Murder in Aix (The Maggie Newberry Mystery Series Book 5) Read Online Free PDF

like you
really figured it all out in the end.”
    “Don’t jinx us,
Grace. But, yeah. We’re finally happy. What with the book and everything.” She
waved at her very large abdomen pressing into the side of the table.
    “Yes, you
definitely have your distractions. I can see. What about socially? Are you two
just stay-at-homes or do you go out?”
    “There are a few
discos in Aix if you need some excitement,” Maggie said dryly. “Or were you
asking if I’d replaced you yet in the best friend department?”
    “Can’t slip much
past you. I haven’t found anyone in Indianapolis yet. It’s a hard town to break
into. I’ve put in my applications for best friend but so far nothing. I
understand you and Danielle have gotten close?”
    Danielle Alexandre
was Maggie and Laurent’s elderly neighbor. While it was true that after Grace
left Maggie reached out to Danielle more than she had before, Grace knew well
enough it could never be like what they had.
    “I’m really too
busy for palling around much lately,” Maggie said. “It’s a good thing you left,
Grace. I would’ve had to dump you.”
    “Charming,
dearest. And good to know.”
    Laurent entered
with a large tureen of bouillabaisse and
set it in front of the women.
    “It’s not fish,
is it?” Maggie asked, peeking under the china lid of the tureen.
    “Of course it is
fish,” Laurent replied, nonplused. “It is bouillabaisse .”
    “You can’t eat
shellfish?” Grace asked, reaching for her napkin.
    “She can eat
anything,” Laurent said firmly, giving Maggie a raise of his eyebrow. “It is
just her little joke.” He placed a large basket of garlic rounds on the table
with a bowl of rouille .
    “Oh, I have
missed this,” Grace said, and Maggie could swear her eyes watered when she
spoke.
    “Just fish soup,
Grace,” she said. “No biggie. Right, Laurent?”
    But Laurent was
off to the kitchen to fetch something else necessary to make the lunch perfect.
    “Well, it’s a
biggie to me ,” Grace said, spreading
the rouille on a toast round. “I
can’t remember the last time I had French food, let alone with friends.”
    “Windsor working
a lot?”
    “You could say
that. And Taylor is a full-time job. She’s worse now than ever. Plus, she hates
me.”
    “I’m sure that’s
not true, Grace.”
    Laurent returned
with a large ladle and spooned the steaming and fragrant stew into three large
stoneware bowls. As soon as they were served, Maggie’s cellphone rang.
    “It could be my
editor,” she said, looking at Laurent.
    “You can call her
back,” he said.
    Maggie picked up
her phone and looked at the screen. “It’s Julia,” she said and accepted the
call before Laurent could speak. “Hey, Julia. What’s up?”
    Laurent sighed
heavily and flapped a linen napkin across his lap.
    Grace nudged him
with her foot under the table. “Who’s Julia?”
    “ Une amie ,” he said. “They met last year.
They have become close.” He frowned and looked at Maggie, who was off the
phone. “ Qu’est-ce qui’il y a?” he
asked.
    Maggie looked at
him as if startled out of a daze.
    “Maggie?” Grace
said. “Is everything alright?”
    “That was Julia.”
She shook her head. “You’re not going to believe this.” She looked from Grace
to Laurent. “Jacques is dead.”
     

 
    Chapter
Four
     
    Maggie sat in the
large, sunny lounge in Julia’s apartment. She had bolted out the front door and
into her Renault while Laurent and Grace walked down the long gravel drive
trying to talk her into staying. In the end, Laurent insisted on driving her
and ushered Grace back into the house to wait for them. He promised they would
not be late. Now, he sat in one of the many cafés that lined the Cours and
waited for Maggie to emerge from the apartment building.
    “Was it suicide?”
Maggie asked Julia gently. Julia was sitting straight-backed on her sofa,
holding a glass of untouched wine in her hands.
    “What?” Julia
seemed to forcibly drag