Death by Design: A DIY Diva Mystery by Paula Darnell

Author:Paula Darnell
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Publisher: Cozy Cat Press
Published: 2019-06-19T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter 12

Feeling as though I qualified for persona non grata of the day, I replied, “I’m just going to my car, if you don’t mind. It’s a little difficult to get there when you’re standing right in the middle of the parking lot.”

“Whatever,” she said, flouncing around the Corvette and plopping in the passenger seat. Justin looked relieved as he closed the door for her. He revved the engine, maneuvered the car around Jennifer and me, and took off, the red sportscar’s tires screeching as he rounded the corner into the lane.

“Sorry, Laurel,” Jennifer said.

“No need for you to apologize for Bunny’s behavior. I know it’s a difficult time for everybody. She’s had a shock.”

“She’s not the only one. I didn’t have a clue that Matt had amassed a fortune. We always lived well, but not extravagantly.” I wasn’t sure what Jennifer considered extravagant, considering that last month she’d told me that Matt had given Justin a new Corvette for his twentieth birthday.

“Matt took care of all the finances. I don’t know how I’ll manage.”

“Jennifer, darling, could we leave now?” Nancy called. “It’s a bit cool sitting here in the car.”

“Of course, Mom. I’ll be right there.” Jennifer turned to me. “Laurel, I’ll let you know about the funeral as soon as we finalize the arrangements. The medical examiner hasn’t released Matt’s body yet, but Dad’s checking with them now, and we’re going to the funeral home later this afternoon.”

I squeezed Jennifer’s arm. “Please let me know if there’s anything I can do to help. I do know something of what you’re going through.”

“Yes, I know. Sometimes I forget you’re a widow.”

We had widowhood in common, but I thought about how different our circumstances were otherwise as I got into my car and put the key into the ignition. It had been several years since I’d lost my own husband in an auto accident, but Jennifer had just lost Matt only a few days ago, and his death had been no accident. My husband Tim and I didn’t have any children, but Jennifer had Justin. Tim and I hadn’t accumulated much money, but Jennifer had inherited a large estate. We’d had a good marriage, but I doubted that Jennifer could say the same about hers.

Noticing that I had half an hour before meeting Amy and Cynthia for lunch, I drove around downtown, looking for a parking spot near the Sutton Place boutique hotel, where we planned to lunch. I couldn’t park in the hotel lot because it was reserved for hotel guests. After several minutes of cruising around, I was almost tempted to return to Anderson and Patton’s parking lot, but if I did that, I’d have to walk back ten blocks, and I’d be late. I tried to remember the name of the side street where Cynthia had planned to park, but I couldn’t think of it. Finally, I lucked out when a van backed out of a spot just around the corner from the hotel. Much as I

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