Pampered to Death: A Deadly Calm Day Spa Mystery Read Online Free Page A

answers and left the bill.
    “Mr. Chadwick is somebody we’re going to need to look at closer. We can wait and follow him when he leaves. See if they’re more than friends, or if it matters. Maybe Lonnie’s wife had a grudge, and thought to kill two birds with one stone; take Mrs. Chadwick out of the picture while ruining the reputation of her ex-husband.”
    “Which of the two would have done it, if you had to guess?” Jocelyn asked.
    “To be honest, I don’t know. If there were marks around her neck, like a strangling, maybe she tried but wasn’t strong enough and she just held her down in the water. Then again, how would she have gotten her in there willingly? Well, unless her husband lured her in for a late night game of using the hot tub, and the two of them ganged up on her. Though, to be honest, they probably have their own.” Andrea figured it sort of made sense if those two were lovers and trying to hide something, but ‘sort of’ doesn’t solve crimes.
    A man came over to join the couple of the hour. He leaned in and kissed Lonnie’s ex-wife. Rubbing her shoulders, it was more than obvious they were together, and Brad didn’t look the least bit jealous. Maybe the lover angle was out after all, but they still could have planned the murder and carried it out as a team effort. The girls would find a way to question him another day. They had a commune to go visit. Was Cassie even there, or had she taken off and come home to deal with her mother’s death?
    “What are the rules of a commune? Can we just go on and visit? Is there like a security gate or something, or maybe a guard house?” Andrea shrugged. “This is a new one for me. Or is it just a big old farm and land where people linger around doing their own thing?”
    “Not a clue. Let’s go find out!”

Chapter 4
     
    After narrowing down where the commune was located after searching the web, the girls set out to find Cassie. It was probably foolish to go up there. She’d probably left to come home as soon as she heard the news. Of course, she wasn’t on the best terms with her parents, so the question was would she go to her childhood home or somewhere else, like hide at a motel? It didn’t sound like she was staying with her father, but wouldn’t she and her dad be working out the funeral arrangements? With nothing better to do, the girls decided to go check out the commune.
    The drive was pleasant enough, though it took longer than they expected. They’d allotted ninety minutes for the drive, but it was closer to two hours. They probably wouldn’t get back until late. Maybe they were biting off more than they should. The girls made small talk for the first hour and then listened to the radio lost in thought during the second hour.
    Andrea almost missed the last turn, but a small wooden sign caught their attention just in time. Andrea swung the car to the side of the road and put it in park. Looking around, she pointed out a barn in the distance. “Do you think that’s it?”
    “It’s got to be. There’s not a lot more going on around here. Over the other way doesn’t look like a commune.”
    Andrea pulled the car back on the road and drove toward the barn. As they got closer, they saw a gravel and dirt lane. It led to a small parking area that seemed to be a makeshift farmer’s market. It wouldn’t win any awards for presentation. They got out after parking and looked around for somebody to talk to.
    “Over there,” Jocelyn said, as she caught a glimpse of movement. She called out to the man, “Excuse me.”
    A guy in his thirties, with an unkempt beard and well-worn jeans turned on hearing Jocelyn’s voice. “The farm market isn’t open until the weekend.”
    Jocelyn cleared her throat. “We’re looking for a friend. Do you know somebody named Cassandra Chadwick?”
    “Oh sure, Moon Flower, umm, I mean Cassandra stays in the wooden shack on the far side of the property. You can follow the dirt path. When it splits, go