Perilous Pranks (Renaissance Faire Mystery) Read Online Free PDF Page A

thought it might be more important to find Shakespeare. He knew about the prank, and came to Wanda’s cottage right after I found her dead. I went to look for him, but he wasn’t at his podium when the Main Gate opened.”
    “I’ll have people keep an eye out for him. You think he was involved with Wanda’s murder?”
    “I don’t know. I didn’t to begin with, but now with him disappearing . . . I guess it’s possible.”
    “Okay. Just don’t worry about it. Pat has been playing Shakespeare here since the Village opened. He isn’t going to walk off the job. We’ll find him.”
    “Thanks.” I managed a smile, but I didn’t have the same confidence he had. If Shakespeare had killed Wanda, he could be long gone by now.
    “There she is,” a familiar voice bellowed across the pub.
    Daisy Reynolds was the master armorer for the Village. She was a large woman with muscled arms, badly dyed blond curls, and a kewpie doll smile she enhanced with scarlet lipstick. She wore a formidable breast plate with the image of a phoenix on it.
    “Good morning, Master Armorer.” I stood and greeted her with a head nod, as was proper in this case.
    “Never mind that crap.” She threw her big arms around me and almost hugged the breath out of my chest. “I’m proud of you finally taking care of that she-witch. I heard she was blue from head to toe. Great prank, Lady Jessie!”
    “Hey! Save some of that for me.” Bart Van Impe was a giant of a man who made Chase look small. He was Daisy’s lover and one of the Queen’s Guards.
    He hugged me even tighter than Daisy had, until my feet couldn’t reach the floor. The breath woofed out of me, and my head felt dizzy.
    Both of them shook hands with Chase and then pushed into the booth with us.
    “It’s not as good as it sounds,” I told Daisy and Bart. “Wanda is dead, killed by a sword.”
    Daisy frowned. “But not by your hand. I don’t believe it.”
    “Of course not,” Bart added. “Just because Wanda died after someone stuck a sword in her chest, and Jessie is one of the swordswomen in the Village, no reason to think that.”
    I sighed. “Would you mind not telling the police that?”
    Daisy and Bart ordered lunch. Peter’s sister, Maude, brought our drinks. Everyone in the pub was staring at us. A few brave visitors asked to take Daisy’s photo. 
    Even though Daisy worked with swords and knives, and was considered one of the best sword-smiths on the Ren Faire circuit, she was also good-hearted and generous. She and Bart both stood to have their pictures taken. I was afraid for a moment that the tiny woman visitor with the camera might faint.
    When it was over, they sat back down with us.
    “They don’t really think you killed her in that obvious, stupid way, do they?” Daisy asked.
    “I think they don’t have another suspect,” Chase answered.
    “I dyed her blue. And I was the person who found her. And we had a long standing history of problems. Detective Almond knows all of that—and the part about me knowing how to use a sword.”
    “When you put it that way.” Bart shrugged his huge shoulders. “I might think you killed her too.”
    Daisy nudged him hard with her elbow. “Jessie didn’t killer her! But someone did. Let’s try to think of another suspect or two to throw the cops off.”
    “I heard the queen yelling at Wanda yesterday,” Bart said. “But that’s an everyday occurrence. They didn’t get along well. Did anyone get along with Wanda?”
    “Wasn’t Shakespeare married to Wanda at one time?” Daisy frowned. “Where is he anyway? I heard Sir Reginald complaining to Gus Fletcher at the castle this morning. Shakespeare hasn’t been at his podium. Don’t ask me why, but plenty of visitors come to see him.”
    “Maybe he ran off,” Bart said. “I’d leave if I killed her.”
    “I heard Wanda was dating a young knight before she died,” I said. “Have you heard anyone talking about that?”
    It was unusual for people not to