continue to care for the little girl.
    â€œShe’s useless. I thought she was my friend, but she doesn’t write, hasn’t called in months.”
    â€œMaybe Octavia told her not to.”
    â€œOf course she did. But Cecily is sufficiently conniving. She could figure something out.”
    â€œYou think this new PI will be any better?”
    â€œGod knows. She said she had a plan, but didn’t want to get my hopes up, just in case it doesn’t work.” Cordelia closed the dishwasher. “Every lawyer I talk to tells me the same thing. I’ve got no rights when it comes to Hattie.” As she switched the dishwasher on, the doorbell rang. “You expecting visitors?”
    â€œNot that I know of.”
    â€œWell, I’m done, so I’m outta here. I need to get to the theater.”
    Jane put her arms around Cordelia, gave her a hug. She wished she could say something to make it all better, but they both knew Octavia held all the cards.
    On their way through the dining room, Cordelia eyed Jane with a glimmer of humor. “Think I need to change my outfit?”
    â€œRed flannel pajamas are a good look for you.”
    â€œWhat about the apron?”
    â€œVery Martha Stewart.”
    â€œIt’s not really
me,
though. I usually go for drama—for
va voom.”
    â€œWear your stiletto heels,” said Jane, drawing back the door.
    A familiar looking woman stood outside on the front steps. One of her hands fidgeted with a cigarette, the other was hooked on to a shoulder-strap purse. She was dressed in a pin-striped navy jacket over a pair of tight black jeans, her short coffee brown hair brushed back over her ears.
    â€œMelanie?” said Jane.
    â€œFor a minute there, I thought you might not remember me.”
    â€œOf course I remember you.”
    Melanie Gunderson and Cordelia had lived together for five years, the longest serious relationship in Cordelia’s long line of daytime drama. To say that it was stormy would be an under-statement. When they first met, Cordelia had just been hired as the creative director at the Blackburn Playhouse and Melanie was working on her dissertation for her doctorate in journalism and mass communications at the University of Minnesota.
    â€œCan I come in?” she asked, dropping the cigarette to the steps and crushing it out with her flip-flop.
    â€œWhat am I thinking? Of course you can.” Jane had always been a little bit in love with Melanie. Evervone had. She was flat-out smart and flat-out sexy, an irresistible combination.
    Cordelia was three-quarters of the way up the stairs when she bellowed, “My god, Gunderson? Is that
you?”
    Melanie looked a little startled. “What are you doing here?” she asked, watching Cordelia rush back down the stairs.
    â€œI could ask you the same thing.”
    â€œYou look sufficiently odd,” said Melanie, her gaze dropping to the apron. “You’re sure I’m not interrupting . . . something?”
    â€œNah,” said Cordelia. “Jane and I are just friends, you know that. I been staying here for a while. Long story.”
    â€œWhy don’t we sit in the living room?” said Jane. “I assume you dropped by for a reason.”
    â€œThanks.” Melanie edged past Cordelia, who partially blocked her entrance but didn’t seem inclined to move.
    â€œWhy’d we break up?” asked Cordelia.
    â€œBeats me.”
    â€œIt was love at first sight.”
    â€œLove and lust can look disgracefully identical to the untrained eye.”
    â€œThat’s how you remember it? Four years of lust?”
    â€œFive,” said