Becklaw's Murder Mystery Tour (Jo Anderson Series) Read Online Free

Bea’s hair before, and tonight it was in full frizz, thanks to the dampness in the night air. She had carefully smoothed it back from her forehead, placing pins and combs in random spots to hold it down. Still, it managed to have a life of its own, and the end result was a coiffure that defied gravity. And hairspray.
    I think I admired her more for what I saw as her only deficiency.
    We managed to get inside without too much hoopla and back to the dressing rooms behind the red velvet curtain that hung near the front of the room. The five temps followed us warily. I think they thought that Miss Bea was going to personally strip them down and dress them in saloon-appropriate regalia.
    Three of them were to play cardsharps; carrying on, drinking (root beer) and a playing a high-stakes poker game. They joined LJ and Derek in the room marked ‘Men’s’ and soon appeared duded out in cowboy boots, jeans, and leather vests. The other two actors were young women, set to play another dancer and a ‘lady of the night’, respectively. Their clothes were a bit harder to judge, but Miss Bea had once again pulled a miracle out of her traveling garment bag. Lydia, a shy girl and daughter of John Hamilton was dressed in a lacy number much like Leslie’s, and I saw with amusement that she kept trying to tug it down in the back. This in turn caused the neckline to plunge even further, and the poor girl was scarlet with effort and embarrassment. Miss Bea didn’t seem to notice her discomfort, so I didn’t either.
    Lyssa, Lydia’s younger sister and apparently born with a much worldlier attitude, reveled in her costume as a ‘loose woman’. She was also tugging at her dress, but she intended for the neckline to drop just as far as it could possibly go. When she stuck her head out of the curtain to look at the crowd, her mother must have seen more than she wanted to. Mrs Hamilton joined us, mouth prim and a safety pin in her hands. She went to work on Lyssa’s dress and fixed that girl’s exhibitionist streak but good. I shook my head. I am always amazed at how different siblings can be.
    Miss Bea gathered us around her for one last pep talk. I noticed that LJ’s forehead was beaded in sweat, tiny pearls of moisture that stayed miraculously in place.
    Leslie looked almost bored she was so calm, and Derek looked stern. I couldn’t see my own face, of course, but I felt the tell-tale flush that creeps into place whenever I am nervous. I sincerely hoped that it looked becoming and not blotchy.
    ‘Derek, you’ll stay behind the bar for most of the hour, only coming out to wipe down tables,’ began Miss Bea. ‘LJ, the piano is set up at stage left, and you need to go right over to it as soon as the curtain opens. Start playing something like “Oh, Susannah”. Leslie, you and Lydia will circulate among the tables on stage as well as those in the audience. Chat, laugh, refresh their drinks, whatever. Lyssa, you won’t come out until you hear LJ begin playing “The Girl He Left Behind”. Your job is just to strut around and give all the men some steamy looks.’ Here Lyssa looked ecstatic and Lydia looked alarmed.
    ‘Miss Jo, you’ll be walking around all over the place, making sure that everyone is comfy. You three boys,’ – here she indicated the cowboys, who elbowed each other and grinned – ‘will be at the center table playing a game of poker. Make a big deal of talking and drinking and all that. Shuffle the cards as fancy as you can. When Miss Jo walks over to your table, start showing off, and one of you will get mad and stomp off.
    ‘That’s your cue, Lyssa, to run after him. Once you’re off-stage, you’ll scream then run back on, yelling that he’s crazy. You’ll then exit at the opposite side of the stage, saying that you’re going upstairs to rest up for the night. After a few minutes, he’ll come back onstage and go up to the bar then leave again and the other two will follow you out, jeering and