Secrets and Sequins by Gayle Leeson

Author:Gayle Leeson
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Gayle Leeson
Published: 2023-04-25T00:00:00+00:00

MISTY RIDGE CATERING was located in a brick building that was part of a strip mall that was seeking to revitalize an underused part of town. The dark-red brick building wasn’t what I was anticipating, but then I wasn’t sure exactly what the exterior of a catering business was supposed to look like.

The interior was much more appropriate to the business. In the reception area, there was a long white sofa, two club chairs, an elegant oval glass-topped coffee table, and a matching side table beside one of the chairs. The side table contained easels holding business cards and glossy flyers. There was dark blue carpet on the floor and a Persian runner rug in the hallway that led to rooms to the left of the reception area.

A bell had sounded when Zoe, Maggie, and I had walked into the building, but there was also a Victorian-style call bell on the cherry desk that faced the door.

“Should we ring that?” Zoe asked.

“No,” Maggie hissed.

I tended to agree but said nothing. I simply hoped Betsy or whomever would come to speak with us soon. If not, I’d prefer to leave and come back another time. Actually, I hoped that’s what would happen. I’d have liked to have spoken with Betsy alone. How likely was she to open up to the woman suspected of killing Preston Diggs, that woman’s daughter, and another complete stranger? Had I come alone to say I was throwing a party for my grandfather, then I might have been able to get her to open up.

“Welcome to Misty Ridge Catering.” The woman who stepped into the reception area appeared to have been in her early- to mid-forties. She gave us a bright smile. “How may I help you today?”

“Hi, I’m Amanda Tucker, and I’m considering throwing a party for my grandfather.”

“Oh, that’s great.” She gestured toward the seating area. “Please go on over and make yourselves comfortable. I’m Betsy Jameson, by the way. Let me grab my tablet.”

Maggie and Zoe sat on the sofa, and I sat on one of the chairs, leaving the one next to the table for Betsy.

When Betsy sat down, she immediately opened the tablet. I supposed she had some sort of app that allowed her to quickly prepare an estimate for potential clients. I used something similar myself.

“Is your grandfather celebrating a special birthday?” Betsy asked.

“No.” I folded my hands in my lap. “He’s considering getting married.”

“How wonderful!” Her smile slowly faded when no one echoed her sentiments. “You aren’t happy about it?”

“I’m not sure,” I said. “I might be if the marriage didn’t include him moving halfway across the country.”

“Oooh.” Betsy pursed her lips. “That’s hard. Still, it’s terribly thoughtful of you to want to have a party for him.”

“If he goes, I’ll definitely throw him a party,” I said. “But if he stays, I’ll be tempted to throw him an even bigger one.”

Betsy forced out a laugh. “Let’s get started, shall we? How many guests do you expect?”

“Before we get into all that,” Maggie began.

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