A Christmas to Dismember by Addison Moore (best desktop ebook reader TXT) 📕

I’m not implicating you.” I laugh at the thought. “But he must have had a disagreement with someone. That axe was a part of the show. Whoever did the deed acted out of spontaneous anger. Or at least that’s what it looks like.”

He nods. “I thought the same thing.” He takes a deep breath. “You know, I had been thinking about it. Actually, I can’t stop. Quinn was my very good friend. We did everything together. I used to call him my partner in crime. We started a business way back when, and it took off like wildfire. He was my good luck charm in every way. I wouldn’t be the man I am today without him.” Isn’t that the truth?

I’m about to ask about his business when he lifts a finger in the air.

“There is something that I neglected to tell the detectives that night,” he offers. “In fact, I planned on giving your husband a call. I didn’t think it was important at the time, but I saw Quinn head out to the garden. I was heading out to speak with him myself, but I ended up stopping by the refreshment table and ate my weight in chocolate chip cookies and peppermint bark. Not an easy feat by any measure.” His chest shakes as he swallows down a laugh. “I had to apologize to the cute brunette who works for you for making her job so hard when she came back to replenish the supply.” Lord knows I’ve got the belly to prove I have a sweet tooth.

“Well, don’t keep me in suspense,” I whisper as I move to the edge of my seat. “What did you see that you’re going to report to my husband? I mean, if you’re comfortable sharing.” Please, God, let him be comfortable sharing. It’s not fair that Jasper gets all of the good stuff effortlessly and I have to listen to Georgie berate me to do it.

He takes a quick breath just as the bartender slides a couple of drinks over.

“On my tab.” Warwick nods to the man. After all, I’m assuming I’m the new owner. His cheek flickers as if he wasn’t sure how he felt about that. “Anyway, I finally made my way outside and saw Quinn and his accountant going at it.”

“Arthur Silver?” My heart booms in my chest. I bet he got his own heart pumping after whacking poor Quinn to death. No wonder he took Macy up on her saucy offer. He wanted to get it off his mind while working out all that adrenaline that was coursing through his system.

“That’s him.” Warwick runs his finger around the lip of his glass. “Arthur was howling at the guy or I would have gone over. I stepped into the shadows for a moment, I’m ashamed to say, to hear what all the ruckus was about, but all I could make out was that Arthur wanted some money to pay his bills—Arthur’s bills. Quinn always settled his own debts. No bill was ever late. For as wild as Quinn was with the women, he was a perfect square when it came to paying his bills on time and paying his taxes.” Too much of a square if you ask me. One with four sharp corners with which you could cut yourself. He shakes his head. “Quinn said something back to him, calmly, of course. The man never raised his voice, and no sooner did Arthur take off than one of his old flames, Angelica Chatfield, came out.”

“Angelica?” My head ticks to the side. “She’s the socialite he said always knew how to bring men to their feet. I’m assuming because she has the voice of an angel. She gave a great performance that night.” And she called Quinn’s lawyer regarding the reading of the will before they hauled his body out of there, too, but I keep that nasty bit to myself.

“I don’t know if I’d call her a socialite.” His eyes flit to the ceiling. “Maybe she qualified, once upon a dime. But the woman is broke—has been for a couple of years. She’s still keeping appearances, though.”

A thought I intercepted from Angelica comes back to me. I distinctly remember her saying something to the effect that it was difficult maintaining her lifestyle. And now I know why.

“No kidding?” Georgie bleats. “How did she lose her money? Let me guess, she got robbed by the one-armed bandit. It happens to the best of us.” She plucks the cherry out of her fruity drink and takes an angry bite.

Warwick chuckles. “I think a few bad investments had something to do with it. She bought up too much too fast—that real estate bubble a few years back didn’t work in her favor either. And I seem to recall she liked to spend freely. People are surprised at how fast money can burn. Even the rich can find themselves in a predicament. I’m no billionaire, but I lost out on an investment myself about two years ago. I bought in on a few Donut Dungeons as a franchisee, and it turns out, the corporation sold me all of their dogs. I should have done my due diligence, but I’m afraid the only research I did was picking up a few too many boxes of crullers. Anyway, I had to do a little tap dancing, but I got out by the skin of my teeth. I’m not getting back into the food game anytime soon, that’s for sure.”

And that’s exactly why I’m hoping Quinn didn’t gift this place to me. Although knowing Quinn, he did it just to get a laugh out of it. Who knows? Maybe I can make this one work.

I lean in. “ Did you happen to hear what Quinn and Angelica were talking about that night?”

He winces. “She was sharp-tongued. Called him every name in the book. Nothing I’d repeat with a couple of nice girls like you sitting by my side.”

“He called me a girl.” Georgie winks