Deadly Southern Charm by Mary Burton & Mary Miley

Author:Mary Burton & Mary Miley
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: mystery
Publisher: Wildside Press LLC
Published: 2019-03-27T19:52:52+00:00

KEEP YOUR FRIENDS CLOSE, by Maggie King

“‘Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer.’ I never knew that quote came from The Godfather.” Meryl McKinney’s words mingled with the chatter of the coffee shop as she held up a tattered paperback copy of the famous tome by Mario Puzo. “Did you know that, Kat?”

“Nope. Never read The Godfather. Or saw the movie.” Kat Berenger rested her blue eyes on Meryl. “Now, about my proposal: do we have a deal?” Kat and Meryl had chosen a table by a window in Zorro’s, a trendy spot in Richmond’s historic Fan District.

“Oh, absolutely! I’ll do anything to catch the scumbag who killed my best friend.” Meryl’s voice caught and she took a deep breath.

“And I intend to clear Kenny of suspicion. My baby brother would never have killed his wife.” Kat tossed back her blond curls, setting her earrings jingling.

The two women sealed the deal with a handshake. Kat couldn’t help noticing the difference between her hands and Meryl’s: while Kat decorated each finger with a ring and her black lacquered nails sported leopard tips, Meryl, nails bitten to the quick, wore no rings.

Five days before, Vicki Berenger’s husband Kenny had come home from a weeklong trip and couldn’t find his wife. He had the fright of his life when he opened the shower door and found her—dead. Forensics found that Vicki’s shampoo contained a lethal mixture of DMSO and strychnine. Since that day, Kenny Berenger found himself in the crosshairs of the Richmond Police Department.

“They always suspect the spouse, don’t they?” Meryl asked.

Kat nodded as customers came and went, ordering their oversized coffees and pastries to go.

Meryl went on. “What’s DMSO anyway?”

“A supplement. People use it for arthritis. Some of my clients get it at the health food store.” Kat was a personal trainer at Max’s gym. “DMSO opens up your pores and allows your skin to absorb other chemicals. Like strychnine.”

“And where would someone get strychnine?”

“It’s commonly used in rat poison.”

Meryl closed her eyes, perhaps hoping to block the images her mind conjured.

“First things first,” Kat said. “Let’s get some coffee. Then we can plan our strategy for putting Vicki’s killer behind bars.”

“My treat.” When Kat started to protest, Meryl stood and held up a hand. “You’re being so kind and supportive. I’m glad you suggested teaming up to solve Vicki’s murder. Running into you yesterday at Kenny’s was the best thing that could have happened to me.”

“I’ve been spending a lot of time with Kenny. He stayed with me until the police released the crime scene. By the way, he and I loved the corn casserole you brought.”

“Thanks. I’m just dreading the funeral tomorrow.” Meryl’s voice caught again. “Well, what can I get you?”

“Just a skinny latte. I had breakfast at home.”

As Meryl walked up to the counter, Kat thought that the woman looked like she’d fallen out of bed five minutes before—and had probably spent the night tossing and turning. Tangled, greasy strands of dark hair brushed her shoulders. She wore a wrinkled cotton blouse, capris, and flip-flops worn down at the heels.

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