Jewel of the Aisle: A Novella: An Annabelle Archer Wedding Planner Mystery #18 by Durham Laura

Author:Durham, Laura
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Broadmoor Books
Published: 2021-07-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nine

“That was too close,” I whispered, hurrying down the hallway, away from the room.

“Who do we have to thank for almost getting caught cowering under a bed?” Richard asked, his face both flushed and dusty.

I glanced down at the missed call on my screen. “Reese.”

Luckily, I’d been able to disconnect the call before it had continued buzzing, and Mr. Douglas had been too busy muttering darkly to himself to notice. Still, I was pretty sure I’d lost a year off my life.

“I’m assuming you won’t be telling your cop husband why you couldn’t answer his call?”

“You assume correctly.”

Richard mumbled something about hiding more of my secrets as he flicked dust off his hair, and we bustled down the stairs. “If it didn’t involve an awkward explanation, I would read the housekeeping staff the riot act. The dust bunnies under that bed were so plentiful I was afraid they were going to start forming herds and attacking.”

“We don’t have time for you to read anyone the riot act.” I stopped at the bottom of the stairs and brushed the front of my dress, which carried streaks of dust. “We just lost thirty minutes listening to Mr. Douglas dress.”

Richard wrinkled his nose. “I feel so tawdry.”

“It’s not like we watched.”

“At least we didn’t get caught.” Richard dropped his voice as we walked through the lobby and the parlor with the grand piano.

Several well-dressed guests sat clustered on couches, and I assumed they were early for the wedding. I smiled and tried to act natural, even though I was having an internal panic attack. We were no closer to finding the missing diamond ring, but we were closing in on go-time for the wedding.

“At least we know why the check bounced,” I said, matching Richard’s low tone as we entered the dining room.

“But it sounds like Mr. Douglas was as surprised as anyone.”

I sighed. “Which means that he probably didn’t steal his own wife’s ring for the insurance money. If he didn’t know he was short on funds, that eliminates his motive.”

“So, we’re back to square one.” Richard put his hands on his hips as he surveyed the tables set for the reception. “And I’m back to refolding napkins.”

I swiped a loose strand of hair off my forehead. “But what are the chances that the ring goes missing and there’s a financial issue with the Douglases all at the same time? It seems like a pretty crazy coincidence to me.”

Richard picked up an elaborately folded napkin and unfurled it into the air. “Maybe, but from what we heard, Mr. Douglas isn’t the one involved with moving money from his accounts.”

“That’s right. It was Carlton, and that surprised him.”

Richard refolded the white square of linen into a perfect rectangle with knife-sharp creases. “What if Carlton is the one who’s behind all of this?”

I grasped the back of one of the mahogany chairs. What did I know about the Douglas son, aside from the fact that he worked for his father’s company and was

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