Read Murder at the Holiday Flotilla for Free Online Page B

threatening? You’re out of your league, Red. I don’t think you know who you’re playing with here. I’m not some crooked county commissioner you can buy. You just try to bring me down and you’ll regret it. These are state politics you’re messing in, not local. Now that’s the end of it. I won’t do it and that’s final.”
    And with that Senator Henry wheeled about and stomped back through Melanie’s front door.
    The other man, the man he’d called “Red”, let out a string of curses, spat angrily at the ground, then he too returned to the party.
    I scurried across the circular drive, toting the diaper bag, and prayed my entrance would not be noticed by either man.
     

 
     
     
     
    5
     
    I didn’t see either man as I hurried across the reception hall and rushed up the broad staircase. I wandered along the upper hallway, following the sound of my babies crying. My sons are fastidious little beings and don’t appreciate soiled diapers. Racing into the makeshift nursery, I attempted to hand the diaper bag to the young woman I found there. A pretty young thing of about nineteen who was able to tune out my babies’ cries because she was staring at my husband with blatant and ardent desire. So smitten was she, anyone could see it written all over her face. My children were forgotten by their sitter. My husband was the object of her adoration.
    Jon was sitting in a rocker, holding a bawling infant in each arm, and totally oblivious to the girl’s horniness. She looked like she might, at any moment, leap onto his lap along with Peter and Jonnie.
    “ Thank God,” Jon cried when he saw me. “I was about to mount a search party for you.”
    “ Oh, were you?” I asked indignantly, mad at him for arousing the sitter’s maidenly yearnings, although knowing Jon he was totally unaware that he was the object of her sexual fantasies.
    I thrust the diaper bag at her and she had no choice but to grab it. “You’re the sitter, right? There are clean diapers in there. Once you change the baby’s diapers, they’ll quiet down. I think you can manage on your own. You have changed a diaper before, haven’t you?”
    “ Oh, yes ma’am, I have.” Her blonde ponytail bobbed up and down.
    Ma’am? At twenty-seven I had become a ma’am!
    Her wide blue eyes peered at me innocently as if to deny what I had clearly seen.
    Jon stood up and carried the babies to a make-shift changing table that had been set up on a dresser top. “Thank god you’re here with clean diapers. I’ll just stay and help Angelina. Be sure she has everything she needs.”
    Oh you will, will you, I wanted to bark. But I did not. Jon had no idea that what this quivering teenager thought she needed was him. Then I quickly reminded myself that Jon is a wonderful father. He wanted to be sure our children were being properly cared for. And so did I.
    I gazed at Jon as he began undressing one of the babies. Which one? I’d have to get closer to identify my child. This attitude of mine was absurd. I trust Jon. I moved forward and began undressing the other baby. Jonnie. Little Jonnie looked up at me and began to coo. I kissed his tiny forehead. Side by side, Jon and I replaced soiled diapers with fresh. Horney Angelina was forgotten.
    “ Come on down and join the party,” I said to Jon. “She can take over from here.”
    Jon lifted Peter to his chest. “I think I’ll stay for a few minutes. I’ll rock them and they’ll be off to sleep. Then I’ll be down. You go on and have some fun.” He kissed me on the forehead.
    “ Okay,” I said, smiling up at him. We were tight - a strong family unit. No blonde home wrecker could break us up. “Don’t be long.”
    Downstairs, more guests had arrived, and I looked around for someone I knew.
    “ Now that’s what I call a silver cougar,” a familiar voice said over my shoulder.
    “ Aunt Ruby?” I turned to give my elegant aunt a grin. Aunt Ruby is now seventy-three but you’d never know it. She