Free The Miss Fortune Series: Overdue (Kindle Worlds Novella) by Shari Hearn

suffering.”
    “So then the reviewers tore Lila Rose apart and she went crazy?”
    Ida Belle nodded. “Apparently her publishing company was going through some kind of management change and the new gal in charge wanted to replace Jelly, who was kind of a tomboy, with a dumb blonde sexpot character. Lila Rose was under contract for one more book, so she had to go along with it. But her fans loved Jelly, and were furious she would kill her off. Her other book series still remain popular, but Lila Rose is no longer the darling of Louisiana. In fact, I heard she doesn’t even read books by Louisiana authors anymore because she can’t stand it that she’s not on top.”
    Gertie sliced off a sliver of pie. “According to my hairdresser, who’s also Lila Rose’s hairdresser, she felt so guilty killing Jelly that she vowed never to write again.”
    “Except she does,” I said.
    The looks on their faces told me this came as a surprise.
    “Who told you that?” Ida Belle asked.
    “She did. When we were having tea. She said she writes every day, but refuses to publish any of it. Her own daughter can’t even read it. They just sit in file drawers.”
    Gertie shook her head. “She’s crazier than I thought.”
    “Look, aside from a little confusion from some medication to calm her nerves, she seemed pretty sane to me. Her notes made your snooping seem amateurish.”
    Ida Belle winced. “But can you trust her observations?”
    “I’ll tell you who I don’t trust,” I said after swallowing a bite of pie. “Her daughter, Janice. I could tell she didn’t want Lila Rose talking to me. Even their contractor got a weird vibe about her. And Lila Rose mentioned that her daughter didn’t like it that she gave Waddell money, or that she doesn’t publish her work anymore.”
    “Well, sure, Janice is probably watching her inheritance whittle away.”
    “And get this, her daughter is pretty proficient with a needle. She gives the dog injections of tranquilizers. And with all the research Lila Rose has done on murder for her books, I wouldn’t be surprised if Janice has read some of it.”
    “So Janice can be a suspect as well,” Gertie said.
    I nodded. “I don’t think there’s going to be a lack of suspects in this case. That Pancake Junction writer confirmed what you’ve heard, that Waddell had a gambling problem, and a nasty habit of chasing after married women. However, Lila Rose said that he hadn’t hit her up for gambling money in about a year.” I took a sip of coffee.
    Ida Belle nodded. “So maybe he found another source of funding.”
    “I can buy anyone as a suspect except Andy,” Gertie said. “It just seems impossible. Andy’s been delivering mail in Sinful for three years. He doesn’t seem capable of murder.”
    “So maybe he has a side to him no one knows about,” I said. “Lila Rose’s notes indicated that he was going to meet some mystery woman at their usual place.”
    Gertie scowled. “Lila Rose sure sticks her nose in everybody’s business,” she said to Ida Belle. “At least we don’t keep dossiers of the comings and goings of our neighbors.”
    “And she knows his usual hangout on a Wednesday night,” I added. “A roller rink?”
    Gertie smiled. “The roller rink? Andy skates? He never mentioned that. And you’d think skating would be something he’d mention to us.”
    “Lila Rose said you two would be familiar with the place.”
    “Familiar with it?” Ida Belle said, her mouth now turning upward into a smile. “The Mudbug Skate World. About three miles east of downtown Mudbug. We ruled that place at one time.”
    Not surprising as they ruled Sinful since the Sixties.
    “You two skated?”
    “Skated?” Gertie fiddled with her phone then held it out for me. It was her Facebook page. “This was my Throwback Thursday photo a few weeks ago.”
    I took the phone and gazed at the photo. About a dozen women on skates were wearing black tights, knee and elbow pads and