This Old Murder Read Online Free Page B

if you let Tyler take this job—with two conditions,” he added quickly. “First that he’ll get up in the morning and see you before he goes to work if at all possible whether he worked late the night before or not.”
    “Not a chance! Do you have any idea how long it takes a teenage boy to get out of bed in the morning? I won’t make it to work on time.”
    “He has to agree to set his alarm and get himself up. Okay?”
    “Well, maybe. What’s the second condition?”
    “He agrees to allow me to drive him home on the nights he works. That will mean he has to either get a ride to the store earlier or walk, but for a kid who’s been on a track team all spring, that won’t be a hardship.”
    “You’ll drive him home? Really?”
    “I just said I would.”
    “Oh, Sam, that’s so sweet of you!”
    “So you agree?”
    “If he agrees to everything you suggested, how can I complain?”
    Their waitress placed a huge platter of antipasti on the table between them.
    “Perfect timing,” Sam said, spearing a long strip of roasted pepper and popping it in his mouth.
    “Can I bring you anything else?”
    “Maybe some Pellegrino,” Sam suggested.
    “Fine. And I’ll tell the chef to start your risotto in about ten minutes, shall I?”
    “Excellent.”
    Josie was too busy digging into the pickled eggplant to reply.
    “So what’s this Courtney Castle like in person?” Sam asked.
    Josie realized he was changing the topic and hoping for a comparable change in her mood. But he’d sure asked the wrong question.
    “Why is everyone so interested in Courtney Castle? It’s almost as if she’s a sex symbol rather than a carpenter.” The truth suddenly dawned on her. “She is, isn’t she?”
    “Sexy? Yes, in a wholesome all-American-girl sort of way,” Sam admitted. “She has gorgeous hair.”
    “So she’s young?”
    “To me she is. I’d guess she’s around your age actually.”
    “Do you think she ended up having a show of her own because of her looks?”
    “I have no idea. But there aren’t a lot of unattractive people on television,” Sam said. “After all, if you’re designing a show, you want people to watch, and most people would prefer to watch good-looking personalities.
    “Josie, why did you agree to do the show? You keep saying that it will be good publicity for Island Contracting, but you have lots of work. And unless you’re planning to work off island, most of the people watching will never hire you no matter how good you all look.”
    “I know that. But I was flattered to be asked and, frankly, it had a lot to do with Tyler.”
    “Did you think they might hire him?” Sam asked, obviously mystified.
    “I never even considered it.” Josie sighed and turned her attention to the platter of food they were sharing. “I thought it would bring status to Island Contracting. Well, to me, actually. I thought all those rich people who send their kids to Tyler’s school would watch and they wouldn’t think of me as just a carpenter anymore.” She looked up at him, a blush spreading over her cheeks. “Stupid, huh?”
    “Not really.” Sam spoke slowly. “Have you gotten the impression that some of his classmate’s parents look down on you? Has Tyler said something?”
    “To tell the truth, no. I worried a lot about that happening when he started there, but it hasn’t been a serious problem. I’m sure there are some snotty kids, but the school has a huge scholarship fund, so there are some kids who have all their expenses paid. Besides, it’s a place that values intelligence and creativity. And, of course, Tyler excels in those areas.”
    “But you said—”
    “I know. The problem is me, Sam. I go to things at school and I feel like . . . an employee of his friends’ parents. Everyone is very nice,” she continued before he could say anything, “but they ask questions about remodeling their homes as though I couldn’t possibly have anything else to talk about. Not that I could