The Stone of Sadness (An Olivia Miller Mystery Book 3) Read Online Free PDF

preparing the attic junk for the trash company. When Olivia reached the door to the garage, she stopped in front of it. Holding the door knob, she turned her head and looked back at the overturned newspaper. After several seconds of mental debate, Olivia pulled her phone from her shorts pocket, walked back to the table, and leaned over the landscaping invoice to find the number to phone Mr. Andrew’s wife.

Chapter 6
    Olivia followed the directions that Mrs. Andrews gave her and she turned her Jeep onto Magnolia Hill Drive. She drove along the winding road past woods of pines, maples, and oaks until it widened slightly and opened to several miles of what Olivia could only describe as mansions. The homes lined both sides of the road, each one set back on expansive acreage. Olivia considered her cousin John’s 2800 square foot antique Colonial to be a huge house, but four to six houses the size of John’s would easily fit inside the palaces she passed. The mansions had an air of understated elegance, as if they were owned by a doctor or lawyer or successful businessperson, but some also exuded an opulence associated with a celebrity or professional sports star.
    It was just before noon when Olivia spotted the granite mailbox post with number twenty-eight engraved onto it. She turned the Jeep into the long driveway that led to a stately brick mansion. There were shade trees and mature plantings neatly meandering around the ground’s of the home.
    Olivia wondered how a lawn business owner could afford such a place and she suspected that she had the wrong address. She glanced at the paper on the console to confirm the address she had written down to be sure this was the house she was looking for. She slowed the Jeep and parked near the three car garage.
    A woman came around the side of the house. She was slender and petite, her silver hair cut short and stylishly with wisps framing her face. She was dressed in a short sleeved striped shirt and tan chinos and carried a basket of flowers in one hand and some garden clippers in the other. She seemed energetic and efficient and she greeted Olivia with a bright smile.
    “I was in the back yard and heard the car so I came out to see if it was you. Olivia, right?” She extended her hand.
    “Yes, hello Mrs. Andrews,” Olivia said. “Thank you for seeing me.”
    “No need for thanks. I’m happy to speak with you. And please, call me Lydia.”
    She led Olivia along the stone path to the back of the house. There was a large glass room off the rear of the home. All of the floor to ceiling windows were open, allowing what little breeze there was to enter the room.
    “This is a beautiful home,” Olivia said.
    “Thank you, hon. People are sometimes surprised that a lawn service man owns a house like this.” She laughed. “Bob owned a construction business all his life. He did quite well, made good investments, and that’s what paid for this place. He retired a few years back, gave the business to our son. But Bob is a man who must keep busy or he goes crazy which means he then drives me crazy.” She winked. “So he decided to start the lawn business. It works out nicely as we live here in spring, summer, and fall and then head out to Arizona in the winter.”
    “Lucky,” Olivia said. “I wouldn’t mind escaping some of the New England winters myself. Your husband seems like a real nice man.”
    “Oh, he’s a peach. But don’t tell him I said that,” she smiled. “Come on in, Olivia. I want to get these flowers in water. Then we can have some tea and sit and talk.” They entered an enormous kitchen that had a center island, granite counters, high end appliances, and a gleaming wood floor. Mrs. Andrews removed a cut glass vase from a cabinet, filled it with water, and arranged the flowers. She made tea and she and Olivia took their mugs out to the sunroom.
    “Please, sit,” Lydia said. They each took a seat in plush chairs. The room provided a view of green lawn, tall