A Skeleton in the Closet by Judith K. Ivie

Author:Judith K. Ivie [Ivie, Judith K.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Mystery
ISBN: 9780615268996
Publisher: Mainly Murder Press
Published: 2009-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

* * *

The rest of the day passed uneventfully. In fact, the phone barely rang, giving me the entire afternoon to catch up on paperwork and send the morning’s swan photo to Emma via e-mail. Rain clouds darkened the sky in mid-afternoon, and I switched on my desk lamp to brighten the office. Looking up the half-stairway to the lobby, I saw that Jenny had done the same thing.

The cool rain continued to fall as I made my way home to The Birches that evening. It had become my habit to check my rearview mirror frequently for black vans, but the rain and the headlights in the early dusk made it impossible to pick out colors. I arrived at the condo without incident and activated the electric garage door opener with the programmed button on the Altima’s visor. Once again, I was grateful for the attached garage that sheltered me and the groceries I had bought on the way.

Armando had left work early to spend a couple of hours minimizing the remaining clutter on the first floor. By the time I let myself into the kitchen, I was pleased to see that the cartons that blocked cabinet doors had disappeared along with those that had been stacked in the hallway. I felt cheerful enough to call out, “Lucy, I’m ho-ome,” in my best Desi Arnaz imitation as I set the green tote bag loaded with the makings of a spaghetti dinner on the table and went to hang my raincoat in the front hall closet, which was surprisingly tidy.

“Very funny.” Armando leaned over the loft railing and blew me a kiss. “How was your day, Cara?”

“Why don’t you come down here, and I’ll tell you all about it?” I invited, smiling up at him. For perhaps the thousandth time in the five years I had known him, I was enchanted by his Latin good looks.

As I concocted pasta sauce and Armando assembled a big salad, I filled him on my tour of the Henstock house and my idea about turning it into a bed-and-breakfast. Throughout my recitation, he listened closely, as he always did when I spoke to him. Although his concentration was probably due partly to the fact that English was not his first language, I still found his attention charming and warmed to my story.

“That beautiful old house is really something. You wouldn’t believe how lovely some of the rooms are despite years of neglect. That wide, planked flooring and recessed windows, some of them with windowseats. Straight out of a Jane Austen novel. And the marble-tiled fireplaces in the bedrooms, most of them still functional. Even the proportions of the rooms are appealing. And that ballroom on the third floor! I can just see a small wedding or a fundraising event, maybe a wine tasting. If that kitchen were updated, it could cater all sorts of parties, Armando. The possibilities are endless, and it’s right on the Broad Street Green, which gives it all sorts of historical appeal.

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