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

as Fiona had been? She hoped so. But then again Emma was a unique character who had to fight all her life for what she wanted. To be equal and be seen as equal. That was hard.

Emma, Fiona, and Maya. Three best friends bonded together over ten years of joint experience that began at university. That was special.

Erin smiled to herself and slid off the bed and onto the carpet. But just as she walked to the door, a sudden thought came to her and made her stop.

Maya had hated and resented Emma for all that time for taking the man she loved away from her. If Maya found out that Fiona was Emma’s half-sister, then that could change their whole relationship.

Erin sucked in a breath of the warm air coming in through the bedroom window and tried to imagine what it was like on that warm Friday night when the fire alarm went off.

What if Emma had told Maya who her father was that night when she got drunk? To Maya that would be the ultimate betrayal. Emma would have stolen both the man she loved and now it turns out, her best friend as well. Fiona had been lying to her all of these years.

Wow. Maybe, she had got this all wrong, and inviting Maya and the girls here for lunch was not such a good idea after all.

Well, she was about to find out, one way or another.

Erin took a few steps to join Fiona so that they could stand side-by-side and looked out across the calm village scene on a Monday morning towards the old stone church where Fiona should have been married and the few people walking along the pavement outside the shops.

“You have some wonderful friends in Kingsmede who will help you get through this and will always be there for you. Ethan only wants to make you happy and will work with you to build a future where you can both have careers and friends to share it with. Isn’t that special? Isn’t that a tribute to the happy family that you will make together?”

Fiona looked across at Erin and gave a small shoulder shrug. “You’re right,” Fiona smiled. “Ethan has been amazing. I am very lucky to have such wonderful friends. I just hope that we can come out of this nightmare in one piece and… where is that shouting coming from?”

Erin did not have time to answer because at that same moment Zoe came rushing into the room, panting and out of breath.

“Zoe? What’s happened? What’s going on?”

“It’s Harry Wilson,” Zoe wheezed. “He has just confessed to killing Emma and vandalising your van.”

“What?” Erin gasped in disbelief. “When?”

“They brought him in ten minutes ago. I was at the station following up a news report when I heard the whole story. The police found threatening messages from Harry on Emma’s phone, telling Emma to leave Maya alone or he would make her pay.”

Zoe had to bend over and catch her breath before speaking. “When they arrested Harry at the hotel, he confessed to everything. You were right, Erin. Emma’s death wasn’t an accident. Harry Wilson went to the hotel that night, followed Emma into the kitchen and locked her inside the freezer. He killed her. He killed his own wife.”

Chapter Fifteen

“Harry? Oh no, no,” Fiona sobbed and clasped hold of Erin to keep herself from falling. “It has to be a mistake. Emma slipped and fell, that’s all. Please tell her Zoe, please.”

“I’m so sorry, Fiona” Zoe sighed as she stepped forward and hugged Fiona. “But Harry has confessed to everything. She might have driven him to it, but he did it. He locked the door. But hey, isn’t it better to know the truth about what really happened?”

“Harry can afford the best legal team out there, Fiona. He’ll get a fair hearing,” Erin said in an unsteady voice, hardly able to take it all in.

To her relief, Fiona instantly lifted her chin and blinked away the shock and tears. “Legal team. Yes, of course,” she swallowed. “Ethan needs to help him get this all sorted out.”

She looked up at Zoe. “Does the family know yet? No? Right. Okay. I need to make some calls.”

Fiona snatched up her handbag and stepped towards the door, only pausing for a second to look over her shoulder at Erin. “I’ll be right back. I promise. Thank you for everything.” And with that, she turned and jogged down the stairs.

Erin slowly exhaled and collapsed down on her dad’s old bed and Zoe sat down next to her in silence.

“What a mess, Erin,” Zoe said, her voice a low trembling whisper. “Harry Wilson. Did you see that coming?”

Erin slowly shook her head from side to side. “I didn’t even know that he was in Kingsmede until yesterday. Maya told me that he planned to go to the wedding, in spite of Emma being there. Can you imagine what would have happened when Emma walked up the aisle behind Fiona and saw Harry sitting on the groom’s side of the church?”

“Don’t even go there,” Zoe whistled, then turned to Erin with a frown. “Maya’s coming to the lunch today to say goodbye to everyone before she headed back to London.”

She quickly glanced at her watch. “It’s almost one so she’ll be here any minute. Which one of us is going to tell the news?”

Erin shook her head. “Don’t look at me. She threw me out of her hotel room yesterday for even suggesting that Harry might have made a mistake. I don’t think my antipasti has the power to solve this one.”

Then Zoe groaned out loud. “Wait. I’m not thinking straight. Harry must have phoned her when he was arrested. Yes. That’s it. She’ll be freaking out at the police station.”

“Well, this is not