Criminal Crumbs Read Online Free Page A

it?
    Clearly Grace didn’t care for the idea very much, either.
    “Is there any way we could switch and stay here in the lodge?” she asked.
    “I’m afraid that would be impossible. You see, we’re extended beyond the end of our season, and we’re working with a short staff. Trust me, you’ll love your cottage. They’re the best we have to offer.”
    “Sweet, then Hemlock it is,” I said, trying my best to make Grace think it was a wonderful idea. “Let’s go check it out.”
    “Grace? Hello. Glad you made it. We’re all in here,” a lovely woman in her mid-thirties called out to us from the restaurant. Though we both had dark hair, mine was simply brown, while hers could best be described as chestnut, full of rich tones of deep browns and reds. Her green eyes were set off by porcelain skin, and if that’s what their line of makeup did, I was beginning to think I’d been too rash turning Grace’s offers of free cosmetics down in the past.
    Grace said softly, “That’s Nicole.”
    “Hi,” Grace told her boss as we approached. “Sorry we’re late.” I could see what she meant about her new boss’s expensive tastes. Nicole was dressed pretty elegantly, from her shoes to her dress to her jewelry, and I knew that Gabby Williams, a woman in April Springs who sold gently used designer clothing in a shop called ReNEWed, would have loved to get her hands on anything Nicole was wearing.
    The restaurant sported half a dozen large tables, while the front contained a modest bar with a walk-through to the patio. I could see another pair of outdoor tables and chairs there.
    Grace said, “Nicole, this is Suzanne Hart. Suzanne, I’d like you to meet my boss, Nicole Thurman.”
    “It’s a pleasure to meet you,” she said, enfolding my hand in both of hers. “I’ve heard so much about you.”
    “Thanks,” I said, not quite sure how to respond to that.
    In a low voice, she said, “I really appreciate you helping me out. We’ll talk later, okay?”
    “Sounds good,” I replied as other women began to join us. Grace made the introductions in rapid-fire order. I had to admit, they were a nice-looking group of women, and I felt positively dowdy being among them. I took special note when she introduced Janelle Best and Georgia Collier. Georgia looked a little like a fox, with long, thin features and small eyes, while Janelle was fuller in both face and figure. Neither one of them looked like a potential murderer, but then again, it had been my experience in the past that I could never tell what a killer was supposed to look like.
    “Oh, and this is my sister, Celia,” Nicole said. As I shook her hand, I couldn’t help but compare her unfavorably to Nicole. Celia was washed out somehow, a faded image of her sister’s beauty, just a shade short of pretty. She carried more weight than any of the other women there, including me, and her hair was a shade of dirty blonde that lacked any kind of luster at all. Suddenly I didn’t feel quite so plain anymore.
    “Where’s Hank?” Grace asked Nicole.
    “Late, as usual,” she replied when we heard a commotion in the lobby. A man was speaking at the top of his voice, and most of the women looked hesitantly toward the restaurant door. “It appears that he made it after all.”
    A tall, heavyset man with thick brown hair joined us, a frown on his face. “What’s this nonsense about putting me in a cottage, Nicole?” he asked her as he walked toward us.
    “They’re the nicest accommodations in the resort,” she said, “but if you’d like to be moved to the main lodge, I’m sure that last-minute arrangements can be made. I should warn you that the rooms here are substantially smaller, though, and with no real housekeeping, you’ll have to take care of cleaning yourself.”
    “No, that’s fine. I’ll stay out in the boondocks, if that’s the way you set things up. You’re out there as well, I suppose?”
    Nicole nodded. “You’ve got one cottage, my