A Party To Die For: A Cape Cod Mystery by Stockley Margaret

Author:Stockley, Margaret
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Alva Glen Press
Published: 2024-11-16T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty

Over at the marquee, Melissa waved her arms theatrically in Helene’s direction. Max intervened on his mother’s behalf, causing Melissa to take a step backwards, almost bumping into an empty high-top table.

“C’mon Suzie. We should go over and see what this is all about.”

“What on earth is happening to people! Have they no respect for what has happened this evening?”

“I don’t know about respect Suzie, but someone on your island, likely one of your guests, has committed murder.”

She paused mid-stride and grabbed my elbow, her eyes filled with worry. “Oh, I really hope not Marnie. I’m desperately hoping it’s been some rogue intruder. I don’t want to believe that I’ve unknowingly played a role in a murder by inviting the killer.”

I forced a reassuring smile, even though my stomach was churning with dread. “You couldn’t have known, Suzie. And we can’t blame ourselves for someone else’s actions. But all of us here have a responsibility to help the police find the killer and bring them to justice.” I glanced over at the marquee. “And our first task is to find out what the heck is going on between Melissa Maxwell and Helene Gauthier.”

We set off with a purpose and arrived just as Trip entered the marquee, talking to someone on his phone. “Aw, I’m glad your presentation went well. I knew you could do it,” he told the person on the other end of the call. I wasn’t listening, not really, but he was within earshot. “Love you.” He hung up.

Suzie wasted no time in going up to him. “Trip Brodie, where the heck have you been. Your colleague,” she glowered at Detective Whitney who was talking with two uniformed officers on the driveway beside a cruiser, “is out of control. Do you know what he has done? What he’s accusing my friend Marnie of? Hmm? Do you?”

I felt his stern gaze boring into me. The man was unreadable, and I couldn’t tell if his unyielding manner was his every-day state of being or if it was reserved for the job.

“You must have heard what Marnie and her friend have just been accused of. We all have,” she continued, opening her arms wide to encompass the people surrounding us, “and I can put an end to this right here and now.”

Despite the shock of Melissa’s awful accusation, or actually because of it, I was keen to hear what Suzie had to share. It was hard to tell what Trip was thinking. I felt that he stared at me a second longer than necessary and I immediately experienced a feeling of guilt, simply because I was under the scrutiny of a detective.

“Well, what do you say? Are you going to listen to me, or do I have to get my media people to tell the world what I know?”

He stared at her for several seconds before giving the briefest of nods. “Let me find out what’s going on over here, then we’ll talk.”

He approached Melissa and Helene who stepped apart as he neared them.

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