Mistletoe Mystery Read Online Free PDF Page B

you,” he whispered. “Today couldn’t come quick
enough for me.”
    “I’m glad you’re here.”
    There was the sound of a car horn outside. “That’ll be the
food,” she said, pulling away. He stopped her and, drawing her back into his
arms, kissed her again.
    Dinner was a lively affair. Matt seemed to very quickly pick
up on the quirky sense of humour shared by the three friends, and joined in
easily. It helped Philly to relax more. She had been eager for Meg and Puck to
like him, and it seemed to her that they did.
    “Philly says your family are in insurance,” said Puck.
“Expensive stuff.”
    “That’s right. Ships, yachts, works of art. You name it, we
insure it. We even insured an athlete’s legs for ten million bucks not long
back.”
    “Wow,” said Meg. “That’d be some pay day if he ever trips
over a paving stone.”
    Matt laughed. “To get the full pay out, the paving stone
would have to remove his legs from his body.”
    “There are streets just like that in some parts of Britain,”
said Puck. Everyone laughed, and a conversation ensued where everyone had a
story to tell about knowing someone who made a fortune for breaking a toenail
on government property.
    “So when are you having this Mistletoe and Mystery weekend?”
asked Matt.
    “A couple of weeks before Christmas,” said Philly.
    “Oh, that reminds me,” said Puck. “Tony called while you were
showing Matt around the house. He can’t make it that weekend. He’s got a proper
gig on a television drama. So we don’t have a headmaster.”
    “Oh no,” said Philly.
    “A headmaster?” said Matt.
    “Yes,” said Philly. “Tony was going to play the headmaster,
but he was also going to be the master of ceremonies. You know, explaining to
everyone what’s what when they arrive. Can’t you do it, Puck?”
    “I’m cooking dinner on the first night, remember?”
    “Oh yes. Puck is the only one amongst us who can really
cook,” Philly explained to Matt.
     
    “That’s why I keep him around,” said Meg. “Pity though. Tony
was perfect. He has this really authoritarian voice, like Patrick Stewart as
Jean Luc Picard. Make it so,” she added in a deep voice.
    “Could I do it?” said Matt. “I don’t sound like Patrick
Stewart, but I did a bit of acting in school. I think I could manage to be a
headmaster. And you Brits love an American accent, right?”
    “Mmm,” said Meg, smiling. “I think a lot of the female
guests will gladly suspend disbelief when they see you, Matt.”
    Puck frowned, but grinned widely when she blew him a
placatory kiss.
    “You … you’d really want to?” said Philly.
    “Yeah, I’d love it. You guys make it sound like so much fun.
Not that I want to push myself forward. I realise you hardly know me. But I’m
yours if you want me. I promise I come really cheap. A Chinese meal and a kiss
from Philly will be payment enough.” Philly hardly knew how to answer that.
“Just tell me what I have to do,” said Matt, when no one replied.
    “It’s simple really,” said Philly. “There’s no real script,
just an outline. You greet the guests, then there’s some health and safety
stuff you need to do, then you explain the nature of the game. We can tell you
all that before the day. As long as you get the basics right, you can improvise
as much as you like.”
    “But you can’t be the murderer,” said Puck. “We’re saving
that honour for one of the guests.”
    “Damn,” said Matt with a grin. “I really wanted to be an
evil headmaster. I could have based him on the one at my school.”
    “We can make you evil in some other way,” said Philly.
“Everyone will need at least one motive.”
    The details were thrashed out over coffee and fortune
cookies.
    Later, Philly showed Matt to his room.
    “Where’s your room?” he asked, when they reached his bedroom
door.
    “I don’t think I’m ready to tell you that yet.”
    “Things moving a little bit too quickly for you?”
    “Yes, a