Free To Love and To Perish by Laura Durham

killed her?”
    â€œNo,” I said, perhaps a bit too forcefully. “We’re not getting involved in this at all. Are we, Kate?”
    Kate took my cue. “Absolutely not. We always let the police do their job.”
    Luckily, Barbie didn’t catch Kate’s sarcasm or me kicking her under the table.
    Gail walked over and sat in the empty chair next to Fern. Her usual reelection smile had vanished. “The police are ruining our holiday meeting.”
    â€œI think the fact that one of our members was murdered actually ruined the meeting,” Kate said.
    Gail ignored her and turned to me. “How much longer do you think this will take?”
    Since when did I become the expert in police protocol? “As long as it takes to question everyone, I guess.”
    Gail threw her hands in the air. “That could take all day. This is a disaster. One member dead, two taken away for grief counseling, and the rest of us stuffed like sardines in this restaurant.”
    â€œWho got taken away for grief counseling?” I asked.
    â€œLucille and Margery,” Barbie jumped in before Gail could respond. “Apparently Eleanor’s death pushed Lucille over the edge. The police brought in a grief counselor, and Margery went with her to make sure she’d be okay.”
    I felt sorry for Lucille. She’d never been the toughest planner around, which I guessed was why she’d remained an assistant for so many years. At least she still had Margery for support.
    â€œWell, I have an important meeting this afternoon,” Gail said. “I can’t afford to sit around here twiddling my thumbs all day.” She stood up. “I’m going to go talk to the police and see if I can’t speed things up.”
    The uniformed officer who’d been guarding the door approached our table. “They’d like to see you now, Miss Archer.”
    I motioned to Kate and Fern. “Only me?”
    Gail opened and closed her mouth a few times before stalking off. I followed the officer out of the café and across Peacock Alley to the Crystal Room.
    The ballroom that had previously been so calm and serene now buzzed with activity. Light filled the room and officers swarmed around the riser at the front. I walked to where Detectives Reese and Hobbes stood facing the body. I couldn’t help notice how Reese’s dark green sweater fit snugly over his broad back and tapered to his narrow waist. There was no such tapering for Hobbes, whose own striped sweater looked a little lumpy around the middle.
    I cleared my throat, and Reese turned around.
    â€œGood, you’re here.” He took my arm and led me to one of the nearby tables. “I wanted to talk to you privately before you’re questioned.”
    I couldn’t help feeling pleased as I sat down and folded my hands in my lap. I gave Reese a weak smile. “I know you’re probably really upset that I found another body.”
    Reese arched an eyebrow, and I noticed how green his eyes looked against his sweater. “Why would that upset me?”
    â€œI swear I had nothing to do with it. I was in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
    Reese held up a hand to stop me. “I don’t think you killed her, Annabelle.”
    I let out a long sigh. “That’s a relief.”
    â€œI don’t know if you should be so relieved,” he continued. “These aren’t just two unrelated murders you happened onto.”
    I swallowed hard. He confirmed my worst suspicions. “You think they’re connected?”
    Reese gave a curt nod. “The murders have the same M.O.’s. It’s pretty clear that we’re looking for a single killer for both murders.”
    I took a shaky breath as his words sunk in.
    Reese placed his hand over mine, and I felt the warmth spread up my arm. “You need to watch your back, Annabelle. We may have a serial killer on the loose. And one of the things that