Murder Down Under (A Darcy Sweet Cozy Mystery Book 17) Read Online Free Page A

rolling her onto her back quickly, making the breath catch in her throat.  “Let’s find out.”
    ***
    The bathtub was Heaven.
    Darcy stretched one long leg out of the water and scooped bubbles further up her chest.  Jon and she had fallen asleep after…after.  Just a quick nap.  Two hours.  Enough to shake off the jetlag.  Jon had been very close to her when she woke up.
    He smelled so good.
    That memory played out again behind her eyes as she lay there, soaking in the warmth and wondering if she should go wake him up.  No.  Let him sleep.  He’d been so tired.  Sleepy man.  Her man, now.
    Life was perfect.
    She hadn’t realized she was drifting until her hand fell into the water with a little splash that jolted her back awake.  Water sloshed over the curved rim of the freestanding slipper tub and onto the tiled floor.  The curtain was drawn all around her, giving her the illusion of solitude.  The bathroom wasn’t large, and the tub took up most of the space, and she was cozy and comfortable here.
    Droplets from the tap made a little drip…drip sound as they hit the water at odd intervals.  Old plumbing, Darcy decided, must be allowing the water to run even with the faucets turned off.  Other than that, the world was silent around her.
    Until someone knocked on the bathroom door.
    “Jon?” she asked, sloshing to the side of the tub.  “Just come in.  The door’s not locked.”
    “You should come out here.”
    She startled, pushing the curtain aside and quickly reaching for a towel.  That wasn’t Jon’s voice.
    Patting herself quickly dry she dressed again, leaving her feet bare and wrapping the towel around her long, damp hair.  She went to the adjoining door to the bedroom, and opened it.
    “You look silly,” Smudge greeted her.  He was laying across the bed on his side.  His tail swished back and forth as sunlight from the late afternoon sky slanted in through the windows to fall across his black and white fur.
    “Oh, really?” she asked him sarcastically.  “Just how would you look if I dunked you in the bathtub?”
    “Humph.”  He swished his tail again, and flicked an ear.
    Beside Smudge on the bed, her Great Aunt Millie smiled.  “Hello, dear.”  Her black dress soaked up the sunlight and managed to look even darker for it.  Her floppy-brimmed hat was the same one she had taken to wearing when she appeared to Darcy.  Just like now.
    “So, I’m dreaming?” she guessed, although she knew the answer.
    “Call it what you will,” Millie answered cryptically.  “You seem to be enjoying yourself here in the bottom of the world.”
    “Well, we only just got here, but so far, yes.  Jon and I are happy, Millie.  I’m lucky I found him.”
    Her great aunt added a wink to her grin.  “I like him, too, dear.  He has his problems, just like any man, I suppose.  You’ve been good for him.  He’s been good for you.  Guess that makes him a keeper.”
    Darcy appreciated Millie’s wisdom.  It was direct and insightful.  It always had been.  Even in the journals Millie had left behind, she had found answers to problems and solutions to troubles she never would have found on her own.  “I miss you, Millie.”
    “Oh, I miss you too, Darcy my dear.”  Her aunt’s expression turned wistful.  “I got taken away from you much too soon.  That’s the way things go, I suppose.  I’m here for you now.  I’ll always be here for you.”
    “Is that why you haven’t moved on yet?” Darcy asked impulsively.  “You’ve earned a rest, Millie.  If anyone has, it’s you.”
    The question made the old woman’s spirit shift on the bed next to Smudge.  The big cat opened one eye to look up at Millie, and some secret passed between them that Darcy couldn’t read.  Millie took a deep breath.  “That’s a talk for another time.”
    “You don’t think now’s a good time?” Smudge interrupted.
    “You shush,” Millie told him.  “I’m still mad at you for