Beauty to Die For and Other Mystery Shorts Read Online Free PDF Page A

that she can die in peace?”
    With her arms across her chest, she said, “What I know isn’t going to help her die in peace.”
    “Are you certain Billy Robb killed your sister?”
    “He threatened to come back and kill her after she fired him for not showing up for work,” she said. “There’s no reason on earth to think he didn’t do it?”
    “If he did do it,” Joshua replied, “then taking a second look at things won’t do any harm, will it? But if he didn’t, then taking a second look will give us the opportunity to catch who really killed your sister. So you have nothing to lose.” He flashed his most charming smile.
    “Her blood all over him,” she countered, “and they found the scissors he had used to stab her to death in his room. They still had her blood on them.”
    “All of it could have been planted,” Joshua said. “This will only take a few minutes of your time.”
    She glanced around the salon as if it had suddenly grown ears before asking in a low voice, “Have you talked to the police about this?”
    “Yes.” Technically, he had spoken to the police since his own wife was a detective. Though, he was sure that wasn’t what Susan meant. “According to my information, you came to the salon and found Rachel shortly after midnight the night of the murder.”
    Her voice shook. “I was in bed and I suddenly got this feeling.” She clutched her chest. “That would happen every now and then between us. I guess it’s the twin thing. I couldn’t shake it. I knew Rachel was working late that night. I called and she didn’t answer. So I came out to check on her. That’s when I found her.” With a toss of her head, that shook her long curls, she gestured toward the office in the back of the salon. “Back there.” Her voice hardened. “I knew it was Billy as soon as I saw her.”
    A boy, young teenager, swept in through the door. His book bag slung across his shoulders encased in an orange athletic jacket with Sewickley Academy, a private school insignia stenciled on the left breast, the earbuds of an MP3 player in his ears, Joshua guessed him to be about thirteen. His hair was a mound of golden blond curls.
    “Tyler, what are you doing here?” Susan blurted out when she saw him.
    Tyler tugged on the cord to pop one of the buds from his ears. “Doctor’s appointment this afternoon. Did you forget? The doctor has to sign my release before I can do soccer.”
    She cast a glance in Joshua’s direction. “I didn’t notice the time.”
    Tyler followed her eyes to notice Joshua. “Can I have some money to get lunch in the food court then while you’re talking?”
    Susan told Joshua, “I have to get my purse. We really don’t have much time. I need to get Tyler to the doctor. He pulled a tendon playing baseball. Now he needs the doctor to approve him playing soccer. It’s always something.”
    “I can wait.”
    Her expression when she hurried back to the offices in the back of the store conveyed that she wasn’t thrilled to hear Joshua say that.
    While waiting for his lunch money, Tyler looked Joshua up and down.
    Joshua startled him by noting, “I heard Sewickley is trying to get a football program going?”
    “Yeah, but I doubt if that will happen before I graduate.” Tyler frowned. “But I’ll be playing football at University of Pittsburgh, though. It’s a tradition.”
    Her purse under her arm, Susan came rushing back while counting out bills. “Here you go, Tyler.” She shoved a bill into his palm. “This should only take a few minutes with Mr. Thornton and then we can go.”
    “Thanks.” Tyler took the money and ran.
    After telling the receptionist that she was leaving for the afternoon, Susan led Joshua in the general direction of the food court. “I don’t know what you could possibly think I would know that could help you.”
    “You were here,” Joshua reminded her. “Say it wasn’t Billy Robb. Can you think of who else would have done that to