Read Murder the Tey Way: A Golden Age of Mystery Book Club Mystery (The Golden Age of Mystery Book Club Mysteries 2) for Free Online Page A

hands together to stop their trembling. “I’m telling you what happened. I’m nervous because someone killed a gangster in my backyard, and you’re accusing my sister of—I don’t know what!”
    He reached across to stroke my arm. The unexpected gesture set my body tingling.
    “Lexie, when you’re ready to talk, I’m here to listen.”
    Brian asked me for Gayle’s cell phone number. I gave it to him. If she’d done as she’d promised, her phone was in pieces miles from here.
    “I haven’t heard from her,” I said defensively.
    “I believe you. Please call me when you do.”
    He squeezed my shoulder and took off, leaving me terrified for my sister. The fact that Len was connected, as they say, could only mean he’d gotten word that Gayle was heading for my house and had been instructed to kill her. After all, wasn’t the mob one big company with each “family” controlling a specific area? That dirty cop in Utah must have put the word out, and fast.
    Only someone intervened and killed the killer. I paced up and down the living room as I thought. Who could that someone be? Len had done repair jobs for the Billingses and for Tim. He could have seen where they kept their keys, taken an impression, then returned to rob them at his convenience.
    I shuddered. What if Evan or Tim put two and two together then decided to kill Len? But why in my backyard? Unless…
    My questions only spawned more questions. I had to get out of the house! The sane part of me wanted, no longed to tell Brian what Gayle was running from, but I’d made a promise. And right now that promise took precedence over the legal system and my erratic romance with Brian Donovan.
    I called my best friend, Rosie, who lived in Old Cadfield, a twenty minute drive from here.
    “Can you meet me tonight?” I asked the minute she answered the phone.
    “And hello to you, too.” When I didn’t respond, Rosie asked, “What’s wrong, Lexie?”
    “I’ll tell you later.”
    “Sure you don’t want to come for dinner? I’m making salmon the way you like it, and roasted vegetables.”
    “Sounds yummy, but I can’t eat,” I admitted.
    “It’s that bad?”
    “Worse,” I told her. “Can you meet me at the bar in the bowling alley on Jericho Turnpike?”
    “Sure. I can get there at seven-thirty, since Hal promised to be home early.”
    I smiled, thinking how successful my old college boyfriend had turned out. “Give him a hug for me.”
    “He’ll be disappointed when he finds out you’ve refused dinner. We haven’t seen you in weeks.”
    “I’ll stop by soon,” I promised. “As soon as this storm passes.”
    “How about Friday night?” she pressed. “Seven o’clock?”
    “Sure.” I sighed, knowing when I’d been bested.
    “Lovely!  And tonight we’ll talk and you’ll get everything off your chest.”
    Knowing I’d soon be spilling everything out to my no-nonsense best friend helped put me in a better frame of mind. I fed Puss, nibbled on a few slices of turkey and cheese, and was just changing into a long-sleeved sweater, when the phone rang. I ran to get it, hoping it was Gayle.
    “Hi, Lexie. Hope I didn’t catch you at a bad time.”
    “Hi, Al. What time is it there?”
    “Midnight.” His voice sounded amazingly clear, considering that it was coming across the Atlantic Ocean. “I just got in from a meeting.”
    “Which went well, I gather, from your upbeat tone.”
    “The CEO and other officers of the company like my plans for the new building.
    Surprisingly smooth sailing for this project, so far.”
    “I can’t say the same is happening here. A local hood who worked as a handyman was killed in my backyard during the night or early morning. The odd thing is, last night he was seen looking in the window at our book club meeting. I’ve no idea what he was after.”
    “Lexie, I can’t believe you’ve gotten yourself mixed up in another murder!”
    Was that a note of criticism I heard? Al knew that the murders in