Murder in the Pearl District (Cedar Bay Cozy Mystery Series Book 5) Read Online Free PDF

to Kelly. Almost immediately
Sophie screamed, “ Mon Dieu ,” and at the same moment Kelly saw Donatella
lying face down on the kitchen floor in a pool of blood, a large stainless
steel chef’s knife protruding out of her back, shining in the morning sunlight
which filled the room. She was wearing the same dress she’d had on at the
dinner party the evening before and was obviously dead.

CHAPTER 7
     
    Kelly and Sophie both stared in
disbelief at the dead body of Donatella, unwilling to believe what their eyes
were telling them. Donatella, the vibrant and famous chef, ready to film her
first television program, Dining with Donatella, had been murdered in the
kitchen of her own home. In an ironic twist of fate, the weapon that had been
used to end her life was a chef’s knife.
                “I’ll call the police.
Did you bring your phone?” Kelly asked.
                “ Non , I thought
I’d only be gone a minute. I can’t believe this. I think I’m going to be sick.”
                “Sit down. I see a phone
on the desk. Take some deep breaths. It will pass.” She dialed 911.
                A few minutes later, they
heard police sirens getting louder the closer they got to Donatella’s home.
Kelly hurried to the front door and waved the police in. “She’s in the kitchen
at the end of the hall.”
                When they reached the
kitchen, Sophie was crying and trying to talk on the phone. “Mitch… it’s Dede.
She’s ddddead. There’s a knife in her back.” She handed the phone to Kelly, “I
ccaan’t talk.”
                “Mitch, this is Kelly. I
am so sorry to have to tell you this, but Donatella has been murdered. Sophie
and I discovered her body on the kitchen floor of her home just minutes ago.
The police just got here.” She listened for a moment. “I understand. You’re
right. There’s nothing you could do here, anyway. I’m sure you’ll have your
hands full at the station. We’ll call you later.”
                They spent the next hour
telling the police and a man who wore a badge with the words “Detective Masters”
on it, everything they knew about Donatella and the events of the evening
before. The coroner came, officially pronounced Donatella dead, and then took
her body to the morgue. Neighbors and the lunch staff from the restaurant
filled the front yard, trying to find out what had happened to their beloved
chef. The police put yellow tape around the house as detectives and other law
enforcement personnel swarmed around the scene of the murder.
                Finally, Detective
Masters closed his notebook. “You’re free to go. I have your contact
information if we need to get in touch with you. If you think of something,
please call me, no matter how trivial you think it might be.” He put his hand
on Sophie’s shoulder. “I’m sorry. My wife has all of her cookbooks, and I know
she was a large donor to a number of charities in the Pearl District. You’re
not the only one who will feel this loss.”
                Kelly and Sophie walked
back to Sophie’s house, the dogs following them. “How fast life can change,”
Sophie said in a terribly sad voice. “When I got up this morning, I was so
happy about how well last night had gone and looking forward to watching the
taping of Dede’s first show. Now…” her words trailed off as she started quietly
sobbing.
                “I haven’t had near
enough caffeine to deal with this,” Kelly said. “I’m going to make another pot
of coffee. Would you like some?”
                “ Oui. I can’t
believe this. Because of her diminished mental capacity, Francesca won’t
understand, and what will happen to her now?”
                “Surely Donatella must
have provided for Francesca in her will. Do you think Francesca’s father can
care for her? Will his new wife be able to handle