Strawberry Tartlets and a Dead Starlet Read Online Free PDF

people with motives," Bree says. "The police have their hands full."
    "Unless she was murdered on accident," Presley argues.
    "Okay." Bree wipes her hands on her apron. "Why don't you start by telling us everything that happened? Start with breakfast the day before yesterday."
    "I ate at my hotel in Dallas," he answers. "Scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, two pieces of burnt toast, a bagel…"
    "You still eat like a college football player?" I blurt out. "How are you not three hundred pounds?"
    "It's a gift." Presley shrugs.
    "A gift that middle age will steal from you," Bree mutters.
    "Anyway," Presley continues. "I met Lacy Leigh in Dallas, and I flew with her to New Orleans. She met with a few people. Meetings from what I understood, but all I did was monitor the entryways. From what I saw, she stayed in her hotel room all night, and we left before sunup to come here on Saturday morning."
    "Right," I respond. "Gilly made a fuss about his eggs Benedict with brioche."
    "Frankie delivered breakfast," Presley goes on. "And then Lacy Leigh said she wanted to go visit her aunt who lives in town and that she didn't need my services."
    "How long was she gone?" Bree asks.
    "She missed lunch," he clarifies. Bree raises her eyebrows.
    "But Gilly made her a portion," Bree adds. "He was adamant about using the good silver."
    "Yeah." Presley flashes her a twisted smirk. "I ate it."
    "But Gilly made you a tray too," she points out.
    "I ate that too," Presley confesses.
    I cover my mouth to stop myself from laughing. The look on Bree's face is priceless. She looks at Presley as if he had just smashed a dozen perfectly good chocolate cakes for no reason.
    " Men ," Bree huffs. "I really don't understand them."
    "Lacy was back by dinnertime, right?" I ask. "Or did you eat on her behalf again?"
    "No, she had come back by then." Presley glances down at his loafers. "But that's when the paranoia that someone was stalking her set in. Eventually I gave in, and we switched rooms for the night."
    "Was that before or after Frankie brought up the tea and tartlets?" I ask.
    "Minutes before, I'd say," Presley answers. "The trays were left by the door."
    "As is the nighttime policy, so as not to disturb the guests," Bree cuts in. "Cherie usually checks each hallway before closing up every night."
    "See what I mean?" Presley grabs a spare fry from a serving dish. "No one knew I was in Lacy's room except Lacy."
    "Jump back to the paranoia part." I glance down the hallway, watching for Frankie's return. "Did Lacy Leigh tell you who she thought was stalking her or why ?"
    "She never said a name," Presley replies. "All she said was that someone told her to leave town, and she felt as though her life was in danger."
    "But according to Cherie, Lacy Leigh was supposed to be here a week," Bree states. "Do you really think she would've changed her plans so suddenly?"
    "I guess we'll never know." Presley shakes his head.
    "Why was Lacy here in the first place?" It's a question I'd been wondering since she first showed up at the beginning of the year.
    "Beats me," Presley answers. "I don't ask questions. I just do my job. Maybe her usual body guard, Chance The Hammer Munrow, knows why? I assumed it was to see family or something."
    "Sounds like we've got a lot of studying to do," I comment. "And I know just the person who can tell us the latest gossip around town. He's lived here his whole life."
    Footsteps jog toward us, and Frankie enters the kitchen with a wide smile on her face. She grabs the serving tray nearest to her and pauses. Bree takes a deep breath.
    "What is it?" she asks.
    "The Masons really know how to have a good time," she giggles. "That's all I'm saying."
    "Well, then it's a miracle they answered the door at all." Bree places a hand on her hip. "Now check Mr. Wheeler's room, and make sure he hasn't snuck back in for lunch. Then you can help us lay out the spread for Detective Sugars and all of his men."
    "Cherie has really gone out of her way to