SLAY PAIRS WITH ROSE (The Kelly's Deli Cozy Murder Mysteries Book 3) by Sophie Brent (phonics reading books .txt) 📕

the dinner? Yes? Then you’ll understand that I was not Emma’s favourite person. Far from it. She went out of the way to avoid me for the rest of the evening.”

Rebecca took a long sip of tea before going on. “My hotel room was directly across the corridor from Emma and when the fire alarm went off, I knocked on her door and kept on knocking until she opened it. She was drunk and still wearing her make-up but at least she was dressed. By this time, Fiona and the other girls were awake, and we all helped Emma get down the stairs to the fire exit and onto the lawn.”

Her polished fingernails drummed on the table for a second and when Rebecca looked up her eyes were brimming with unshed tears. “I won’t repeat the abuse we were all getting, but let’s just say that she was not exactly grateful that we had bothered to make sure that we were all safe. Just the opposite in fact. If it hadn’t been Fiona, I probably would have left her alone, but about half an hour later, the hotel asked us to move towards the front of the hotel. That’s when Fiona started looking around for Emma and she had vanished.”

Rebecca flicked both hands into the air and dropped her head back. “It was dark, the air was filled with electrical smoke and some of the other guests were getting panicky. Fiona has borrowed a torch from the hotel manager and was walking up and down, calling Emma’s name. Nothing. I could see that she was getting more and more anxious, so I took the torch and went looking for Emma.”

“And you found her, right?” Erin asked, her gaze focused on Rebecca’s face.

“Just in time to stop her from barging past the fire crews to get into the main kitchen area. The smoke was intense at this point and the emergency lighting seemed to make it worse, but instead of wanting to escape, she was determined to get into the kitchen to check the ice sculpture. I mean…I know that she was drunk, but that was crazy!”

“Hey, it’s okay,” Adam interrupted. “You found Emma and got her back safely. You did what Fiona asked, even if it was tough.” He paused and looked across at Erin. “Becca hasn’t told you the worst bit. Emma Wilson was viscous right to the end. All she could talk about was how the whole wedding reception was going to find out about Becca’s gold-digger schemes to deprive me of my money, just like she had seduced the boss at her last company.” He snorted and shook his head. “She hadn’t got the faintest idea about what she was talking about.”

“I don’t understand,” Erin smiled, glancing and Adam and then back to Rebecca. “Did she get the whole thing wrong?”

“Don’t you know?” Adam coughed. “Becca is the one with the money. Not me. She founded the venture capital company that funded my start-up four years ago and already has a portfolio of businesses worth more than I will ever earn.” His voice warmed and he hit Rebecca with a stunning smile. “She’s amazing.”

“So, you didn’t date…” Erin asked hesitantly through clenched teeth.

“Toby was an old friend who had just been through a nasty breakup and needed someone to be his wing woman. He is also discreetly very gay. So, no Erin. I didn’t date the management. I was just being a good friend.”

Rebecca took a breath then exhaled slowly. “That’s what we do, isn’t it? Help out friends? Fiona and Ethan had invited us all to Abbotsdown to help celebrate their wedding. That’s special. But Emma? It was obvious to me at dinner that night that Emma had planned to ruin Fiona’s wedding from the very start. Right down to the bridesmaids’ dresses and the reception arrangements. All changed at the last minute to make sure that it would be a disaster.”

She looked up and her gaze seemed fixed on her delicate china teacup. “But what could I do, Erin? It was the night before the wedding. I could hardly take Fiona to one side and tell her that her old friend was sabotaging her special day. I knew that she would go back to those kitchens. She was obsessed! That’s why I followed Emma when everyone else had gone back to bed. I had to make sure that she did not do more damage that night, for Fiona and Adam’s sake. Somehow, I had to convince her to stop her plan before it was too late.”

“What happened, Rebecca? What did you see?” Erin whispered.

“It was dark and the power to the ground floor was out so all I could do for follow her shape as best I could. She definitely walked back towards the back door to the kitchen, but just as I got closer, another fire engine pulled up and blocked my view. When I got around it, Emma was gone, and the hotel staff were clearing the area and telling the other guests to get back to their rooms. I think that I saw her talking to the staff, but I can’t be sure. It was total chaos, with loads of people milling around. And that was the last time I saw her.”

Rebecca closed her eyes with a gentle sigh.  “You know the rest. I knocked on her door when we came down for breakfast, but I thought she was probably nursing a monster hangover and was too embarrassed to show her face. Well, I was wrong. She never made it back at all, did she?”

“Hey, you did the best you could,” Adam smiled. “And did you know that there’s a fruit scone with your name on it here? Will you please save me from my greediness?”

“Pass it over and I’ll see what I can do to help,” Rebecca smiled and took the heavily laden cake