Shopping is Murder (McKinley Mysteries Book 6) Read Online Free PDF

friend was nowhere to be found. She was too busy at college.” Mrs. Townsend crossed her legs, her chin notching up when she made the movement.
    Sara knew that ’s where everything had taken a turn, and for years she had let the belief that she was a bad friend hold her down, but it was time to break free of that perception.
    When Nicole got married, she chose to do so during the busiest period of the school year. It was the week before final exams and Sara needed to study. She had even told Nicole about her schedule when the wedding date was just talk. Once it was confirmed, Sara took that as a message that her friendship wasn’t valued. “Mrs. Townsend, there are two sides to every story.”
    Mrs. Townsend turned her head toward Sara in dramatic slow motion.
    “Nicole knew the situation and accepted it,” Sara continued.
    “Please, Mom, this is in the past.” Nicole tapped her mother’s forearm again.
    “Are you sure?”
    “Mother.” Nicole jumped to her feet. “You—” Nicole buried her face behind her hands.
    The room fell silent.
    Seconds later, Nicole put her arms down. Tears stained her cheeks and her eyes were an intensified hue of red.
    “Mother, my husband is dead. Do you understand that?”
    “I was just—”
    “I know what you were trying to do, but Sara’s a grown woman and so am I.”
    Mrs. Townsend ’s mouth moved as if she were going to speak, but her jaw skewed to the left and snapped shut.
    “Can you leave us alone for a bit?” Nicole asked.
    Mrs. Townsend’s eyes scanned about the room, and she then conceded to her daughter ’s request.
    “Sorry about her, Sara.” Nicole sat down where her mother had been.
    “Are you really sure you want Sean and me to take care of this?”

    “Someone killed him, Sara, and I need to know who.”

 

     
    Questions That Need Answers
     
    THERE WERE A FEW DISCREPANCIES that stood out to Sean. First, the man with the Magnum, P.I. mustache made it sound as if the women weren ’t around when Jerrod Hill had talked about jumping. Yet Nicole mentioned her husband saying the same thing. Was it possible this man, Magnum, was following them and involved with Jerrod’s death somehow?
    Second, with the Hills’ residence being in New York, why were they in Albany to shop? Surely there would be higher-end stores in the Big Apple.
    If he and Sara were going to proceed, these concerns needed to be addressed, along with the standard inquiry as to whether or not anyone hated him enough, or had a reason, to kill him.
    “Why were you shopping in Albany?” Sean asked, watching Nicole’s body language.
    Nicole took a deep breath and paired it with a dramatic eye roll. “We shouldn’t even have been doing the shopping, but Jerrod insisted. He said we’d find unique gifts here. Actually, we were still arguing about it just before—” She paused, her lips curling, her chin contorting, but she composed herself without crying. “You know what it’s like for people like us, Sara, we don’t have to do our own shopping. Why would we? And Black Friday…does it really seem that we need to be concerned with bargains?”
    “So, it was Jerrod’s idea that you come here and then he—” Sara didn’t finish the sentence.
    Sean sensed from the paleness washing over Sara’s face that her intuitive feelings were kicking in again. She had a way about her that was almost physic, as if she were a mind-reader and foreteller of events. If she felt strongly about something, it usually came true. Right now, based on the set of her jaw and the words she spoke, Sean surmised Sara somehow believed it was Jerrod ’s time and that may be why he was compelled to be in the mall.
    “Yes. It’s not fair, really.” Nicole put a hand to her forehead and swept back wisps of brown hair. She sauntered to the bar cart and poured a Scotch. She held the decanter toward Sean, then Sara. “Would either of you care for a glass?”
    “No, we’re good, hon,” Sara said, her eyes