Read Online The Wurst Is Yet to Come by Mary Daheim - Free Book Online

Renie. “It’s not you, Mrs. Jones . Mrs. Flynn is tall. It says so on the Web site.” He gazed at Judith. “Well?”
    Judith sat back down again. “I’m FASTO. How did you know?”
    A faint smile touched Hernandez’s wide mouth. “We do our homework, even here in Little Bavaria. Someone mentioned that one of the innkeepers had a knack for solving mysteries.” He tapped the laptop. “You weren’t hard to find. Trying to dupe me was a waste of time.”
    â€œThat Web site does not have my approval,” Judith asserted. “Some silly people got the notion that I’m an amateur detective. It’s ridiculous. I’ve just been in the wrong place at the wrong time too often. Not to mention that my husband is a retired homicide detective. In fact, he’s now a private investigator.”
    Hernandez leaned back in the chair. “The wrong time? How many wrong times can there be in sixteen years? Shall I start with the fortune teller or just allude to your recent encounter with some big Paines?”
    Judith held her head. “Ohhh . . .”
    â€œRelax, coz,” Renie said. “I’ll bet Inbred Heffalump ratted you out to those other B&B people. Doesn’t she always?”
    â€œShe thinks I’m a disgrace to the innkeeping profession,” Judith blurted. “You know what she’s like.”
    Hernandez sat up straight. “It’s too bad you left early. It might’ve helped us if you’d seen something. You’re obviously a keen observer.”
    Judith’s conscience got the better of her. “Okay, so we didn’t leave before it happened. But I truly didn’t see anything that would help. In fact, that’s why we left. I didn’t want to get mixed up in another murder case. I’m beginning to feel hexed.”
    â€œBeginning to?” Hernandez said mildly. “I’d think you might’ve felt that way after you found a body in your British Columbia hotel elevator.”
    â€œDon’t rub it in,” Judith warned.
    â€œSo what did you see?” Hernandez asked.
    Judith took a big breath. “Probably what everybody else did from the same angle. The music and the dancers stopped. The crowd sort of melted away from the middle of the ballroom. And there was poor Mr. Wessler lying on the floor. I didn’t see a knife. At least I don’t remember it. But I did see some blood. That’s when my cousin and I took off.”
    Hernandez inclined his head. “How about before it happened?”
    â€œNothing, just what I told you earlier. No strange behavior on anybody’s part, nothing suspicious. Just a typical cocktail get-together except for the enthusiastic dancing and the loud oompah band.” She turned to Renie. “Am I missing something?”
    â€œNo. I never got a really good look at Wessler until I saw him lying on the floor. That was after I got off the floor.”
    Hernandez raised an eyebrow. “You were on the floor? You were dancing?”
    Renie shook her head. “I can’t dance worth a hoot. Very disappointing for my husband. My experience on the floor involved my eyelashes. Don’t get me wrong, my lashes are real, but I dropped—”
    â€œNever mind,” Hernandez interrupted. “So far no one else has given us much help either.”
    â€œHow long was the knife?” Judith asked.
    Hernandez held his hands apart. “The blade was no more than three and a half inches.”
    Judith nodded. “Yes, that makes sense.” She paused. “I suppose that was how it was planned.”
    Hernandez frowned. “Beg your pardon?”
    Judith grimaced. “Is this an official homicide?”
    He shook his head. “We won’t make it official until after the autopsy. But I don’t see how it could’ve been an accident.”
    Judith shrugged. “If it was murder, it was premeditated. In that