Murder, My Suite by Mary Daheim

Author:Mary Daheim [Mary Daheim]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780061737237
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2007-10-15T16:00:00+00:00

In physical terms, they didn’t get far. Tessa Van Heusen Kreager came through her condo door and stopped dead when she saw the cousins about to pull away. She seemed to hesitate, then approached the Chevy.

“What happened to you two?” she demanded as Renie rolled down the power window. “I thought you were going to stay with Dagmar until Karl and I came back from the pool.”

Renie explained about Chief Penreddy’s arrival, adding that the cousins had met up with Freddy in the courtyard. They had assumed he’d gone in to sit with Dagmar after the police left.

“Freddy!” Tessa was scornful. “He came, he sat, he left. Dagmar was alone when we returned. Freddy’s a washout!”

Judith and Renie weren’t inclined to argue. “I’d hoped,” Judith said, leaning across the front seat, “that Freddy would succumb to his family ties. As far as I can tell, he’s the only relative Dagmar has.”

Tessa snorted. “Is he?”

Judith felt faintly defensive. “Well, we asked if she had any family in Minnesota, and I gathered that Freddy was it.”

Tessa smoothed the collar of her black-and-white-striped silk shirt. “Don’t be naive. Do you really think Freddy is Dagmar’s nephew?” Her expression had turned into a smirk.

Judith was wide-eyed; Renie frowned. “Excuse me?” Judith said in a startled voice. “You mean Freddy isn’t her sister’s son?”

“I doubt it,” Tessa snapped. “He’s a parasite. And like most women, Dagmar is a fool when it comes to men.”

Judith recalled Dagmar’s shocked reaction at the hint of a match between Freddy and Agnes. Maybe Tessa was right. Dagmar could be romantically involved with the lecherous little leech. Passing him off as her nephew would explain his otherwise worthless presence. Or so Judith conjectured.

“How is Dagmar?” she asked, anxious to avoid further consideration of Dagmar and Freddy in the throes of passion.

Tessa had started to move away from the car. “The same. She’ll give Karl’s brother a heart attack if she doesn’t pull herself together and come up with Friday’s column.” Tessa’s sour expression dissolved into worry. “To make matters worse, we can’t find her files. You didn’t happen to see a gray metal box when you were with her, did you?”

Judith and Renie exchanged glances. “It was in Agnes’s room,” Judith finally answered. “We…ah…peeked in there to check for Rover.”

“It’s not there now,” Tessa replied, seemingly indifferent to the cousins’ prying. “I thought Dagmar might have it upstairs, in her part of the condo. But we’ve looked all over the place and can’t find it. Dagmar can’t write the column without it.”

Not being conversant with the world of journalism, Judith threw out a common-sense suggestion. “Can’t you run something in the Friday papers to the effect that Dagmar is ill?”

Tessa scowled at Judith. “We’re trying to keep the lid on this thing,” she said, again leaning into the car. “Bugler is sufficiently isolated that, so far, nobody from the outside has come snooping around. Agnes Shay’s name doesn’t make any news. But let those vipers on the rival rags hear

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.