Killing the Carnations (A Heavenly Highland Inn Cozy Mystery) Read Online Free PDF Page B

some time. Vicky wanted to be happy for her aunt, but something about Nicholas left her uneasy. When Mitchell finished talking to the officers he walked back over to Vicky, his gaze still filled with concern.
    “ Are you really okay?” he whispered as he paused beside her.
    “ I will be,” Vicky said but her voice was trembling. She stood nervously beside Mitchell as he rubbed her arm soothingly and tried to get her to look him in the eyes.
    “ It's going to be okay,” he promised her. “We'll find out who did this.”
    “ I know you will,” Vicky said quietly and lowered her head. She wanted to let Mitchell soothe her, but it was very difficult to stop thinking about what she had seen. Not only was Charleston dead, but they had no idea who had killed him. As well-connected and high-powered as Jeremy Minkle was, could his threat come true? Would he sue them?
    “ Do you think we should evacuate the inn?” she asked him with a frown. “This huge conference is going on, it will be difficult to get everyone out smoothly.”
    “ I don't think we need to do that,” Mitchell assured her. “Not just yet, it seems to me that whoever did this had a target, and it was Charleston.”
    “ But who would target him?” Vicky asked with growing aggravation. “He had only just arrived. Who would do something so terrible?”
    “ Well,” Mitchell reached up and ruffled his fingers through his hair. “We do have a suspect in mind.”
    “ You do?” Aunt Ida asked as she walked up behind Mitchell. Nicholas had walked off with a uniformed officer to answer some questions about what he might have seen or heard. Vicky was beginning to calm down, knowing that there was a suspect was a very good thing.
    “ Who is it?” Vicky inquired.
    “I can’t say,” Mitchell said but he glanced over his shoulder as more uniformed officers surrounded Nicholas. 
    “ Nicholas?” Ida asked with surprise as she realised what was happening. “That's not possible. He would never do this. He's not that kind of man.”
    Mitchell arched an eyebrow and lowered his voice to a respectful tone. “Forgive me Ida, but how long have you known this man to be able to make such an assumption?”
    “ Long enough,” Ida snapped back with confidence. She frowned as Nicholas was led past them to the elevator. “This just isn't possible,” she insisted sternly. “Nicholas is a good man.”
    “ And he was also up for the same promotion as Charleston,” Vicky pointed out with widening eyes. “After Charleston teased him at the reception desk, he must have been livid. He probably decided to make sure that he was the one to get the promotion.”
    “ Those are all assumptions,” Aunt Ida huffed and shook her head. “There is no way that Nicholas did this.”
    “ No one's saying he did,” Mitchell replied calmly and met Ida's eyes. “Right now the evidence points in his direction. We just want to find out a little more information from him down at the station,” he glanced past Ida to Vicky.
    “ Are you going to be okay?” he asked her tenderly.
    “ Yes,” Vicky nodded. “I'll be fine, I promise,” she insisted when he hesitated to leave her side.
    “ All right, I'll let you know of any developments, okay?” he glanced between the two and then narrowed his blue eyes slightly. “Even though I don't think that there is any danger to be concerned about, the two of you should be cautious. Call me for any reason.”
    “ We will,” Ida assured him and then waved him away. “Now hurry off and release Nicholas, he's obviously innocent.”
    Mitchell offered Ida a tight smile and then joined the other officers on the elevator. Vicky watched the elevator doors slide shut, and tried not to think too much about what had just happened. She didn't have much time to, before Ida grabbed her firmly by the arm and pulled her into a nearby room.
    “Hey...” Vicky started to say as she was pulled slightly off balance. Aunt Ida might have had a slender frame