Free Darlene Franklin - Dressed for Death 02 - A String of Murders by Darlene Franklin Page A

least he doesn’t blame me or the theater,” Audie said. “Maybe all that angst is what makes him so good at playing Dr. Gilchrist in the play.”
    Cord grunted. “Maybe you can make an actor out of him.” He grinned. “Hey, if you can turn me into Jonathan Brewster—” At the mention of the sinister Brewster cousin, Cord twisted his face and looked as ugly as Raymond Massey in the movie—“Maybe you can make something out of Gene. I sure haven’t succeeded at the ranch. Aunt Magda thinks he’ll turn around fine once he finds his purpose in life, but if he hasn’t figured that out at his age….”
    I thought about Jenna, who was close in age to the Mallory heir. Two restless souls.
    “With God, all things are possible.” Audie crunched on his bagel. “He led me here, and it was hardly what I expected when I finished college.”
    “Well maybe God will lead Gene to take your place in Chicago,” Cord smirked.
    Before I could protest, Cord lifted his hands in a gesture of self-defense.
    “Just kidding. You’re right, Audie. I should pray for him instead of complaining. I do. It’s only that I hate having to do his work and paying him for it on top of that.” Cord found a last bite of doughnut on his napkin and offered it to Frances.
    She shook her head. “I need to be on my way. I’m supposed to report to work before long.”
    Jessie approached with a coffee carafe. Today she wore a uniform in robin’s egg blue with embroidered robins on her apron. I thought about the message Spencer was holding and remembered the e-mail Jessie had received.
    “Hey, Jessie, have you heard anything more from that Elsie Holland person?”
    She blinked her brown eyes, twice. “Why, no. I figure it was just a practical joke.”
    “Elsie Holland?” Cord spoke up. “Has she been writing to you, too?”
    “I take it you’ve received one of her threats, then?” Audie sipped the fresh coffee. “Welcome to the club.”
    “She’s also written to Dina and Peppi that we know of,” I explained. I didn’t mention the e-mail sent to Spencer.
    Cord whistled through his teeth. “And me. And Frances. I take it they’re all about the same? Some foolish rumor and threatening to contact us about it?”
    We nodded our heads in agreement.
    Cord’s color heightened, but I didn’t ask him for details. “Do you know who she is?”
    We explained our theory about Elsie Holland being an alias.
    “Whoever ‘Elsie’ may be, he or she is playing with fire.” Audie frowned. “Sooner or later, she’ll hit too close to the truth, and someone may decide to retaliate.”
    “She wouldn’t have to dig too far for dirt on my cousin. Speaking of which, there he is, the old lazy bones.”
    We all looked out the window at the subject of our discussion. Tall, with brown hair streaked with blond thanks to the hours spent in the sun at the ranch, Gene could be considered handsome except for the scowl that marred his face. Bobo trotted along behind him. My heart softened. No man who inspired a dog’s undying affection could be all bad.
    “Well, I’d best be going before he decides to disappear again,” Cord said.
    My thoughts turned to my own family situation. At least no one had ever asked me to try to rein in my irresponsible older sister. I filled that role with Dina.
    “Will I see you at rehearsal tonight?” Audie gathered the empty cups for the trash.
    “If you promise to eat supper with me after. I’ve made up a batch of Frito chili pie.”
    “Then plan on it.” Audie whistled while he walked me back to the store.
    Once again, I wondered what difference the new arts complex would make. Would this mean a new opportunity for him, as director of the whole shebang? I hoped so. I waited for him to tell me that Magda’s announcement was his secret. But he left me at my front door and continued on his way without saying a word about it.
    Tonight , I told myself. He’ll tell me tonight .
    The day sped by as I made arrangements for