Halloween Party Murder (Juniper Holiday Cozy Mystery Book 1) by Leighann Dobbs

Author:Leighann Dobbs [Dobbs, Leighann]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2022-10-13T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

“Hot vinegar and rotten pickles? Probably formaldehyde,” Victoria told her when Juniper explained about Pat’s explosive reaction to the band patch. “Not sure about the lily-of-the-valley part, but why didn’t you bring me back a plate? I’ve been in here writing all day. The last thing I thought about was food, but now I’m starving.”

“You haven’t thought to pay attention, either, obviously, or you would have noticed the takeout bag in my hand.” Juniper raised her hand, and Tori reached for the bag.

“Yum.” She pulled the bag’s contents out and pushed her laptop aside. “But yeah, the smell is one I never forgot from science class. In eighth grade, our physical science teacher made us all dissect a baby piglet. We had to measure its entrails and brain and stuff. Or we were supposed to.

“I excused myself from class and stayed in the bathroom for the rest of the period every day after that until quiz day.” She shuddered. “Paper, I can handle. Baby piggies preserved in formaldehyde? Not so much.”

Juniper hopped onto the corner of the desk and pulled up one leg until she could wrap her arms around it just below the knee and hold it in place. The other, she kicked back and forth in a swinging motion. “So it’s a preservative? Got it. But why in the heck would it be on a band patch? Do they use it in iron-on preparation or something?”

“I don’t think so,” Tori said around a mouthful of steak. “It’s used in embalming fluid, so it probably came from the funeral parlor.”

“Interesting. But maybe not. Hannah worked there, so maybe the smell is from her.”

“Or the killer. Remember, Hannah worked on the accounting end. She might not have gone into the morgue part of the business. When I researched the funeral parlor for one of my books, I found most people avoided that place unless they had to go there.”

“Yeah, I can see why. They keep the caskets down there, and I had to go to pick one out for the party. It’s creepy.”

“The patch doesn’t really give us any good clues, then?”

“Au contraire.” Juni slid off the desk and picked up her purse. “Before I went for dinner, I stopped by the library to do a bit of research on the public intronets.”

“Juni, we have internet here,” Tori reminded her.

“Yes, we do,” Juniper agreed. “But I didn’t want that on my browser history for Mallard to find. You know that rubber dubber is watching every move I make. He just doesn’t like me for some reason. Anyway…” Juniper paused, dug in her purse, then pulled out a slip of paper and handed it to Tori. “Clear your calendar for tomorrow, girl. We’re going to the concert in the park.”

“Concert? Juniper, you know I’m in the middle of a pretty harrowing plot twist right now, and my mind is all caught up in figuring out what happens next.” She shook her head. “I can’t go. You’ll have to get someone else.

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