Murder Steals the Show (Rooftop Garden Cozy Mysteries Book 7) by Thea Cambert

Author:Thea Cambert [Cambert, Thea]
Language: eng
Format: epub, azw3
Publisher: Summer Prescott Books
Published: 2020-10-26T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter 10

“I think my feet are starting to swell.” Franny leaned over her own belly to look at her sparkling slippers.

“We should get you home,” said Alice, checking the time on her phone. “It’s only seven-thirty, but it’s been a long, busy day.”

“The faire goes on until midnight,” said Franny. “Are you sure you don’t want to stay longer?”

“It’ll be way more fun at your house,” said Owen. “We can check on Poppy and Finn, and then go sit out on the dock and enjoy this beautiful spring evening.”

“That sounds like heaven,” said Franny, breathing a sigh of relief.

As the three friends began the short walk from the clearing to Ben and Franny’s lake house, Alice spotted Jake Shannon, walking through the trees as though he was headed home, as well. Alice told Owen and Franny to hold up a second, and she jogged over to Jake.

“Where’s your horse?” she called.

“What? Oh, hi, Alice,” Jake said. “The wranglers came and transported the horses back out to the farm. I’m headed home to my family.” He jingled his keys and nodded toward the parking area, where he’d apparently left his car earlier in the day.

“Didn’t Holly and the kids come to the faire?”

“Oh, yes,” he said with a smile. “They had a great time. But you know how it is with little ones. Holly took them home to get them ready for bed.”

“Did you, um, decide to call Ben and Luke, by the way? Or talk to Dewey? About whatever was worrying you?” Alice couldn’t think of a subtle way to ask, so she just came out with it.

“No,” Jake said, looking worried. “But they’re coming home tomorrow, right?”

By this time, Owen and Franny had walked over and joined them.

“They should be,” said Franny.

Alice took a step closer to Jake. “Jake, something has clearly upset you. Is there anything we can do to help?”

Jake looked from Alice, to Owen, to Franny, and finally sighed and said, “I’d like to show you something.”

Everyone automatically stepped closer still, as Jake scrolled through photos on his phone, finally stopping at one and pausing before showing the others.

“What—who—is that?” Owen said, frowning.

“It looks familiar.” Franny squinted at the photo.

“That’s because we just saw it last night,” said Alice, looking back up at Jake. “That’s Damon Huxley. After he was killed.”

“And obviously before the police and ambulance came,” said Owen, his eyes widening at the realization of what they were seeing.

“That’s correct,” said Jake. “Mayor Abercrombie took this photo.”

“Sick!” said Owen, then quickly cleared his throat and added, “I mean, what an odd choice of subjects for a photo.”

“Doesn’t bode well, does it.” Jake said this more as a statement than a question.

“We saw the mayor there last night,” Alice said. “He looked . . . sort of . . . smug?”

“He felt sort of smug,” Jake admitted. “He’d just taken a picture of what he thought was a drunk, passed-out Damon Huxley.”

“Why would he do that?” asked Franny.

“Did you read yesterday’s paper?” asked Jake.

“That editorial Damon wrote? Yep,” said Alice.

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