The Case of the Surly Surrogate (Safe Harbor Medical Mysteries Book 2) by Jacqueline Diamond

Author:Jacqueline Diamond [Diamond, Jacqueline]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: K. Loren Wilson
Published: 2017-05-01T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Thirteen

Despite my nagging sense of danger, Friday passed quietly. At the hospital, seeing no further signs of imminent birth or complications, I released a cheerful Maggie to the care of her husband.

Calls from the press dropped off. A controversial pop star had tweeted a picture of herself in a thong bikini; a drunken quarterback defecated on his neighbor’s lawn; and a politician up for reelection was videoed kicking his dog. The four-day-old murder dropped from sight.

By phone, Tanya assured me she was fine and that Duncan was keeping an eye on her. Also, she reported, Wes’s body had been turned over to the funeral home and a small, private service was scheduled for Saturday, followed by a gathering at the Bryerly house.

“I hate funerals but I should go,” she said. “To support Cress.”

“Good for you.” Funerals depress me. Since the event was private and the family hadn’t contacted me, I presumed I could tactfully stay home.

As she signed off, Tanya confirmed her decision to stop by Narda’s party later. With everything that had happened, I’d almost forgotten I could look forward to loud music and a bunch of strangers invading my house.

I wondered if Keith had followed my advice about buying jewelry for the birthday girl. Too bad he didn’t enjoy selecting and giving gifts. For me, it had been a joy to see Lydia’s face light up when I presented her with a messenger bag designed to carry her art supplies, or brought flowers in her favorite colors.

When I arrived home, the scents of cheese and spices drifted to me. Chef hat and white coat in place, Morris bustled about the kitchen, preparing food for the party. In the dining room, his assistant, Helen, was setting out punch, soft drinks and snacks.

Beneath the cooking aromas lingered a touch of lemon cleanser. En route to the stairs, I bumped into Keely storing the vacuum cleaner in the hall closet.

“Excellent job,” I told my housekeeper.

She grunted. “It’ll be a mess tomorrow.”

“Narda promised to straighten up,” I reminded her.

“That one? Don’t count on it.” Keely arched her shoulders, from which issued a loud crack. Apparently this didn’t hurt, because she continued in the same nasal tone, “I’ve got a bad feeling about this.”

“I promise to stand guard over the family silver,” I joked. The guest list Narda had emailed included about thirty people, mostly her colleagues from Heights View Medical Center. Hardly my idea of wild party animals. The worst damage was likely to be spilled food.

“Mark my words, this won’t end well,” Keely intoned. “There’s no stopping fate.” After uttering that pronouncement more suited to a Greek tragedy than a Greek funfest, she departed.

Curious as to how my sister-in-law was handling the situation, I proceeded to the conservatory. From the tall mullioned windows, backlight cast a reddish-brown halo around Tory’s head where she sat at her chipped desk.

“Oh, it’s you,” came the greeting.

I noted her faded jeans and T-shirt. “Not in a party mood, I see.”

“Too busy doing my job.” She tapped a key on the computer.

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