Murder of a Creped Suzette Read Online Free Page A

alone. She sat silently until the concert ended an hour later, with Flint and Suzette singing a duet.
    Once the clapping died down, Mr. Suit took the stage and announced, “Hello. My name is Rex Taylor.” He had a compact build, tightly curled sandy-colored hair, and an air of commanding self-confidence. “I’m a music promoter from Nashville and I have a vision. A vision of prosperity for all. A vision of Scumble River as the next Branson, Missouri.”
    Skye narrowed her eyes. Rex didn’t look like a psychic, and she’d bet his vision had less than a fifty-fifty chance of coming true.
    He had paused, no doubt expecting applause, but the audience was unusually hushed, as if waiting for the next cowboy boot to drop.
    Skye scanned the crowd, noting a mixture of smiles, frowns, and puzzled expressions. Clearly, her fellow Scumble Riverites were as wary as she was.
    Finally, after the silence built to an uncomfortable intensity, Rex cleared his throat and went on. “I put on this free concert tonight so you could see what the future can be like. See that if you help my dream come true, you can share in the rewards.”
    Was this some pyramid scheme? Skye wondered. Now people were buzzing with anticipation. She bit the inside of her mouth, worried they were about to be taken in by a con man.
    Rex allowed the excitement to build, then said, “This project will mean an influx of jobs for the community, not to mention tourist dollars.”
    Trixie elbowed Skye. “This guy’s awfully slick. The town better be mighty careful.”
    “I wonder how deep Uncle Dante is already into this scheme.”
    Before Trixie could answer, Rex’s voice rang out, “Right now, we’ll be hiring mostly construction workers, but once the first venue is ready, we’ll need employees for various types of positions.”
    Skye and Trixie looked at each other. All the small towns in the area had been hard-hit by factory closings and crop failures. People would definitely want to buy the goods this guy was selling.
    Rex finished his speech with, “And since I want all of my new friends to have a good time, the bar is staying open until ten.”
    A rousing cheer went up, followed by a mad dash toward the free drinks.
    Skye got to her feet, saying to Trixie, “Want to come with me and talk to the mayor?”
    “No, thanks.” Trixie started packing up. “I’d better head home.”
    “Okay.” Skye hoped everything would be all right between Trixie and Owen. “Good luck.”
    As Skye walked toward the grandstand, the straw that had been spread over the ground in an attempt to make the area look like the inside of a barn clung to her bare legs. She frowned. It was a good thing Rex hadn’t brought in cows and pigs for an even more authentic ambiance, or the sandals she was wearing would really have been a fashion mistake.
    While Skye made her way through the crowd, she overheard the owner of the real estate agency saying to the people seated around him, “This could be exactly what Scumble River—heck, all of Stanley County—needs. We’ve been trying for years to get tourists off the highway and into our town to spend their money.”
    A couple of steps later, Skye came upon Dr. Wraige, the school district superintendent, making a speech to several parents clustered in front of him. “Our school budgets are so far in the red they look like a Valentine’s Day card. Taylor’s plan will bring in businesses that will provide a tax base of which we are sorely in need. And as I always say to our students, if opportunity isn’t knocking, it’s time to build a door.”
    The last group Skye passed before reaching her uncle was a bunch of eighteen- to twenty-year-olds. Several of them looked familiar, especially the girl leading the discussion. Xenia Craughwell wore the righteousness of youth and the irreverence of black nail polish.
    Skye was well acquainted with Xenia, a high-IQ rebel who had barely made it through Scumble River High and now attended film