Read Miz Scarlet and the Holiday Houseguests (A Scarlet Wilson Mystery #3) for Free Online Page A

large suitcase, a carry-on bag, and her purse
ready to load into the car. Mozzie, her Cavalier King Charles
spaniel, was sitting patiently by the luggage, expecting to go with
his mistress, blissfully unaware of the coming reality.
    “Do you have everything?” I
wondered.
    “I do.”
    “Money, credit card, boarding
pass....”
    “I’m fine, Miz Scarlet. Don’t worry
about me.”
    “Okay,” I smiled. “You call us if
there’s anything you need. And have a wonderful time with your
family. I hope this Christmas is everything you dream it will
be.”
    “I do, too.” For a brief moment, she
seemed to hesitate. “I’m kind of excited, but....”
    “Be patient with yourself. No one
expects you to forget your past. It’s okay to miss your
mom.”
    “I know, Miz Scarlet.” A single tear
splashed down her cheek before she wiped it away. “Oh, I didn’t
want to cry!”
    “Come here.” I wrapped her in my arms
and held her tight. “You go and have a great time. Give my best to
Tony and Maria. And bring me back some almonds.”
    “I will.” Jenny picked up her dog,
hugging him tightly. “You be a good boy while I’m gone.”
    “We’ll take very good care of him,” I
promised. “We’ll miss you.”
    “I’ll miss you, too. I hope you have
fun with Larry and her family.”
    “I’m sure we will.”
    “I still don’t understand why Larry and
Mickey don’t stay with you. It seems kind of dumb.”
    “It does, doesn’t it? It would give
Mickey the chance to spend more time with her
grandparents.”
    Bur honked the horn as he pulled his
car up outside. I opened the door and picked up the largest
suitcase. Jenny, still clutching her dog, grabbed the other bags.
We made our way out to the driveway and loaded the bags into the
trunk of Bur’s sedan.
    “If it’s about money, why not put
Michaela in my room, Scarlet? I don’t mind if she sleeps in my bed.
Put her to work, so you don’t have to charge a guest
fee.”
    “What a sweet thing to offer, Jen. She
might like that.”
    Three hours later, while I was catching
up on my correspondence at the ancient Mac in the library, I sent
Larry a quick email, confirming the details of her father’s
arrival. I added a note about Jenny’s offer to Michaela. A minute
later, my cell phone rang.
    “Did you mean it? Can my kid stay with
you?” She sounded a little breathless.
    “Sure, Larry.”
    “Thank God!” I heard her exhale on the
other end of the line.
    “Is there something wrong?”
    “All hell has broken loose. This case
just got ugly. I can’t tell you about it, but I really need to get
Mickey somewhere safe until we sort this out. Can I drop her off
after school today?”
    “Absolutely. No problem.”
    “And you’ll pick my dad up at the
airport tomorrow?”
    “We’ll be happy to collect him,” I told
her, as Huckleberry pawed my leg, wanting to be picked up for a
hug. I obliged.
    “Thanks. I’ve got to go.” The call
ended abruptly, without any of the normal conversational
pleasantries.
    “Well, Huck,” I said, giving him a
scratch behind his ear, “Larry’s more than a little stressed. It
doesn’t sound like the case is going well at all.”
    I gave this some more consideration as
I got back to my innkeeper duties. This was not typical Larry
behavior. There must be more to this mess than meets the eye, I
decided.
    At quarter after four, Larry’s police
sedan pulled into the driveway of the Four Acorns Inn, and
fourteen-year-old Mickey got out of the passenger seat. Almost as
tall and leggy as her mother, the dark-haired beauty waved to
me.
    “Hey, Miz Scarlet. Sorry you got stuck
with me,” she told me through a mouthful of metal.
    “Stuck with you? Are you kidding me?
We’ve been begging your mother to let you come. It will be nice for
your grandparents to spend time with you. And now that you’re here,
I’m going to put you to work.” I grabbed Mickey’s suitcase and led
the way into the house.
    “You