Free Death Loved A Woman (Happy Holloway Mystery Book 2) by Audrey Claire Page A

enough.”
    “No one’s that naive.”
    “You’re wrong,” he snapped.
    Annie waited for him to elaborate, but he excused himself and moved away. She wandered around the room some more, trying to pick up bits of conversation. Many guests mentioned Wesley once or twice, but most were more interested with their own concerns.
    Annie decided to leave the main room and wander around a bit. Guests crowded what looked like a ballroom, complete with space cleared for dancing. One couple took advantage of it. Others stood in groups of three or more, chatting. Some debated loudly, and a few discussed topics in a more sedate manner.
    Waiters moved among the crowd with silver trays held aloft. Their stiff posture and crisp burgundy and black uniforms impressed Annie. As one passed by, she grabbed a glass of champagne to wash down the puffs.
    In the main hall, she came into view of the winding stairs to the upper floor as well as the front door. She halted when the butler opened the door to Flynn, and on his arm was a very sexy Barbara Jean.
    “Wow, he’s bold,” someone said at Annie’s elbow. She didn’t look to see who spoke, but she felt the same.
    “Flynn, how dare you bring that woman into my house?” Racine shouted.
    Annie glanced over her shoulder at the stairs. Racine stood at the top, glaring down at the two of them like the queen mother. She descended the stairs one step at a time, and Flynn stood in the entryway with his feet planted and slightly apart.
    Aside from Flynn’s attitude of readying himself for war, Annie noted the dark suit that fit well over his broad shoulders. He had shaved since last she saw him, and his hair lay in perfect order yet with a windswept appearance.
    Barbara Jean flipped her long hair over her shoulder and raised her chin with angry eyes snapping at Racine. “I want to know what happened to my husband! One of you killed him, and I’m going to find out who.”
    Flynn frowned at her. “BJ, you don’t walk in accusing anyone.”
    Annie sipped her champagne. Flynn’s gaze flitted over the gathering crowd and settled on her. His eyebrows rose, and she grinned at him, raising her glass.
    Omen squeezed through the crowd to stand beside her. “Is he nuts bringing her here?”
    “I think so,” Annie said.
    Flynn looked at Omen and then back at Annie. She saw the question. Was Omen her date? Annie gave no indication of the answer by her expression. At least she hoped she didn’t. She was, after all, a famous personality used to these types of events. She almost laughed at the joke and stepped back to allow the crowd to squeeze in and take her place.
    A fun but risky idea popped into her head. Maybe it was the international model persona morphing into international spy that gave her the notion. With the buzz around Flynn and Barbara Jean, perhaps she could do some exploring.
    She slipped farther back in the hall and turned a corner. Just as she suspected, there was another set of stairs at the rear of the house.
    “Flynn’s here,” a guest called to another.
    “He brought Barbara Jean,” someone else said.
    “Did Racine throw them out yet?”
    “Get out of the way. I want to see!”
    Annie hugged the wall to avoid the mad rush. With a furtive glance over her shoulder, she checked to see that the coast was clear and climbed the stairs. On the second floor of what could easily be termed a mansion, she was faced with several closed doors. She needed to move fast before her chance slipped away.
    Recalling a trick from one of her books, Annie zipped over to a door and listened. Then she drew in a deep breath. Several doors followed until she came upon one that looked appropriate. Now that she was up here, she wished she had brought a lookout. Omen might have enjoyed the fun of pretending they held interesting jobs, but she wasn’t sure if he would be brave enough to do what she planned.
    A strong whiff of perfume followed by a strong scent of oak made Annie’s head spin. She waved a