Rest in Peace Read Online Free PDF

but Victoria.”
    Which proved to be true, and which was fine with me.
    All I had to do was repeat what I’d told the sheriff before, sign a statement, and then I was out of there.
    As the seniors headed for the van, Benjamin took my arm and stopped me. “Don’t forget our date tonight.”
    Actually, I had forgotten that Benjamin and I had plans to have dinner at the Japanese restaurant in Caffee Springs.
    “Of course I won’t forget. I’ve been looking forward to it.” Or I would have been if I’d remembered. Just a little fib to spare his feelings.

    Miss Evalina and Frank went to their room to rest before dinner, but all the others headed for the rec room to watch TV.
    I decided to relax in a warm bubble bath and almost fell asleep in the tub. I dried off, got dressed, and was downstairs when Benjamin arrived in his truck.
    It was a beautiful, clear night, the star-decked autumn sky like a soft curtain hanging above us, hiding us from the world as we rode down the blacktop highway to Caffee Springs. I leaned back against the soft leather and drank in the enjoyment of being alone with Benjamin.
    The restaurant was full, and we waited nearly thirty minutes for a private table, even though we had reservations.
    Seated at last at a small table in a corner, I breathed in a long breath of satisfaction and smiled across at Ben. He grinned, reached over, and took my hand, stroking my engagement ring.
    Dinner was delicious, and as we talked, I could feel myself unwinding. I knew I needed to talk to Benjamin about Laura and her daughter but hesitated to ruin the moment.
    I leaned back and watched Ben as he finished his dessert. We’d known each other since we were children, and sometimes I took his good looks and wonderful personality for granted. But not tonight. I gazed at his deep blue eyes and the sandy lock of hair that fell over his forehead.
    He looked up and grinned, and then his face softened. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think the lady was in love with me,” he teased.
    “You’d think right, sir.”
    “Okay. I can see it in your eyes, right through that look of love. What’s on your mind? Besides me?”
    “I’m sorry, Ben. I don’t want to spoil our evening, but there is something that concerns me.”
    “Something about Clyde’s death, right?”
    “I’m not sure.” And I wasn’t. “I met Clyde’s daughter today. And his granddaughter.”
    “Oh, you met Laura and Christiana? Nice, aren’t they?”
    I felt my mouth fall open and shut it firmly. I should have known Benjamin would have met them. After all, he did own the newspaper and lived and breathed reporting. He probably met them before I did.
    “Nice? Laura seems nice. I’d hardly use that word to describe Christiana.”
    “Why not? She was very nice to me.”
    Yeah, I’ll just bet she was
. So that was her games.
    I shot him a glare. “Christiana’s ‘niceness’ isn’t what I wanted to talk to you about. Laura suspected her father was murdered even before the sheriff declared the shop a crime scene.”
    “You’re kidding. She didn’t hint at that to me.”
    “Oh, really? I wonder why not, Benjamin.”
    “Yeah, she probably thought I’d write it up in the
Gazette
.” He frowned. “Still…”
    “It seems Laura’s mother had told her about some shady dealings Clyde was involved in. That’s why she left him. She was afraid.” I paused, gauging his reaction. “That’s why Laura has this feeling about her dad being murdered.”
    “Hmm, it looks like she could be right. I doubt Turner would have declared it a crime scene without evidence.”
    “I wonder if he’ll let them stay in Clyde’s apartment until after the funeral.” There were a lot of cabins for rent in the vicinity, but the closest decent hotel was at least ten miles away.
    “I don’t know, but they’re not leaving right after the funeral.”
    “They’re not? Why not?”
    “I don’t know. But Christiana applied for the job at the
Gazette
.”
    I