Murder at the Miramar (Augusta Burnette Series) Read Online Free PDF Page B

rest of the band away from Miguel, OK?’
    He began motioning the musicians to step off the bandstand, and they did so with some reluctance, glancing back to where their bandmate still sat.
    Oh boy, I thought. Things were not looking too good for poor Miguel. He hadn’t moved at all, aside from a few twitches of his arms and legs. Definitely not a good sign.
    The faint wail of an approaching siren announced that help was near, and I felt a little better. Once they were here and had things under control, we could continue the party, right? I looked at Emmy to gauge her mindset, and was shocked to catch a look of satisfaction on her face. As quickly as it was there, though, the look was gone, and I was sure I’d been mistaken. It was probably just a trick of the light. Emmy would never be happy to see someone hurt, least of all someone she had hired to represent her beloved Miramar.
    The paramedics arrived and assessed it was safe to move Miguel and lay him down on the ground behind the stage. By this time, we’d managed to get the guests rounded up and moved to another venue; a smaller patio around the corner, where a hasty drinks table had been set up. Smart move, I thought approvingly, smiling at the servers who were busy handing out glasses of wine; a little bit of lubrication and hopefully no one would find any of this odd. To be on the safe side, though, I crossed my fingers. And toes. I was just reaching for my own glass when I heard my name.
    ‘Ms Burnette? Do you have a minute?’ The familiar voice from somewhere behind me sent a chill down my spine and not just because I was startled. It was that Detective Dimple again, and I was in his crosshairs.
    Slowly, I turned to find him standing just a few feet away, arms folded across his chest and feet planted apart. I didn’t see one hint of that intriguing facial feature, though; in fact, he looked rather stern at the moment. That probably wasn’t a good omen.
    ‘Well, hey there, Detective. Two visits in one day from the boys in blue have got to be some kind of record for the Miramar.’ I was aiming for flippant and managed to sound petulant, as if having the law on the property was some kind of albatross.
    He didn’t get the joke, either. Instead, motioning me to follow him, he turned and headed for the main lobby’s entrance, striding too fast for me to keep up. I guess he thought I had more information, although about what I had no idea. Certainly not Miguel’s misfortune; that had been a simple accident, a crossing of some wires. I sighed, looking down at my watch. Eight o’clock. A mere twenty-four hours since my arrival and already having my second police interview. Not an auspicious beginning, I’d say.
    When I did manage to catch up, Detective Baird was standing near Emmy’s desk, caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Actually, it was the cookie plate, which had been refilled while we were all outside enjoying the music and the evening. He grinned when he saw me, a trace of chocolate on his mouth. I had a sudden desire to kiss it off, then blushed at my own crazy thoughts. What in the world was wrong with me? Unless I was having some post-David reaction, it was just plain wrong to think that way about a police officer. There was probably some law against it anyway.
    ‘How can I help you, Detective?’ I didn’t mean to sound as cool as I did, but I was over-compensating for my unruly mind. And I was unexpectedly tired. This entire day was taking its toll on me.
    Seating myself beside Emmy’s desk, I reached for my own cookie, snagging a luscious double chocolate chip. There was enough sugar there to sweeten my mood for at least a week, but if it was working, I couldn’t tell. I looked at him as I munched away, waiting for his response. I was determined to keep my mouth shut until I absolutely had to speak.
    He leaned on the corner of the desk, licking the remainder of the cookie from his fingers, staring at me thoughtfully. Well, two could play