The Sweet Taste of Murder: An Angel Lake Mystery Read Online Free Page A

she sighed. “I know the feeling.”
    Elise’s chest squeezed in sympathy. “Lavina, it’s going to be okay. So what made you believe her? Believe the housekeeper?”
    “It just felt right, like the missing pieces I’d always been looking for had finally fallen together. I started studying him, his mannerisms, his interests. I could see our similarities.”
    “I don’t know about that. Do you think it could have just been her suggestion that made you subliminally see things that weren’t really there?”
    “I might have shrugged it off too, but he called me about a week later. Told me that he’d come home to his housekeeper crying while she fixed dinner. She confessed to him she’d spilled the secret. He said he felt like he owed me an explanation and wanted to know if I’d like to talk.”
    “What did you say?”
    “I was angry. I yelled at him, asking him how he could even look me in the face after abandoning me all my life. Abandoning my mama. He apologized, but I said it was too little too late. And, then I hung up.” There was a small sob on the end of the phone. “I didn’t realize how true those words really were. Because it really is too late. But, I’m not going to let myself care about it now.”

CHAPTER 5
    T he next day, Elise jogged up the stairs of Mrs. Campbell’s porch and rang the bell. Rose didn’t need her today—Horace was at the groomer’s—but Mrs. Campbell’s two busy dogs always demanded daily exercise.
    “Oh, hello dear. Come in. Come in! You’re in the nick time. I just finished a brand new painting.” Mrs. Campbell backed away from the open doorway, her cheeks folding into a wrinkly, crepe paper smile. The soapy scent of White Linen floated in the air as she shut the door.
    Frodo bounded down the hall. Not for the last time did Elise wonder what the heck a fragile elderly woman like Mrs. Campbell was doing with an energetic young golden retriever.
    “Come here, boy.” Elise scratched the dog’s neck as Frodo smiled, tongue lolling out. “You ready for our walk? Huh, boy?”
    Frodo scrunched down into a crouch. His tail wagged frantically like a yellow beach flag warning swimmers of rough waters. Elise winced as it thumped hard against Mrs. Campbell’s thigh. The frail lady staggered a bit and threw out a bony hand to catch her balance against the wall.
    “He’s just so happy to see you,” Mrs. Campbell wavered, her voice breathless.
    “Calm down, Frodo,” Elise admonished. “Sit.” She pressed her hand against the dog’s back end. Frodo obediently acquiesced.
    “So, last week in class, we learned all about capturing the beauty of a flower. Come see what I did.” Mrs. Campbell tottered down the hall at the last word, leaving Elise no choice but to follow. “We had our weekly craft night. Mr. Thompson was there.” She held a hand up to her mouth in a conspiratorial whisper. “Personally, I think he just comes for the wine.”
    She led the way into the living room where an impressive canvas lay propped against the wall. A bee took up the entire canvas. “I call that… beelieve.” Her face shone as she smiled proudly at her work.
    “Oh, it’s lovely!” Elise nodded. If she squinted, she could just make out a blotchy green heart-shape in the corner. “And that is.…”
    “The flower. It’s a bee and a flower. To show the contrast between different ways we can soar. Because we all fly high in so many unique ways.”
    “Ooooh.” Elise tried hard to keep her face from showing skepticism. “It’s lovely. Truly, you did a great job capturing the green. Life. Beautiful.” She flashed her a grin. “Well now, I should get going before it gets too hot out. Frodo doesn’t mind it, but Winnie gets very droopy in the heat. He’ll just drag her along. Where is Winnie anyway?”
    At the mention of her name, the pug poked a dark face out from under a blanket where she’d buried herself. Elise clicked her tongue and softly snapped her fingers to call the