Polished Off
Authors: Barbara Colley
Table of Contents
THE DANGERS OF DUSTING
The moment the men picked up the urn and moved it, the cracked portion broke loose.
“Wait!” Patsy shouted. “Stop!”
But the men had already shuffled a couple of steps sideways and the damage was done.
“For pity’s sake,” Patsy cried, staring at the bottom portion that had fallen free. “Now look what you’ve done!”
But Charlotte went stone still. “Oh, no,” she murmured, her eyes on the gaping hole in the bottom of the urn. The urn hadn’t been empty, and almost immediately she recognized what had fallen out of the hole.
Bones.
Large bones that looked suspiciously like a hand and fingers.
A deep dread spread within her. No matter how much she would have preferred them to be the bones of some poor animal who had crawled in the urn and died, she had a horrible feeling that they were exactly what they appeared to be ...
Books by Barbara Colley
MAID FOR MURDER
DEATH TIDIES UP
POLISHED OFF
WIPED OUT
Published by Kensington Publishing Corporation
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First Hardcover Printing: February 2004
First Mass Market Paperback Printing: January 2005
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First Mass Market Paperback Printing: January 2005
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Printed in the United States of America
For my grandchildren.
Gaboo loves you
Gaboo loves you
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
My sincere thanks and appreciation to all who gave me inspiration, advice, and encouragement while I was writing this book: Marie Goodwin, Rexanne Becnel, Jessica Ferguson, Lou Reese, Happy Dodson, and Geraldine Galentre.
As always, thanks to Evan Marshall and John Scognamiglio. Without them, Charlotte wouldn’t exist.
Chapter One
C
harlotte LaRue removed the large bowl of rice from the microwave. Everything was ready... well, almost everything. Now if only Madeline would show up.
harlotte LaRue removed the large bowl of rice from the microwave. Everything was ready... well, almost everything. Now if only Madeline would show up.
No sooner had the thought entered Charlotte’s head than the sound of the front door opening and closing reached her ears. Seconds later, her sister breezed into the kitchen.
“Here you go” She handed Charlotte a loaf of French bread. “I figured one loaf would be enough, and it’s fresh. Still warm,” she added.
“One should be enough,” Charlotte murmured. “Thanks, Maddie. You’re a lifesaver. I still can’t believe I forgot to buy bread.”
Madeline shrugged. “No big deal.” She walked over to the stove. “Umm, that’s gumbo, isn’t it?” She peered into the huge pot and sniffed. “Chicken and andouille?”
Charlotte nodded as she slid the long loaf of French bread out of its paper wrapper. “Not exactly traditional Easter Sunday fare, but I didn’t get a chance to shop for a ham. Or bread,” she added with a grin. “And since I already had all the ingredients for gumbo...” She shrugged. “Got it started before church this morning. Besides, it seems to me, if I remember right, chicken and andouille is your favorite”
Madeline laughed. “And it seems to me, if I remember right, that’s because it was the only kind of gumbo you ever made. Really strange,” she added, “considering we live in a city known for its seafood.”
“Only kind I could ever
afford
to make,” Charlotte shot back. Placing the bread on a cookie sheet, she began slicing it into pieces, careful to slice only about two-thirds the way down. “The ingredients for the seafood kind—even in New Orleans—were too expensive on my limited budget.” She quickly inserted a pat of butter in between each slice, then slid the bread into the oven to melt the butter.
afford
to make,” Charlotte shot back. Placing the bread on a cookie sheet, she began slicing it into pieces, careful to slice only about two-thirds the way down. “The ingredients for the seafood kind—even in New Orleans—were too expensive on my limited budget.” She quickly inserted a pat of butter in between each slice, then slid the bread into the oven to melt the butter.
What she could have pointed out but didn’t was that the reason she’d had to be so thrifty was partially her sister’s fault. Years ago, after Madeline’s first divorce, she’d become so depressed that she’d been unable to function on a day-to-day basis. She and her two young children had moved in with Charlotte, and for months, Charlotte and her maid service had been the sole provider for all of them as well as for herself and her own son.
“Whatever,” Madeline quipped.
Charlotte glanced out the window into the backyard, where the rest of the family and their friends had gathered to watch three-year-old Davy, the son of one of her employees, hunt for Easter eggs. “Correction. Make that the only kind I can
still
afford,” she added with a grin. “Our family is growing by leaps and bounds.”
still
afford,” she added with a grin. “Our family is growing by leaps and bounds.”
Madeline followed her gaze. “Bite your tongue. Only my Judith and Daniel, and your Hank, qualify as family” She waved her hand toward the window. “Those others don’t qualify—not yet, thank God. They’re just—just what? What do you call grown girlfriends and boyfriends anyway?”
“I believe the term now is ‘significant others,’ ” Charlotte answered.
Madeline rolled her eyes. “Oh, pu-lease, give me a break. Yuck!” She shuddered. “Anyway, whatever they are, it looks like they all showed up today—all except for that Billy character that Judith’s been seeing.”
“She could do worse,” Charlotte pointed out.
A whole lot worse,
she thought. But Charlotte didn’t dare say so. Madeline didn’t know about Judith’s affair with Will Richeaux, thank goodness, and Charlotte wasn’t about to be the one to tell her, especially now that Judith had come to her senses and ditched him. But if Madeline had known, Charlotte was sure she would have changed her tune about Judith’s relationship with Billy Wilson in a heartbeat. Even now, months later, the thought of how Will Richeaux had duped Judith still made Charlotte see red.
A whole lot worse,
she thought. But Charlotte didn’t dare say so. Madeline didn’t know about Judith’s affair with Will Richeaux, thank goodness, and Charlotte wasn’t about to be the one to tell her, especially now that Judith had come to her senses and ditched him. But if Madeline had known, Charlotte was sure she would have changed her tune about Judith’s relationship with Billy Wilson in a heartbeat. Even now, months later, the thought of how Will Richeaux had duped Judith still made Charlotte see red.
“Do worse?” Madeline repeated, then made a face. “I don’t know how. This Billy character isn’t even a detective like Judith. He’s just a plain old street cop. I tell you, Charlotte, I shudder every time I think that she could end up marrying another cop. One cop in the family is plenty, thank you very much.”
Though she was sorely tempted, again Charlotte didn’t dare comment. The last thing she wanted was to get into an altercation with her sister, especially today Along with Christmas, she considered Easter to be one of the most important holidays they celebrated. Besides, arguing with Madeline was like arguing with a brick wall.
Madeline turned away from the window and walked over to the oven to check on the bread. “By the way,” she said, “just why isn’t this Billy character here today?”
“Judith said he had to work,” Charlotte answered.
Madeline grunted. “Just as well,” she retorted. She faced Charlotte. “Maybe Judith will come to her senses. One can always hope. Besides, she can do a lot better than someone like him.” Without missing a beat, Madeline launched into yet another complaint. “And then there’s that son of mine. Why on earth is Daniel still fooling around with—”
“Now, Maddie—”
“Don’t ‘now, Maddie’ me! Ever since he started hanging around with that woman who works for you, I never see him anymore, not without her and that brat of hers tagging along.”
“Madeline, shame on you. Little Davy is a precious little boy. And ‘that woman’ has a name. Nadia—”
“Yeah,” Madeline interrupted. “And that’s another thing: both this Billy character and this Nadia have the same last name. Makes me wonder if there’s some kind of weird conspiracy going on. Now wouldn’t that be just my luck?” She glared at Charlotte. “Well? Are they? Are they kin to each other?”
Charlotte sighed. “No, according to Nadia they are not related. Just because they have the same last name—”
“Yeah, yeah.” She waved a dismissing hand. “Okay already.”
“One more thing, Maddie. Nadia Wilson is one of the finest young women I’ve had the privilege to come in contact with.” Charlotte grabbed an oven mitt. “And hardworking to boot,” she added. “Now here—” Charlotte removed the warmed bread out of the oven, and gingerly placed it into an oblong bread basket that she’d lined with a clean hand toweL She folded the edges of the hand towel over the bread, then handed the basket to her sister. “Take this to the table for me, and please try to be nice. If not for Daniel’s sake, for my sake.”
“Well, at least your Hank had the decency to pick a woman who didn’t already have a kid. I’m not ready to play grandma—not by a long shot. And when I do become one, I’d rather the little rug-rat was my own flesh and blood.”
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