Keeping Mum (A Garden Society Mystery) Read Online Free

working for Samantha.”
    “Okay, so we do know.”
    “Unfortunately, we’ve already been over guest names.”
    “Couldn’t be helped. You needed their personalities. But if he wants to know the game characters, stick to types there.”
    “Got it.”
    • • •
    • • •
    A nnie put on a convincing show of gratitude when she met Joel, even though Cam knew for both of them this was just an added layer of hassle.
    “So Cam, you have some personality profiles worked up?” Annie asked.
    “Not all of them, but several,” Cam said.
    “Well let’s have them,” Annie said.
    Cam was careful to point out all the ways Joel had been helpful in sorting guest personalities, though with Joel interrupting her every other minute, he was undoing her sales pitch of him. Nobody liked an interrupter. Finally she handed Annie a profile of game personalities she’d done that afternoon so they could match.
    He was excited about the twenties-era costumes and décor, and surprisingly, had some connections to look into for both decoration and costume rental. Cam was glad he wasn’t a complete waste of time.
    “I emailed you the fuller list,” Cam said to Annie, “but I thought maybe we should talk about the victim. That player will change, depending on donations, so I thought it might be important to have our three most likely money draws in a separate batch with similar profiles, so we can shuffle them if the top-dollar guy changes.”
    “Or gal,” Annie clarified.
    “Right,” Cam said. “So Joel, do you have a feel for who the top-dollar people will be?”
    “Well, Jared Koontz, obviously. This is his fund-raiser.”
    “Should we disqualify him to keep it interesting?” Annie asked. “I mean, how fun is a fund-raiser when the main person has to play dead all night?”
    Cam knew Annie had a point, and by the look on Joel’s face, he knew, too.
    “People will be disappointed if they donate for him, and it’s not him,” Cam said.
    “What about this?” Annie said. “He’s the sheriff, or whatever it is, so he’s the main character to solve it. We will specify that up front so they know not to nominate him.”
    “Oh, that works. I can write that up pretty easily,” Cam said. “So who are the other players someone might vote for? People someone would pay big bucks to kill—for the game, I mean?”
    “My dad,” Annie said.
    “Who’s . . . Oh!” Joel had just put together that Annie Schulz was Senator Schulz’s daughter. “Right. He gets the sentimental vote!”
    “I’d think Holden Hobbes would, too,” Annie said.
    “But he’s the MC,” Cam finished. “So we need to make that clear.”
    “Derrick Windermere might get the half-joking votes,” Joel said.
    Annie snorted. “You think there would be any joking at all involved?”
    “That’s true; he’s milked fortunes from half the people invited.” Joel laughed awkwardly.
    Cam knew Annie’s opinion of the robber-baron tycoon. He’d made a killing in finance, some of it with accusations about ethics.
    “Vivian Macy?” Joel went on.
    “Is she invited? I’m surprised she’s not running,” Annie said.
    “She might run, but what better way to assess the competition?” Joel said.
    “And since she hasn’t announced and is a community VIP, it would be rude not to invite her,” Cam added.
    “I might almost look forward to this!” Annie said.
    “What about a reporter?” Cam asked. “Would that make a good number two for solving the crime?”
    “You’re trying to get Rob front and center of this thing, aren’t you?” Annie teased.
    “Actually, Rob can’t afford a plate, so I doubt it, but I suppose that’s why I thought of it. I’m used to advocating for the reporters. It also makes for better PR.”
    “We’ll see who of the media guests has the broadest reach—that way we can ensure the best publicity,” Joel said.
    Cam was annoyed she hadn’t been the person to say it. It was a good idea.
    They talked through several more