Wine, Dine and Christmas Crimes by Maria Swan (brene brown rising strong .txt) 📕

“Oh, you know, the usual disturbed minds who take pleasure visiting crime scenes.”

“Wow. Now that you put it that way.” Silence. I spoke first. I was doomed. “When do I need to be there?”

“Eleven thirty would be fine. Kay is getting the doorman to help her set up. On a happy note, Leslie is feeling better and both sisters should be back in town by Thursday.” She waited. I wondered if she was at the office or calling from home? Not that it mattered much.

“Okay then. I have everything I need. Thanks, Sunny.” I was dying to ask if Angelique Dumont was still down in Tucson at the ranch. Thankfully, I managed to keep the question loitering in my head.

I went through all the morning rituals like a windup robot, my mind totally focused on obsessing over Tristan. I call him...I call him not...I call—a light knock at my door put a halt to the madness.

“Hi, Brenda, you out of milk or something?” She was in her bathrobe. Her hair disheveled. Before she could answer, Dior came prancing.

“Hey, damn dog, how did you get out?” He ignored her and came sniffing my business suit.

“Forget it. I don’t smell like a horse and don’t slobber on me.” I scratched his head.

“I’m driving down to the ranch to talk to Angelique and Lois Thomas. Looks like you’re on your way to work, so I need to adjust my plans.” She glanced at the Great Dane and his wagging tail. “Big boy, want to go on a long ride with mom?”

“I bet Dior would love to spend some time at the ranch. He likes to run around with Tristan’s horse.”

“Good idea. Especially if I decide to take their offer, I’ll have to spend long days down there. Dior might as well get used to it.”

“You mean Mrs. Dumont would drive back and forth?”

“Maybe.” Brenda seemed preoccupied, tired. She grabbed Dior’s collar. “She’s a lucky woman. Well not really lucky considering what she’s gone through.” Dior kept trying to pull away. “Okay, okay. Let’s go get ready. I’ll be gone most of the day,” she said, walking away. “How about you?”

I shrugged. “Have no clue what’s going to happen once I get to The Nest. Sunny called me a little while ago. I think she’s recruited Kay to bribe that awful doorman so he’ll let me set up shop.”

“That’s Sunny all right.” She smiled. “Young lady, we are headed for a new adventure today. We’ll compare notes tonight?” She let the dog drag her along, and they walked back to the door Dior had left wide open.

Twenty minutes later I was headed south on the 51, and in spite of Sunny and Brenda’s sunshine attitudes, I didn’t feel so great. I had allowed myself plenty of time to get there and see what Kay had set up or if she’d need help setting up. I was dying to find out what this bad blood thing between Kay and Leslie was. And where did Double Wide fit into all this? I had to stop calling him Double Wide, all Kassandra’s fault. Damn it. I didn’t call my sister back, hadn’t spoken to Kassandra in what felt like forever, and did not return Tristan’s calls.

What was wrong with me? A new allergy to cell phones? I stopped by a Circle K and bought a bag of hard candy. I figured I’d borrow a small dish from Kay and set the candies on the desk or table for people stopping by. I saw that at a book signing, and it seemed to work as a conversation starter. Had I known earlier about the accommodations, I could have borrowed the silver candy dish Brenda used for her catering events. Oh, well.

When I drove into the wide driveway leading up to The Nest main entrance, I grew nervous. Where was I going to leave my car for all those hours? It would stick out like a bottle of Pepto Bismol on a shelf of Milk of Magnesia. And just then I saw it. A police car parked at the curb, and another dark sedan that looked familiar, the kind plainclothes detectives drove when on duty. The brake lights of the sedan were still on. Arriving or leaving?

My fingers were crossed it was just a routine pit stop related to the drowning victim. Or not. I kept my engine idling a dozen feet back from those bright brake lights. Suddenly they were off, and the front doors of the dark sedan flew open.

My mouth had been open for so long my throat had gone dry. I still let out a loud, “Shit,” as people stepped out. A man and a woman. The same couple I had nicknamed Adam and Eve when they were investigating Kassandra for the death of Miss Fortune. What?

Do I stay, or do I make a quick U-turn and take off? Too late. They were both squarely looking in my direction. Eve had her hands on her waist the way my grandmother did when she was about to scold me. Double shit. Then they both waved me over.

TEN

I KILLED THE engine, picked up my briefcase with the open house info and my own purse, then moved gingerly toward the dark sedan, having left my poor Fiat right on the same spot where I had encountered gold buttons man on that doomed Thursday eve of Kay’s party. Fingers crossed Adam and Eve wouldn’t notice my state of I’m so freaking scared, but I don’t know why state of mind.

“Well, hello there.” I sounded phony to myself. “You’re here for the condo?” Pushing my luck, again.

The two detectives looked at each other and not the way lovers do, more like birds of prey ready to pounce—on me. Mercy.

“How did you guess?” She spoke with the same acid tone I remembered well, and sported the same crew cut as when we first met.

“Because that’s why I’m here. Open house. It was in today’s Arizona