Free Tying the Knot by Elizabeth Craig Page B

Patchwork Cottage.”
    Piper gaped at her. “At the Patchwork Cottage? So they’d gotten that sloppy about keeping the relationship quiet?”
    Meadow said, “No, it was
Trevor
who had gotten sloppy. He was the one who was seeking Lyla out in a public place and in front of everyone.”
    â€œMaybe Lyla ended the relationship and Trevor didn’t want it to be over,” said Beatrice. “Could that have played into his unusual behavior over the past few months?” She remembered that Ramsay had suggested something similar.
    â€œUnrequited love,” said Meadow, clasping her hands together. “I guess it ruined him. He started drinking, carousing, getting more and more daring about contacting Lyla.”
    â€œEverything must have seemed as if it were in a downward spiral. Lyla probably didn’t want her comfortable lifestyle with her husband disrupted,” agreed Beatrice. “Especially considering that we know Trevor was also having financial problems.”
    Piper frowned. “Eleanor and Trevor were having financial problems? Where did you hear this? I wouldnever have dreamed that. They’ve got a big house and nice cars and always seem so well dressed.”
    â€œThat’s the point,” said Meadow, slapping her leg and making Noo-noo wake with a start. “They’ve got too many nice things. It sounds like they didn’t spend their money wisely.”
    â€œOr, to be fair, they
had
money to spend on the cars and the house and the clothes, but then Trevor mismanaged their money and it disappeared,” said Beatrice. “Lyla told me that Eleanor had informed her that Trevor had lost money on a lot of bad investments.”
    Piper gave a low whistle. “Y’all are full of news this morning. And here I thought I was coming over for a quiet visit.”
    Meadow peered hopefully at Piper. “You could perhaps share news of your own today.”
    â€œI have news?”
    â€œWell, not news, per se, but maybe information. I don’t think Ash wants me visiting his house again in the very near future because he thought . . . ahh . . . that I was trying to be an interior designer there.”
    Piper smiled at Meadow, eyes dancing. “So, you want me to give you the scoop on the changes we made to it?”
    â€œPlease,” said Meadow, dragging her chair closer as Piper described the rugs and tablecloths and other things they’d found at the yard sales.

Chapter Six
    The next day, Beatrice received an early-morning phone call from Wyatt. “Beatrice? I was wondering if you’d like to grab breakfast with me. And, well, I had one other thing to do before breakfast and before going to the office. Harper and Daniel came back into town late last night. The SBI and Ramsay have already talked to them. On the phone, Harper sounded understandably upset.”
    â€œI’m sure she must be,” said Beatrice, wincing a little.
    â€œWould you mind running by there with me before breakfast? It shouldn’t be a long visit,” said Wyatt.
    â€œI’ll be ready in ten minutes,” said Beatrice.
    Harper and Daniel’s new house they’d bought together had an unfinished feel about it that was exacerbated by the fact that their suitcases were still at the bottom of the stairs from the night before. Both Harper and Daniel had circles under their eyes and tense faces.
    â€œWere you able to get any sleep at all last night?”asked Beatrice sympathetically. She and Wyatt gave both of them hugs.
    Daniel shook his head. “Not a wink. As soon as we got back into town, the police came over. After they left, Harper and I started talking, and I don’t think we stopped until two this morning. We tried to sleep then, but I think we were both tossing and turning.”
    â€œWho could have done such a thing?” asked Harper tearfully. “Especially during a wedding, of all times. Trevor was