Murder Close to Home Read Online Free Page A

apologetically at Taryn. “The situation. I was talking to her, trying to get her to calm down, when Amelia collapsed. I caught her and lowered her to the ground, but it was too late.”
    Sirens blared and a trio of EMTs scrambled out of the ambulance. They wheeled Amelia away on a stretcher as the police arrived.
    “Please tell me you two aren’t involved in this,” a drawling voice said.
    “Corey!” Jade exclaimed. She narrowed her eyes. “So what if we are?”
    “Then I’ll know the victims are in good hands,” he said cheerfully.
    We filled him in. Corey turned grave when he heard the outcome. “This will affect so many people.”
    I went to Taryn, who continued to sit, completely taken by surprise. I pulled up a chair. “Taryn, are you going to be okay?”
    Her teeth chattered and I wrapped my jacket around her. “This is the beginning, isn’t it?” she said. “My friends are getting older and they’re getting closer to death.”
    “Not all your friends. A lot of them are still young,” I said with concern.
    “I’ve got more older friends that you do. More funerals to go to.” She looked at me, panicked. “I can’t do it. I can’t see all my friends die.”
    “You don’t know that Amelia won’t survive,” I said half-heartedly.
    Taryn pursed her lips. “I saw her. When you know, you know. Whether it was a heart attack or from choking on something, it was too soon. She had so many years left to live.”
    “I know,” I said softly.
    “I can’t watch people die,” Taryn repeated vehemently.
    “You don’t want to relive your husband’s death.”
    Taryn’s eyes glistened. “That was one of the worst times of my life. I can’t do it again.”
    What could I tell her? People died. It wasn’t fun, especially when loved ones weren’t a phone call away. I couldn’t take away her hurt. All I could do was sit with her as the stars came out.
    We watched them sparkle in the sky and I gestured to a particularly bright one. “You think that’s your husband, watching over you?”
    Taryn tilted her head and gazed at it. “I sure hope so. Francis loved nighttime. He’d grab a blanket and some grapes and we’d watch the sky for hours. To this day, I can’t eat a grape without falling apart. I haven’t bought grapes since he... He loved grapes so much.”
    I made a mental note to check for grapes tomorrow. I didn’t want to set out something that would bring up painful memories at her birthday party.
    “That sounds like a lot of fun,” I said.
    Tarn couldn’t tear her eyes away from the stars. “Yes. Yes, it was.”
    “Hey, Ruby?” Jade called to me with a questioning look.
    I went over to her as Taryn continued to stargaze. “Yeah?”
    “Orla went with Amelia to the hospital. The medics found a faint pulse, so we’re hoping for the best.”
    Relief washed over me. There was a chance! “Taryn, did you hear that?” I said to her. “She might live!”
    Taryn pressed her eyes shut. “She’d better make it.”
    “It’s nice to see people care for others,” I said softly to Jade.
    “Amelia was just yelling at her and now look at her. Taryn legitimately wants the best for her.” Jade uncrossed her arms. “I love it when people come together.”
    “Me, too,” I said. “When will we hear if Amelia’s going to be all right?”
    “I don’t know. We have to go inside and find Ellen. She hasn’t come out,” said Jade.
    We went inside The Parrot Tree and found Amelia’s booth empty. Her other friend hadn’t come out with Amelia and Orla, so I assumed Ellen didn’t know about Amelia’s collapse yet.
    Allen passed by with a tray of drinks and I flagged him down. “Have you seen Ellen?”
    “She left after you did,” he said after passing out the drinks to a nearby table. “The bill was paid. Is that what you were thinking of?”
    “No... Should I be?”
    Allen shrugged. “You and Jade walked out on your bill.”
    “What!” I spun around. “We did! Allen, I’m so