Played by the Book (A Novel Idea Mystery 4) by Lucy Arlington

Author:Lucy Arlington [Arlington, Lucy]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Published: 2015-02-02T16:00:00+00:00

* * *

FRIDAY MORNING, I once again skipped my usual stop at Espresso Yourself and took the steps leading to the agency two at a time. I’d spent most of the night awake, before finally coming to the conclusion that I needed to address my concerns to Flora directly. Despite Brian’s warning to mind my own business, I decided that Flora’s well-being was my business. I was her friend, after all. And if something was bothering her, I wanted to help. I intended to go directly to her office and clean up the bad air between us.

Only, once inside the reception area, I stopped short at the sight of Alice Peabody standing in front of Vicky’s desk, arms flailing and shoulders gyrating as she berated our office manager. “How dare you tell the police that I had something to do with Fannie’s murder! I bet you did that just so you could knock me out of the competition.”

Vicky stood straight-backed, jutted her chin out, and placed her hands on her hips. “I would never do such a thing. I’m not the type of person who would damage someone’s reputation for the sake of a competition.” Eliot’s whiskers twitched as he curiously watched the scene from the waiting area’s chair.

Alice shook her fist in Vicky’s face. “Don’t you stand there and lie to me, Vicky Crump. You pretend to be all prim and proper, but I know how competitive you can be. Don’t forget it was that competitiveness that got you kicked off the garden club board in the first place.”

Eliot uncurled and jumped down from the chair, moving across the room with a hunched back and a low growl in his throat. I couldn’t be sure, but I thought I heard Vicky growl, too, as she took a step closer to Alice. “No, Alice. The reason I got kicked off the board is because you claimed you saw me sabotage Doris Mosby’s prize Belinda rose plant, but there’s no—”

“Whoa!” I interjected, stepping between the two of them before they came to blows. “What’s going on here?”

Vicky pointed her finger. “I went to fill Eliot’s water bowl and when I came back I found Alice standing here in the reception area. She immediately started accusing me of telling the police that she killed Fannie.”

“Well, you must have,” Alice reiterated. “Some officer came by my place late yesterday afternoon to interview me. He said a reliable source suggested that I might have motive to want Fannie dead. Who else would say such a thing?”

Slowly Vicky turned her head from her adversary and looked my way, narrowing her eyes at me. “Who else indeed,” she muttered. Then turning back to Alice, she added, “Ms. Wilkins was present the entire time I was interviewed. She can vouch for the fact that I said no such thing, can’t you, Lila?”

I bobbed my head, but kept my mouth shut. Mostly because I knew my lower lip was trembling. I was terrified Vicky was going to reveal that I was the one who ratted Alice out to the cops.

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