A Toast of Murder (Hart Times Cozy Mysteries Book 7) by Emma Ainsley

Author:Emma Ainsley [Ainsley, Emma]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Summer Prescott Books
Published: 2023-10-10T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER EIGHT

“You’re certain that was not the same champagne used at the luncheon?” Carolina asked again.

“I’m positive it wasn’t,” Jocelyn said. “How many times do I have to tell you that?”

“As many times as you asked Marissa if she was sure she saw the same bottles in the bathroom that I saw in the trash cans,” Carolina said.

“Okay, fine,” Jocelyn said. “But can you tell me why you think anything to do with the champagne matters?”

“I think it’s pretty suspicious there would be so much champagne of any kind tucked away in obscure places,” she said. “Didn’t the luncheon hall have trash cans of its own?”

“The trash cans were stationary,” Jocelyn explained. “They were built into cabinets. I saw the workers empty the trash bags a couple of times yesterday.”

“They might have dumped the bags into those other trash cans,” Marissa suggested.

Jocelyn shook her head. “No, they took them outside to a dumpster,” she said. “One of my waiters saw them doing it. He told Billy that yesterday during his search of the building.”

“Do you know if Billy or one of the deputies searched the kitchen?” Carolina asked. “I mean, I would think they would have done that.”

“Are you suggesting Billy didn’t do his job correctly? Listen, I didn’t agree to come to your house to talk more about this so you could insult my fiancé.”

“I can’t even with you, Jocelyn,” Marissa snapped. “First you say Billy is overstepping by having you questioned and now you’re mad at Carolina for asking questions about what might have happened when you’re the reason she’s doing it in the first place.”

“Yeah, yeah. Just tell me why all this matters.”

Carolina sucked in a breath. “I wonder where those bottles came from. It makes sense to me that if the facility workers took the trash out from the luncheon hall, they would have also emptied the trash bins in the kitchen and the police would have probably noticed and gone through all the trash.”

“Was there another event today?” Marissa asked.

Carolina shook her head. “When I called the facilities management office, they told me nothing was going on today,” she said. “Besides, how many events take place here that require so much champagne, and right after a death, too?”

“That’s a good point,” Jocelyn said. “But it still doesn’t explain anything.”

“No,” Carolina admitted. “But I think it might be significant.”

“In what way?” Marissa asked.

“I’m not sure yet,” Carolina said. “But if that champagne was served at the board meeting, it makes me wonder if the kind you saw served was somehow spiked before the meeting. How many bottles did you see of the more expensive variety?”

“Only two,” Jocelyn said. “But the more expensive stuff was reserved for board members and the CEO himself.” Her cell phone rang suddenly. She walked about ten steps away and answered. After a brief conversation, she returned. Her face had fallen.

“Is something wrong?” Carolina asked.

“That was Billy’s secretary at the sheriff’s department. I don’t know if he knew she was calling me, but she wanted to let me know that all three of the confessors have been released from custody.

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