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“No, no. I was planning to invite Beau to be a bridesmaid.”
Conrad barked out a laugh. “Yes. That. I want that. Make it happen.”
Phew. Potential crisis averted.
His phone dinged, signaling a new message. He checked the screen and grunted with approval. “Are you ready for a readathon? The first manuscript chapter found at the crime scene is available.”
“I guess now is the right time to discuss my consultation fee.”
“I’ll pay you a dollar,” he said.
“Deal!”
Her pulse sped up as he printed the document. Once he’d collected the pages from his home office, he returned to her side so they could read together. The title page read Grave Actually.
Okay, not a bad start. She flipped to the dedication. It appeared exactly as Conrad had described.
She tapped her finger on the page. “There’s something odd about this.”
Conrad canted his head for a closer look. “Besides your name being grouped with a bunch of murder victims? Here’s what I know. They aren’t listed in alphabetical order or even the sequence of deaths. Nor are they written in reverse order. Ana Irons’s name is flipped, but none of the others are.”
“And what’s with the weird gap between Josh and Gunn?” she asked. “A word processing program wouldn’t write it that way. Every detail must be deliberate.”
“Maybe it will make sense once we dissect the blurb and read the first chapter.”
“Read everything out loud to me,” she pleaded, rubbing her temples. “And use your sexiest voice. Because my head. It hurts.”
Conrad snorted before clearing his throat. “In the shadows, good natured Gilda Jean stood before an antique mirror gazing at her glorious reflection. A self-satisfied smile curved her generous heart-shaped lips as she toyed with the dark hair framing captivating blue eyes that gleamed with intensity, offering a delightfully foreboding prelude to the secrets she harbored. ‘I’ve sown the seeds of suspicion throughout Raven Valley,’ she said and laughed, the sound throaty.”
“Good natured? Ha! She might be a supervillain.” Jane tapped her chin. “Gilda Jean’s lips are bothersome. Heart-shaped. Heart. There’s potentially something there.” Wait. “Flip to the dedication.”
After sliding a finger between pages to keep his place, Conrad returned to page one. She freed the pen she’d stuck behind her ear and traced a shape around the names on the dedication.
Ah-ha! “I knew the details mattered. It’s a heart.”
“Good job,” Conrad said, kissing her forehead.
Head aching a bit worse, Jane snuggled closer to him. “I just wonder what it means. Does the killer love that these people are dead?”
“Not all are dead. And that’s the way it will stay,” he vowed.
They got more comfortable, and each read silently. But before long, Jane couldn’t help but interrupt again. “First of all, the writing is atrocious. ‘Beneath the ethereal luminescence of the orbous moon, Savannah mixed organic tea leaves, creating her special blend elixir of love with the grace of a midnight waltz’.” Jane’s brow wrinkled. “Is orbous even a word?” And she didn’t miss the fact that Savannah sounded very much like Hannah.
Did the name of “good natured” Gilda Jean point to a similar name, like Savannah pointed to Hannah? Or was this a tidbit meant to throw her off the scent?
Conrad winked at her. “Wait till you get to the coaxing whispers of nature part.”
Ugh. “Second,” she said, resuming her rant. “The lead character is the worst. This paragon of homicide who flits around town caring for stray dogs and volunteering to sit with the elderly is totally in love with herself. The compliments never end. And by the way, I’m not loving how the perp resembles me. Dark hair. Blue eyes. Bangs.”
They discussed what they read until the wee hours of the night, finally falling asleep together on the couch. When morning arrived, Jane wasn’t at her best. Her eyes burned, and her neck and shoulders ached. And her back. Ow. Conrad, who was already on his feet, passed her two over-the-counter pain relievers and a glass of orange juice.
“Thank you,” she said and tossed each down the hatch.
“Stay home today,” he advised. “Exactly as the doctor ordered.”
And compromise her investigation? Never. “As the doctor suggested. But no, I’m good.” To prove it, she eased to a stand. Blowing him a kiss, she strode to the main bathroom to prepare for the day.
After a long, hot shower teeming with uplifting citrus scents, she dressed in yoga pants and one of her fiancé’s oversized shirts–perfect for researching. Despite her earlier bravado, maybe sticking close to home wasn’t such a bad idea. For now.
