GC19 - Mystery at the Inn by Carolyne Aarsen

Author:Carolyne Aarsen [Aarsen, Carolyne]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Mystery, Christian
ISBN: 9780824948252
Google: S2diSAAACAAJ
Amazon: 0824948254
Barnesnoble: 0824948254
Goodreads: 8472274
Publisher: Guideposts
Published: 2005-01-01T07:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twelve

I’m starting to worry about myself.” Jane dropped onto the sofa in the living room and rubbed her eyes with her fingertips. “I’ve been working on this mystery so long I’m starting to suspect the people who show up in my dreams.”

Alice looked up from the book she was reading. It was a quiet Friday evening at the inn. Their guests had gone out for dinner, and, for the moment, the inn was empty.

“As long as you don’t start sleepwalking past the knife block, I’m sure we’ll be fine,” Alice said calmly.

Jane dropped her head on the back of the burgundy sofa and sighed long and deep. “I’m wondering if this thing will ever come together in one week’s time.”

“It will be fine. A lot of the elements are in place,” Alice assured her, turning another page in her book. She wasn’t concerned. In spite of Louise’s misgivings, none of their other work had suffered, thanks to Barbara’s organizational skills.

They had all the suspects in place. The menu was planned. Barbara had hired an amateur magician for the first evening. All they could do now was wait for the actual day.

“I wish I had as much confidence in me as you do,” Jane said, closing her eyes a moment. “Oh no,” she groaned, holding out her hands as if pushing some imaginary thing away. “Here they come again. All those people. All those puzzles. It’s a nightmare.”

Alice shook her head at her sister’s theatrics and turned her attention back to her book. The mystery she was reading was coming together, and though she had a good idea of who the culprit was, she wasn’t entirely sure, which made reading on interesting.

“I don’t suppose you could lend your expertise to my little project,” Jane asked in a hopeful tone.

“We tried that, remember? I wasn’t much help,” Alice said, not looking up from her book. “I’m more of a consumer than a producer of puzzles.”

Jane heaved another sigh, heavier than the first, but Alice pretended to not hear it. She wanted to read, and she couldn’t help Jane anyway.

Wendell strolled by, his purr adding a cozy counterpoint to Jane’s anxiety. He blinked slowly at Jane and Alice and then, making up his mind, jumped up onto the arm of Alice’s chair. Alice lifted her book so he could sit more comfortably and kept reading.

After a while the doorbell rang. This time Alice did look up, in time to see Patti and Maria enter the front hall, their mother trailing behind.

“It’s important to keep up appearances,” Donna was saying. “We can’t have the Duplesis family think we’re cheap.”

Patti raised her eyes heavenward. Maria looked bored, Donna concerned.

“I know your father would want you to have the best wedding you can.”

Patti turned to say something to her mother, then caught sight of Jane and Alice in the living room. Her expression brightened, and she walked over to them. “This looks cozy. May we join you?”

“Of course,” Alice said, closing her book.

“I could make you a pot of coffee or hot chocolate if you’d like,” Jane offered.

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.