Home Sweet Homicide: A Cozy Mystery (A Gemma Stone Murder Mystery Book 5) Read Online Free Page A

She was very aware of people still gathered on the sidewalk watching. She was aware of officers moving around the home, taking pictures and measurements, doing their job. But she was mostly aware of Detective Ross Ferguson sitting in his car, watching everything from a distance.
    This must be the hardest thing he’s ever had to do, Gemma thought.
    “If you’ll just tell me what happened that’s all I need for right now,” Officer Milken said.
    Before she could answer, Officer Bailor breezed by. He glanced at Gemma and then turned to the police officer who was about to take her statement. “You won’t believe what someone just told me.”
    Gemma tried to pretend she wasn’t listening but she desperately wanted to hear what he said.
    “What?”
    Officer Bailor whispered something to his partner but all Gemma heard was the “early this morning” and “witch”.
    Officer Milken laughed aloud. “Shut up.”
    “That’s what they told me.”
    Milken pushed Bailor aside and turned his attention back to Gemma. “Sorry about that,” he said.
    It took her a moment to get her thoughts together. Her Aunt Maisy had turned up at her house out of the blue that morning. And she’d been dressed like a witch.
    “Miss?”
    “Oh, sorry,” Gemma said shaking off the confusing thoughts. “My friend Holly Blake is getting married soon. She just started house hunting today,” Gemma began.
    “So you had an appointment?” he asked.
    Gemma nodded and opened her mouth to say something else, but he interrupted.
    “Were you on time?”
    “Yes, maybe even a little bit early,” Gemma answered.
    He nodded for her to continue.
    “When we got here the door was unlocked and slightly open.” Gemma paused for a moment, struggling to remember if it was open or not. “We thought Katie was inside waiting for us, but when we called out she didn’t answer.”
    Officer Milken was writing as fast as he could with his stubby pencil. Gemma gave him a moment to catch up.
    “We looked around downstairs and when she didn’t show, we went upstairs looking for her. That’s when we found her hanging in the master bedroom closet,” Gemma finished.
    “Did you touch anything?”
    “We touched lots of things,” Gemma said. “Doorknobs, furniture.”
    “The body?”
    “No.”
    “Okay, when the detective from Harrisonburg gets here, he’ll want to ask you a few more questions. Standard procedure.”
    Gemma nodded.
    “Could I get your name and number?”
    Reaching into her purse, Gemma pulled out a business card and handed it to him.
    He looked at it closely and then turned his attention to Holly, who was still standing at the foot of the steps with Mitch.
    Gemma knew she’d been dismissed.
    Gemma traded places with Holly and watched her friend as she talked to Officer Milken out of earshot. Other officers that had arrived later were still talking to the neighbors.
    Both Nick and Ross were gone. She imagined Nick already talking to the coroner. Nick loved his job as a reporter for the local newspaper. He was friends with almost everyone in town because of that. She had no idea where Ross had gone.
    “Will you drive Holly’s SUV home?” Mitch asked, never taking his eyes off of his future bride.
    “Yes,” Gemma told him.
    “I don’t think she should be driving right now. Were you supposed to look at more houses today?”
    “No. We’re supposed to look at shops downtown tomorrow,” Gemma told him. “But that is with Esmerelda Hunt.”
    “Katie’s cousin?”
    Gemma nodded. “If I remember correctly they weren’t all that close, but you never know. I’ll just call and see if she wants to cancel.”
    Mitch nodded. “Sounds like a good idea. We’ll come by and get the SUV later.”
    He placed the keys in Gemma’s hand just as a car screeched to a halt, barely missing the police cruisers parked on the street. A miniature version of Katie Mack, perfectly coiffed blonde hair and all, leaped out of the car, screaming at the top of