Murder, She Wrote: Debonair in Death by Jessica Fletcher & Terrie Farley Moran

Author:Jessica Fletcher & Terrie Farley Moran [Fletcher, Jessica & Moran, Terrie Farley]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Published: 2021-11-02T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fifteen

I had no intention of getting involved in whatever impulsive mission Michael had in mind.

I took a few steps closer to the car so I could speak in a low voice. “Michael, whatever you want, I don’t have time for you now. I have a lunch date with my friends, and then I have to get home to work on my synopsis. It’s due in a few days.”

Everything I said sounded completely reasonable to me but didn’t touch Michael in the slightest.

“Ah, but you see, I’m in need of assistance. I find myself in a bit of a pickle.” His rakish smile was set on “super charm,” but I wasn’t having any.

I looked back where Loretta and Coreen were waiting for me. Coreen patiently, Loretta with an impatient, perplexed look on her face. “My friends are —”

“Jess, there are lives at stake.” Michael’s entire face switched from charming to sincere. It was as if he’d only to push a button to shift around until he found a look that would persuade me. And if he didn’t find a look that worked, he seemed sure his next sentence would. “And the reason I need your assistance is that my problem could relate to your unsolved murder.”

I threw my hands in the air. Even if Michael was using Nelson Penzell’s death to entice me to help him in some secret-agent nonsense that had nothing to do with the murder, for Coreen’s sake I couldn’t ignore him. He might be telling the truth. “Give me a minute.”

I explained to Loretta that a friend had a crisis and I would be in touch later this afternoon. I gave them both a hug and told Coreen to enjoy her pancakes. Then, against my better judgment, I got into the Toyota.

Michael floored the gas pedal and the car took off like a shot.

I snapped my seat belt on and tugged to be sure it was secure. “Slow down, Michael—this is the busy part of town. You’re liable to have an accident.” Then, as he made a left turn, narrowly missing a milk delivery truck that had to swerve out of his way, I amended, “Or cause one.”

“We have to get to Hill House as soon as we can. I need you to talk to a man,” he said.

“Seriously? I already spoke to Sheriff Metzger on your behalf. That’s the only get-out-of-jail-free card you’ll get from me.” I folded my arms across my chest. How many times could he expect me to go to bat for him?

“I don’t need you to speak on my behalf. I need you to use that grand Jessica Fletcher eloquence to keep someone occupied to give me the opportunity to search his hotel room.”

I was appalled. “I’ll do no such thing. If the sheriff’s deputies find you in another attempt to commit burglary, Queen Elizabeth herself couldn’t persuade Mort to release you from the cells.”

“Jessica, there’s a chance—just a chance, mind you—that Clark Geddings had something to do with Nelson Penzell’s murder.

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.