The Happy Housekeeper's Guide to Homicide by Blythe Baker

Author:Blythe Baker [Baker, Blythe]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-12-25T16:00:00+00:00

8

For some reason, I hadn’t expected Vicky to suggest that we go to visit Brenda Michaels that very day. Before lunch, even. Vicky offered to drive us, which was perfectly fine with me as the thought of getting back in Craig’s pickup was a little too much to handle. I already struggled to sleep well enough the night before, I didn’t need more memories to unsteady me.

I walked across the street with her to her home, which sloped downward, following the hill that Craig’s house sat atop. Like Craig’s home, they owned a ranch-style house and had a wide, sprawling backyard backed by a line of trees.

“Your home looks brand new,” I said, noting the black trim and the white siding.

Vicky beamed at me. “We just had the outside painted this summer. Robert was such a good sport, letting me paint the trim of the windows and the shutters black. He was a little skeptical, but I think it makes a statement, don’t you?”

“It really does,” I said. “And the red for the door is a great touch.”

“You really are too kind,” Vicky said with a laugh. “Oh, your brother is going to be so happy that we finally met. However, he might not be all together happy that we only saved him half of the pie.” She gave me a wink as she pulled a ring of keys from the inside of her sleek, black purse. The woman had an eye for details with her outfits. “Why don’t you come in?”

Their home felt…for lack of better words…lived in. Comfortable. Every room blended with the next, with pleasant furnishings draped in cozy fabrics and pillows, pictures and paintings hanging on the walls that captured the soft blues and yellows that she accented her home with. Her kitchen, entirely spotless and bright with the morning sun, housed state-of-the-art appliances and furnishings.

“Your home looks straight out of a catalog,” I said, staring around. My eyes widened as I spotted a new coffee maker. “Is this the latest Sterling model?”

Vicky’s whole face lit up like a Christmas tree. “It is!” she exclaimed. “I found it on a great sale, and simply couldn’t resist. My husband loves his coffee, you see, and couldn’t believe the difference that a Sterling would make.”

“I had a small one in my apartment,” I said. “Last year’s model. I absolutely loved it.”

“Maybe you can think about getting one for your brother for Christmas,” she said, pulling open the door to her icebox. She threw me a wink over her shoulder. “You know, a family gift.”

I laughed. “I like the way you think.”

She bent over into the refrigerator, and pulled free a casserole dish with a glass lid. “I made an extra lasagna last night,” she said, nudging the door shut with her hip, her emerald green dress twirling around her knees like she was at a sock hop. “I hope she likes lasagna.”

“I imagine she won’t mind one way or the other,” I said. “She will probably be stunned that you’ve brought her anything at all.

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