The Corpse Wore Cashmere Read Online Free

Nail.”
    “You know what bugs me? According to Myrtle, Lorraine had a good-paying job as a casino hostess in Biloxi. Why would she give it up to come back to Palmetto? What could this little town offer her?”
    “I thought about that. Because she did come home makes me think someone from Palmetto might have killed her. What we need is a motive. Any ideas?”
    Susan shrugged. “It’s hard to picture anyone from here committing such a heinous act. I’d just be guessing. Like you said earlier, nothing goes unnoticed in Palmetto. Whatever the reason, it’s bound to surface.”
    Wesley pushed up from the table. “I hate to eat and run, but I really need to get some shuteye.”
    “I could use some z’s myself. All the work we did preparing for the Purple Pickle’s grand opening has left me exhausted.”
    “I forgot to ask. How’d it go?”
    She locked arms with him as they walked into the front room. “It couldn’t have been better.” She paused before opening the door. “For Myrtle’s sake, I hope they find what’s left of Lorraine.”
    “Me too. If they recover anything else, I’ll let you know, but chances are, you’ll hear about it as soon as I do. Damn press.”

    The following morning, Susan awoke to rain, gusty torrents that slapped against the window. She didn’t envy Wesley having to spend the day on the river in such miserable conditions. Pushing back the cover, she climbed out of the warm bed. Marmalade groaned her displeasure at being disturbed and curled into a ball on top of the comforter.
    Susan ruffled the animal’s fur. “If there’s such a thing as reincarnation, I want to come back as a cat.”
    Bleary eyed, Susan shuffled to the bathroom, lit a Hawaiian bamboo aromatherapy candle, and slid into a warm bath. “Just five minutes,” she said in a voice still gravelly from sleep. Lately, she had little time to indulge herself. She eased further down into the tub and breathed in the soothing scent of passion fruit. Her movement sent ripples across the surface of the water, ripples that reminded her of the river…the cold, unforgiving river that held the remains of Lorraine.
    Susan sat up with a jerk, flipped the lever to drain the tub and grabbed a towel. Stepping out of the tub to dry off, she made sure to step on the bath rug. It wouldn’t do to slip again on a wet tile and hit her head.
    After drying off, she opened her closet. No high heels today. Instead, she chose a pair of low-cut suede boots, navy slacks, and a light-blue turtleneck sweater. To glamorize the outfit, she slipped two serpentine necklaces over her head and fastened a pair of hoops into her pierced ears. A plain gold bracelet and a topaz dinner ring completed the outfit. As owner of the Bawdy Boutique, she wanted always to look chic.
    On her way to work, Susan stopped by Tilly’s Diner. Tonya, her high school classmate and current owner, served a mean omelet, and she also brewed a great cup of joe. Pulling into the parking lot, she realized she wasn’t the only one to have that idea, especially on such a dreary morning. The diner was packed, and she was lucky to find a vacant table.
    “So, what’ll it be?” Tonya asked with her pad and pencil ready for the order.
    “Your Mexican omelet and a cup of coffee, please.”
    “It’ll be about ten minutes,” she said looking around at the full house. Then she leaned closer to Susan. “I know you and Wesley are tight. Did he have any news on Lorraine, other than the partial recovery?”
    Susan shook her head. “They’re still searching. Maybe we’ll hear something today.”
    “Excuse me, I couldn’t help but hear what you ordered,” a deep voice said. “I’ll have the same.”
    Tonya scribbled his order. “Looks like you have company, Susan.”
    She glanced up to see her favorite surgeon. “Jack, what a surprise.”
    He wore a heavy five-o’clock shadow, and it seemed he was straining to keep his baby blues open. “I had back-to-back surgeries last night