Free Murder Served Cold by Elizabeth Holly

I mean, we want to make sure she’s all right. We can’t leave her on her own even though we were coerced into helping her out.” Dominic’s brown eyes narrowed. “Why were you there?”
    I figured honesty was the best policy. “Ruben Grimes asked me to see what was going on.”
    “He was here a couple of hours ago. He would be the one to figure this out and want to make sure things are okay,” said Marina. She had regained her composure and her cheeks had returned to their normal hue. “I get so upset over these things because there’s no one else who can help her. I couldn’t bear to leave a person stranded, you know?”
    “I know,” I said.
    Marina took my water bottle to the checkout and I purchased it. She gave me a free snow cone, which was perfect for the sunny day.
    “Let me know if there’s anything I can do to help,” I told them on my way out.
    I had finished my snow cone by the time I’d made the short walk to Scoop. I rubbed my head after eating it too fast. Brain freeze was no joke.
    I was stopped by Taryn Horn, who was coming out of Scoop.
    “I had to give her my handwritten thank you note for hosting bingo in person,” said Taryn, all bubbly. “It’s not the same as in the mail.” She lowered her voice. “Did you hear the news?”
    “No,” I said, matching her whisper.
    “There’s a woman. Colleen Byrd. You probably don’t know her, but she worked for Rodger Becker and it turns out that they’re actually related! Can you believe it? Brother and sister! Who knew?”
    I knew, but I wasn’t going to tell her that. “Whoa.”
    “Right? This is earth-shattering. I had no idea. I wonder if she’s included in the will.”
    “I don’t see why not,” I said.
    Taryn shook her head in disappointment. “Rodger wasn’t the type to include anyone in his will. We’ll see, of course. I’m just glad that he’s done with. The people here are better off without him.”
    Taryn saw a friend and called to her. They whispered together — without a doubt, she was sharing the same news.
    Jade came out of her shop as I turned to go into it.
    “Rebecca’s closing today,” Jade said, and suggested that we go to The Parrot Tree for dinner. “I know you went there last night, but tonight is half-off meals. We can’t miss that!”
    “Is that a normal thing?” I asked.
    Jade laughed. “No. They’re discounting meals because of Rodger’s death. It’s going to be a huge celebration. Corey said that he and his dance crew were preparing a special performance for it and everything.”



CHAPTER THIRTEEN

    The Parrot Tree was about as full as A Scoop of Sunshine had been before we organized the chaos. We got our number and waited for a table to open up.
    “As Taryn says, a line is a good sign,” said Jade as we sat on the long vinyl sofa the restaurant had for waiting customers.
    The couple sitting next to us were discussing Rodger Becker.
    “I heard he has a sister,” the woman said. She was holding a card that had the number three on it.
    The man said, “I heard that too! I can’t see why that would need to be kept hidden. I have a sister and you don’t see me hiding that fact.”
    “News travels fast,” I remarked to Jade.
    “You’re telling me,” she replied.
    The couple’s number was called and they went to their booth.
    “I have to say, I don’t get why Colleen was a secret,” I said. “Was he hiding her because she needed pills to make her act like the rest of us? That’s no reason to keep her hidden away.”
    “I don’t get it either.” Jade crossed her legs. “What if she’s more dangerous than we thought? We don’t know her and what she’s all about, really. Maybe she’s the stabber.” She said it as an off-hand remark, but after she’d said it, Jade began to believe it. “No one would suspect her. It’s the perfect crime.”
    “Maybe not perfect . It is a good one, though.” I glanced at our number card. Seventeen. “I bet we have time to talk to Ruben