Deadly Traditions, page 39
Marge shook her head. “Neither did I. Even though I was asking questions, I didn’t actually think it was Sue. Boy, was I glad PJ spotted us.”
“You said Sue killed Mike over his shop?”
“Yeah, after we got to the police station she got really upset. I didn’t have to be in the back room with them to hear her. That shop is a guaranteed money-earner on the main street. When it became vacant, Sue and Mike both wanted to rent the premises. Sue does well in the market but she would do even better on St Andrew’s Street where people could park outside and nip in. She was really angry that Mike offered to pay a higher rent than she could afford. I guess it didn’t help that he was such an idiot to her when they dated too.”
“Well, now neither of them will get that shop. Her business will go down the drain and who knows how long she’ll spend in jail.” Lois frowned. “She seemed nice. I would never have guessed she could kill someone. How did she get Mike to eat the peanuts?”
“Earlier in the evening, she got a glass of eggnog from the bar. No one paid any attention to her sitting at one of the tables at the back of the lounge. When no one was looking, she added powdered peanuts from a small container she had ready in her purse. Then she just had to carry the drink around until she found Mike.”
“And you realized that the powder on her top was peanuts because the smell made you think of peanut cookies.”
“Exactly. After I talked to her, instead of going to the restroom like she said she was, she headed to the bar and intercepted Mike when he went to get a refill. After she gave him the drink with the peanuts in it, she made an excuse and left him. No one saw her give Mike the drink or remembered seeing them together. Of course, she never mentioned to the police that she even spoke to Mike at the party.”
“So, if you hadn’t figured out that she had peanut powder on her top, it might have taken the police ages before they considered her. You were so clever!”
Marge huffed out a breath. “And scared. To be honest, I wish I hadn’t confronted her on my own. I don’t know what she had in her purse but I still have a headache from the clout she gave me. No concussion, thankfully. I prefer it when we do our snooping as a duo.”
“There’s definitely safety in numbers,” Lois agreed.
A cough beside the table drew the attention of both women.
“Snooping? I thought you ladies were giving up on that? Look at all the scrapes you’ve landed in when you poked around in police matters.” Bruce gave the two women a reproving look as he pulled out a chair and sat down beside Lois, wrapping his arm around her shoulder.
Marge finished her whiskey, reached for the brown leather handles on her large pink bag and stood up. “I think I’ll leave you two to discuss that. I’m heading home to have an early night.” She winked. “Make the most of the season, you two. There’s mistletoe everywhere in this place.”
After a quick round of goodbyes, Marge left Lois and Bruce and crossed the lounge. She waved and called goodnight to several people standing near the bar but didn’t stop to talk. Her fire-red Skylark Buick was parked out front and it was only a short drive home. She would be able to kick off her shoes and fall onto her sofa in no time.
At the doorway, she came face to face with Ted entering the lounge. Before she could react, he clasped her shoulders and leaned in to kiss her. She pulled away from the kiss, glaring.
Ted pointed to the doorframe above. “Mistletoe.”
Oh, blast, Marge thought. I forgot all about that one. “Don’t you go getting any ideas. I divorced you for good reason.”
Ted held his hands up in a placating manner. “I know. I’m not trying to rekindle us. That’s a thank you for figuring out who killed Mike so I won’t spend Christmas in the slammer.”
“Well, uh, you’re welcome. I couldn’t let you ruin the kids’ Christmas.” She fixed him with a hard stare. “So don’t get into any other trouble in the next week or so.”
Ted gave a mock salute. “No, ma’am.”
Marge left Ted and crossed the foyer, giving the mistletoe hanging from the chandelier a wide berth. She moved with her usual confident flounce, but she felt the tiredness seeping in. She had had more than enough mistletoe and murder this Christmas.
About Dianne Ascroft
Dianne Ascroft writes the Century Cottage Cozy Mysteries, set in rural Canada, as well as The Yankee Years, an historical fiction series set in WWII Northern Ireland. She loves creating places that beckon readers to step in and stay a while, and characters that readers will adore as they delve into the mystery at the heart of the story. An ex-pat Canadian, Dianne lives on a small farm in Northern Ireland with her husband and an assortment of strong-willed animals. Writing stories set in her homeland Canada is a nostalgic journey for her and she enjoys every minute of it.
Visit her website: https://www.dianneascroft.com
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Thank you for reading, and Merry Christmas!
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-The Authors of Deadly Traditions
Justine Maxwell, Deadly Traditions
