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yesterday?”
    Randy nodded.
    Why is Bryant here? The Pie Palace isn’t his jurisdiction at all. DeeAnn started to get a bad feeling. When Bryant was on the scene, it meant bad news. True, he was eye-candy, but still bad news.
    â€œSo what did you do with your day afterward?” Bryant asked.
    â€œI spent it with my mom and dad,” Randy said. “I know, for you it might not be a big deal to see something like that. But for me . . . I just—”
    â€œOh, I completely understand,” the detective interrupted. “But here’s the thing. Last night, another dead body was found. Marina’s sister.”
    The room silenced.
    â€œI didn’t even know she had a sister,” Randy said after a minute. “How awful.” He said it as if his lack of knowledge was a sin.
    â€œShe cleaned houses for a living. Name was Esmeralda,” Bryant said.
    Randy paled and sucked in air. “I did know her! She worked for Elsie. They were sisters?”
    The detective nodded. “They were sisters and they both knew you. So, you see why I’m here.”
    â€œNow just hold on here,” Earl said, then cleared his throat and started to rise again from the kitchen table.
    Bryant held up his hand. “Randy is not a suspect. I’m just hoping he can answer a few questions and shed some light on these young women.”
    â€œI didn’t know them that well,” Randy said. “I’m sorry. I don’t know how I can help.”
    â€œMmm. This is the best coffee I’ve ever had,” Bryant said, abruptly changing subjects.
    â€œThanks,” Randy said.
    â€œYou put cinnamon or something in it?” Bryant asked.
    Randy nodded. “Along with some other spices. Do you want a slice of coffee cake? DeeAnn made it.”
    Bryant looked over at DeeAnn. “How could I resist a slice of cake from the town’s best baker?”
    He was being such a charmer—which was thoroughly unlike him.
    â€œIf you’re on this case, it means Esmeralda was found somewhere in Cumberland Creek,” Paige said, setting a piece of coffee cake on a plate in front of him.
    Bryant nodded. “Down by the river.”
    DeeAnn shivered. Another murder in Cumberland Creek.

Chapter 7
    Annie got to the second crime scene a bit late. Bryant had already been there and gone, but she was in time to see the body before they had disturbed it. The victim’s face had a ribbon tied around it and a bow over her mouth. The ribbon was bright orange with black pumpkins printed across it.
    It chilled Annie. How strange. Why would someone decorate a body like that?
    It was so deranged.
    â€œEsmeralda Martelino,” the cop told her.
    â€œMartelino? Same last name as Marina?”
    The cop nodded. “Sisters.” He looked over at the mountains. “Foreign.”
    â€œShe’s not a drowning vic,” Annie said almost to herself. “How did she die?”
    â€œDon’t know yet,” Ruth the ME said as she walked over.
    â€œYou again,” Annie said.
    Ruth nodded.
    â€œHave you gotten any more medical results back for Marina?” Annie asked, but she already knew the answer. It was Sunday. Hardly anybody in Cumberland Creek worked on Sunday and even the rest of the state moved at a slower pace.
    â€œNo, I’m sorry,” Ruth said. “Call me tomorrow afternoon. Might have something on the first one by then.”
    â€œWhat do you make of it?” Annie asked.
    â€œI’m just the medical examiner. I don’t know anything about these young women besides the stories their bodies will tell me.”
    It was an interesting way of putting it.
    Ruth shrugged, then nodded toward Esmeralda. “I can tell you her sister was a healthy specimen. She was thin, but not malnourished, had good teeth and so on.”
    â€œNo guess on cause of death for this one?” Annie asked.
    â€œNone. I think it’s fair to say she didn’t