Free A Seamless Murder by Melissa Bourbon

didn’t want people voicing their opinions.
    I stared at him. “Tonight? Right now?”
    He chuckled and took my hand. “Tonight. When you told me you were coming, I added you to the agenda. They can designate, and then we’ll get someone out to take pictures of the house. Of course tonight you’ll have to give a statement—”
    “Whoa, there, back up, cowboy,” I said, taking back my hand. “What do you mean, make a statement? I have to get up and speak in front of the committee?”
    “It’ll be easy. Loretta Mae did it, you know.”
    Meemaw had stood right here in this room and addressed Bliss’s Historic Council? How could I not have known that?
    But of course she did. It made perfect sense. She’d almost completed the process before she died. She’d wanted the house designated, which meant I needed to follow through with getting it done. Even if it meant standing up in front of the Council to tell the story of my house.
    Will left me to my own devices as he slipped into his seat at the front of the room. He’d blindsided me. Smart man. I might not have shown up otherwise. I looked around at the tables arranged in a horseshoe shape. Will sat on the far side,facing me. Eight other people sat around in their designated spots, all with a name placard in front of them. In the center was Jeremy Lisle. He rapped a gavel against the table, calling the meeting to order. The minutes of the previous meeting were approved, and the first order of business was dealt with. I used the opportunity to observe Will. I’d seen him in his office, working at the Courthouse on the Square, and at his house building architectural models. But I’d never seen him as part of a group like this. I was impressed by what I saw. He was the kind of man who could fit in almost anywhere. He was rugged and had a cowboy swagger, but put him in a suit and tie, and he’d do just fine.
    The first order of business was a couple who had put in a request to paint their historic house. Even the paint color had to be approved by the council. A city representative stood at the podium and took the council through a PowerPoint presentation about the Queen Anne house, the acceptable colors, modifications that had been done previously, and her recommendation.
    One of the council members raised her hand to comment. “I did a bit of research,” she said when Jeremy Lisle called on her. “The green and burgundy color choices fit the style and era of the home. These colors were appropriate for Queen Anne homes, so I think it’ll be a nice addition to the Historic District. I recommend we accept the application for a color change.”
    Jeremy Lisle called for a vote. The council voted with a show of hands. It was unanimous. “Approved,” he said a moment later.
    That had been easy, I thought, noting that the couple who’d submitted the application had declined to speak.Maybe I could just wave my hand, smile sweetly, and they’d let me slide without addressing them, too. “Wishful thinking,” I muttered just as Coco slid into the seat beside me. In the blink of an eye, a vision of her in an apron appeared in my head. It was a full apron with a straight bodice and a ruffle on the skirt. The fabric itself, however, I couldn’t see. Blue. That’s all I could identify, but it was a start.
    She greeted me, then whispered, “I saw Zinnia James back there. We go way back. I sold her and Jeb their first house here in town. That was when Jeb was first starting out in politics, and I was new to real estate. Sold them all their houses, in fact. Zinnia, she’s connected to everyone, and I just bet she knows something about the brouhaha between Delta and Jeremy.” She glanced behind her. “But Cynthia plunked down right next to me, and then she leaned over and started talking over me,” she whispered, “so I didn’t have a chance to talk to Zinnia about it. I’ll talk to her after the meeting. She comes to all of these, did you know?”
    I knew Zinnia