Read Christmas Cookie Murder #6 for Free Online Page B

terrible,” said Juanita.
    â€œI’d tell him exactly what he could do with it,” said Pam.
    â€œWell, he’s not going to get it,” said Lee. “I’m going to make sure of that. That’s why I went with the Boston lawyer. He says he always goes right for the jugular!”
    â€œAnd I bet he charges Boston prices, too,” said Rachel, who was standing next to Lucy.
    â€œLike the hair-dye commercial says, ‘I’m worth it,’” said Lee, defending her choice. “Besides, I have my girls’ futures to think of, too.”
    This was received with another murmur of approval, and Lee paused to take a bite of cake.
    Rachel turned to Lucy. “She’s making a big mistake,” she whispered. “A local lawyer like Bob would try to get them to reconcile, or at least work out an amicable agreement. That would be a lot better for the kids, believe me.”
    Lucy nodded in agreement. She tended to think people were often too quick to opt for divorce and didn’t consider the consequences, especially for the children. “I don’t know—even if she gets everything she wants, she isn’t going to be able to keep the same lifestyle. Whatever he makes, now it’s got to support two households instead of one.”
    â€œThat’s right,” said Rachel. “Except for a handful of very wealthy people, divorce is a one-way road to poverty.”
    â€œYoo-hoo,” halloed Sue, sailing through the front door. “Sorry I’m late…”
    â€œIt’s about time you got here,” complained Lucy, who had been wondering if Sue had abandoned her.
    â€œNice shirt—and so subtle, too,” joked Sue, blinking at Lucy’s bright Santa sweatshirt. “I would have been here hours ago except my battery died. So, how’s it going?”
    â€œTouch and go,” said Lucy, with a little shrug. “No fatalities—yet.”
    â€œI’d say you’re doing great,” said Sue. Then, raising her voice, she announced, “Now, listen everybody. I know you can’t wait to start grabbing cookies but I want you to meet someone. This is Tucker Whitney, my new assistant at the center.”
    Tucker, Lucy saw, could be trouble. She was a strikingly attractive twentysomething. Tall and slender, she had long, naturally blond hair.
    â€œHi, Tucker,” chorused the group, without much enthusiasm. Realizing she was no longer the center of attention, Lee decided to pour herself a second cup of coffee.
    â€œHi, everybody,” said Tucker, smiling broadly. Although she was the youngest person there and didn’t know most of the others, she was one of those rare people who are comfortable wherever they go.
    She turned to Lucy and indicated the stack of platters and tins in her arms. “What should I do with these? I hope I made enough. Sue didn’t tell me how many to bring so I have these twelve dozen but if you need more, I’ve got another six dozen in the car.”
    â€œOh, my goodness. You didn’t need to do all that,” said Lucy. “You only needed to bring six dozen.”
    â€œOh, well, you can keep the extras,” said Tucker. “Sue told me you’ve got four kids.” She looked around at the house, obviously impressed. “You’re so lucky. Someday I want to have a big family and a house just like this.”
    Lucy started to protest politely, but changed her mind. “You’re right. I am lucky. Thanks for reminding me. Sometimes I take too much for granted.”
    â€œDon’t we all,” said Tucker. “Now, I hope everyone likes these cookies. It’s a new recipe I got from a magazine, and it sounded too good to be true. They’re supposed to be low in fat and sugar…”
    â€œThat can’t be!” exclaimed Lee, glaring at Tucker from the other side of the table.
    â€œWell, that’s what it said,” insisted