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

going to be the meal that I had planned. But one thing is for certain, I think we all need a large glass of wine right now. How about the delicious rose I have chilling in the fridge at this very moment?”

Zoe snorted and patted Erin on the back as they both got to their feet. “That’s the best idea I’ve heard all day. Lead on madame chef.”

Erin stepped towards the door, but something made her stop and raise her arm to stop Zoe running down the staircase.

The bedroom door was still open a few inches and normally Erin could hear the reassuring chatter of customers in the deli below. But there was nothing. Not even the sound of a Prosecco cork being pulled from one of the bottles that Prisha had left in an ice bucket on the table.

It was deadly silent.

Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out her phone and quickly sent a text message to Matt asking him to bring Constable Harris to the deli as soon as possible.

“What is it?” Zoe asked, but Erin pressed her forefinger to her lips and leant forward to whisper. “It’s too quiet. Something is not right. Stay here and don’t come down until I tell you. Okay?”

Zoe’s eyes widened in alarm, but she gave a quick nod and took a step away from the bedroom door.

 Hoping desperately that she was wrong, Erin straightened her back, fixed a smile on her face and skipped downstairs and back into her kitchen ready to greet her guests, as though everything was perfectly normal.

Except that the only two people in the room were a terrified Fiona, who was cowering in the corner, and her so-called friend, Maya, who had helped herself to one of Erin’s sharpest carving knives and was pointing it directly at Fiona.

Without breaking step, Erin stepped forward until she was standing directly in front of Fiona, so that the huge kitchen knife was pointing directly at Erin’s chest, her thoughts focused on the distance between them, but her gaze locked firmly on Maya’s face.

She was too close to avoid being stabbed, but too far away to try and disarm her.

“What are you doing, Maya?  This is not going to help anyone.” Erin whispered, trying to keep her voice calm, while her heart was thumping so loudly, she was surprised that Maya couldn’t hear it.

“This has nothing to do with you.” Maya nodded her head towards the back door of the deli, which led out onto the patio. “Just walk out of that door and forget that I was ever here.”

Erin looked at the woman she had hugged and held after she had found Emma, the woman she had actually pitied for her loss.  The woman who had known Emma, Fiona, and Ethan for over ten years.

“Well, you know I can’t do that, Maya. Harry wouldn’t like it at all, and this really is not going to get him released, is it? You know that.  Besides, don’t you think there has been enough pain already?”

“Pain?” Maya screamed, the knife shaking wildly as she stepped closer, her eyes burning as she glared at Fiona.  “What do you know about pain?  What does anyone know about pain?  What did it feel like when you found out that your precious half-sister had been taken from you?  That you had to cancel your pastel pink perfect wedding?  That’s nothing!  Nothing! I’ve had ten years of crying myself to sleep every night for Harry and every second has been a torture.  You have no idea what that kind of pain has been like.”

“Why did Harry have to kill Emma?  How could he do that?  How could he be so cruel?” Fiona had pushed herself to her feet now, her hands still clenched at her sides.

“Harry? You think Harry travelled all that way just to make Emma see sense? Are you mad? My Harry is lying to protect me!”

Maya choked out a strangled laugh. “I was the one who locked her in, not Harry. He was miles away when the fire started.  You heard how Emma was taunting me all through our dinner and you didn’t say one word to help me. Well, she couldn’t let it drop, could she? Oh no, she waited until you had all gone to bed and decided to stick the knife in and give it one final turn. Do you know what she said?”

Maya was so close to Erin that she could almost feel her breath on her face as she blurted out the words from a core of hatred and burning loss.

“Emma never loved Harry. Never. The only reason she tricked him into marrying her was out of spite and jealousy for what we had. She took our happiness because it made her feel powerful. She never cared about me.”

Huge sobs racked Maya’s shoulders and every word was bitter and harsh.

“The last ten years have been a total lie. Emma has been laughing at me every time I saw her. Always bragging about the lovely presents that Harry had bought her. The nice holidays they were having together. Lies. It was all lies. She was drunk and it all came out. Harry was boring, she said. Time to find someone more exciting with more money who she actually cared about. She thought that he was weak and pathetic – just like me. I could have him back now. As soon as Harry gave her half his money.”

“No, Maya, no. Not you!” Fiona sobbed. “Emma was your friend once.”

Maya was pacing back and forth on the wooden kitchen floor now, the knife waving in her hand with the blade pointing forwards. “Don’t make me sick. She told you what she wanted you to hear. Her precious sister Fiona who was going to keep her secret until after the divorce, so that Harry would pay out enough money