Read Dying to Read for Free Online Page B

I’ll do with this place. This is a terrible time to sell, with prices so low, but renting is such a hassle. But Scott will know what to do.”
    “That’s good,” Cate murmured.
    “Now I’m going upstairs to see what that woman made off with. I know there’s a valuable squash blossom necklace, possibly an antique. Amelia and one of her husbands traveled the southwest extensively. I remember emerald earrings and a rather spectacular necklace to match. Oh, and that fabulous ruby tiara and earrings.”
    It sounded as if Cheryl had already decided Willow had stolen the jewelry. She tapped her chin with a manicured finger, and Cate suspected, given a little time, she could come up with an itemized list of every piece of jewelry Amelia owned. All of which, plus the house and whatever assets the apparently wealthy Amelia owned, now belonged to her. Cheryl didn’t look like a push-auntie-down-the-stairs type, and a dead body would surely do terrible things to the feng shui of a place, but if the stakes were high enough . . .
    Oh, c’mon, Cate , she mentally muttered to herself. You’re seeing suspects like termites marching out of the woodwork. The Whodunit ladies, Willow, now the niece.
    It was none of her business anyway. Her job was just to find Willow, give her the message about an inheritance from her grandmother, and provide the great-uncle with an address. Which gave her a sudden idea.
    “I don’t suppose you’d know where Willow worked before she came here? The information might help me locate her for our client.”
    The woman stopped the chin tapping. “That’s an excellent idea. Aunt Amelia must have asked for character or employer references before she hired the woman. Perhaps the information will aid the police too. If you have time, we can go upstairs to her office and take a look right now.”
    Cate almost clapped her hands. Maybe she wasn’t totally hopeless at this PI stuff after all.
    She already knew where Amelia’s office was located, but she didn’t let Cheryl know that. She just followed Cheryl up the stairs, then down the second floor hallway.
    In the small office, Cheryl opened a middle drawer of the wooden file cabinet. The numerous manila folders were neatly labeled, although their order seemed to be based on some unique interpretation of the alphabet. Appliances and warranties. Property taxes. House insurance. Bank accounts. Income tax returns.
    Cheryl’s hand hovered over the bank accounts file, as if she’d like to take a look, but apparently she decided to wait until later. Probably, Cate guessed, until her own curious eyes weren’t present. Cheryl had just pulled out a file labeled Employees when Cate felt a brush against her legs. Cheryl spotted the cat at the same time and instantly flapped the folder at the cat.
    “Shoo! She leaves cat hair on everything. Shoo!”
    “Will you take her now?” Cate asked as the cat skidded out of the room.
    “I have two burgundy velvet chairs. Need I say more? She’s going to the animal shelter.”
    “The animal shelter?” Cate repeated, appalled. “But your aunt must have cared a great deal for her.”
    “I’m sure they’ll find her a good home.”
    “But she’s deaf.”
    Cheryl’s flutter of fingers dismissed that as not her concern.
    Cate was concerned. She kept remembering how the cat had curled so forlornly by Amelia’s arm. How, in spite of all the good efforts by the shelters, so many pets, even young, healthy, hearing ones, didn’t find homes because there were just too many of them.
    “Maybe one of the women from the book club would take her,” Cate suggested.
    “If I have time maybe I’ll call them.” The careless comment suggested that the possibility of enough time to do that was remote. “Oh, look! I think I’ve found something.”
    She had indeed. It wasn’t a formal employment application, but it had Willow’s name at the top of the page. Listed below were a few lines about each of several jobs she’d held.