The Death Card: A Liz Lucas Cozy Mystery Read Online Free PDF

on
driving up Wednesday after work. Is that okay with you?”
    “Are you
kidding? I just wish you lived here permanently! I like it a lot better when
you’re with me.”
    “You just made
my night. You sleep well.”

CHAPTER 6
     
    “Good morning, Bertha,” Liz said to
her manager of the spa and lodge as she walked into the kitchen the following
morning. “Did the guests enjoy breakfast?” Five mornings a week Bertha served
the guests a family style breakfast which Liz prepared the day before. The
other two days, Emily, the girlfriend of the young man who had worked for Liz
and was murdered, filled in for Bertha.
    “The bacon maple syrup
rolls were a huge hit. I know it’s a new recipe you and Emily concocted, but
it’s definitely one you’re going to have to repeat if the feedback from the
guests is any indication. Actually, I think the guests would have eaten a dozen
more of the rolls if they’d been available. Next time you make them be sure and
make more than you think we’ll need. I don’t usually eat anything here in the
morning, but I couldn’t resist that combination.”
    Bertha patted her stomach
and smiled. She was a small woman who wore no makeup but had a smile that
instantly made everyone feel good. She set very high standards for the people
who worked at the Red Cedar Spa and Lodge, and every one of them tried to live
up to her expectations. Liz was certain the success of the spa was in large
part due to Bertha. She couldn’t imagine running the spa without her.
    “So, Bertha, how does the
week look? Are the cottages booked?”
    “Completely. After the
Brandy Boy incident went viral on You Tube, and he was on every television news
show and in all of the supermarket tabloids, we’re booked solid for several
months. People want to see him deliver brandy in his keg to their cottage when
he hears the ding-ding-ding of the bell. I’ve had to hire more people for the
spa as well. It’s developing quite a reputation as the place to go – a rustic setting
with excellent treatments. I think people are tired of the corporate cookie
cutter spas and looking for something different.”
    “Well, we certainly offer
them that. It was one of the reasons I wanted to buy the spa when I first came
here before Joe died. I wanted to get him away from his stress-filled career in
San Francisco, and I couldn’t think of a better place for it than this serene
setting among the trees and by the ocean. Unfortunately it was too late for
him, but I love it here and have never regretted moving away from San
Francisco. I know Joshua and Brittany have a hard time understanding why I
didn’t sell the Red Cedar Spa after Joe died, but this is where I want to be.”
    “I’ve never traveled
anywhere, but then again I never felt a need to,” Bertha said. “Everything I
want is right here in Red Cedar. By the way, I had a strange call last night.
You know I have the office phone set to transfer calls to a line I have in my
home when I’m not here. Anyway, a woman called and asked if I had any openings
for massages today. She said her ex-husband was murdered yesterday, and she
wanted to celebrate. Don’t you think that’s a strange thing to say?”
    “Very! Were you able to
work her in?”
    “Yes. Lisette had a
cancellation, so there was an opening. The woman sounded very strange, almost a
bit demented. I can’t imagine having your ex-husband murdered and wanting to
celebrate it.”
    “I can’t either. Do you
remember her name?”
    “Yes, her name is Donna
Morris. Do you recognize it?”
    “I don’t know if you’re
aware that Leroy Morris, the deputy police chief, was murdered yesterday.”
    “Yes, I heard. You know
how small towns love to gossip, and this one’s no different. I stopped at
Gertie’s Diner when I left here yesterday evening to get some cornbread. It’s
the one thing my husband prefers over my cooking. Everyone at the diner was
talking about it. They said he was shot while he was sitting at