Deck the Halls by Carol Higgins Clark

Author:Carol Higgins Clark [Clark, Carol Higgins]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Mystery & Detective, General, Crime
ISBN: 9781471103025
Google: FQwloSwM_z4C
Amazon: B000FBJI02
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Published: 2000-10-24T00:00:00+00:00

Austin Grady arrived at the office early Friday morning and immediately began reviewing the big appointment book on Luke’s desk.

Starting with the present, he studied Luke’s activities day by day, going back for two months. He found absolutely nothing that brought to mind any mention by Luke of a difficulty or problem.

The references to the lunches Luke had had with the late Cuthbert Boniface Goodloe brought an unconscious smile to Austin’s lips and for a moment relieved the sickening tension that enveloped him. No bride ever planned her wedding with as much attention to detail as Goodloe had dedicated to his funeral, he thought.

Wanting to ensure a full house for his final good-byes, Goodloe had issued specific instructions. If he died on a weekend, the wake was not to be held until Tuesday. He wanted two full days and nights of viewing, with the funeral to be held on Thursday. That was exactly how it had happened.

“It takes time to notify everyone and get the obituary in the papers,” he had said. God knows that plant society got plenty of notice, Austin thought—now we can’t get rid of them.

The phone on his desk rang. “This had better not be that Bumbles guy,” he muttered to himself. It was Regan. For an instant the sound of her voice gave him a quick hope that maybe she’d say that Luke and Rosita were safe. But, of course, that was not to be.

He told her what he had been doing. “I’m going to keep at it,” he promised. “I’m also going to ask some subtle questions around here to see if there’s been a problem with any employee that didn’t reach our ears.”

“Thanks, Austin,” Regan said quietly. “Who knows who could have done this. Right now the police are focusing on Rosita’s ex-husband. Apparently he has heavy gambling debts, owed to the wrong people.”

“That’d motivate you to get your hands on a million dollars any way you can.”

“Of course, this could be the work of someone who’s been mad at my father for the last ten years.” There was a brief hint of levity in Regan’s voice. “It’s like what they say about us Irish. We forget everything except the grudge.”

“Don’t I know it, Regan,” Austin agreed, thinking of his grandmother, who never forgave her cousin for “stealing her thunder” by scheduling her wedding two weeks before her own long-planned nuptials. Grandma went to her grave sixty years later, still griping about it, Austin thought. The fact that her cousin endured a horrible marriage did nothing to appease her.

“How’s your mother doing?” he asked.

“She’s hanging in there. I’ll be here with her until late this afternoon.”

He knew what she meant. “Give her my love, and take care of yourself, Regan.”

“Will do,” Regan said. “Talk to you later.”

Austin had barely replaced the receiver when the phone rang again. He picked it up, the hope always in the back of his mind that it would be Luke’s laconic voice saying, as he had at least

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