Death by Pumpkin Spice by Alex Erickson Page A

an emergency, or Paul could be calling to ask for my help again. I pulled out the phone and answered it without checking the screen, eyes firmly planted on Will, who had just turned and was watching me approach.
    â€œOh, Lordy Lou!”
    I groaned and almost hung up. I so didn’t need this right now, but I wasn’t willing to be rude to one of the few people who seemed to truly like me for some reason. “Hi, Rita,” I said. “I’m at a party right now, so I can’t talk long.”
    â€œI know!” She was shouting as if excited. “I heard there was a murder there!”
    â€œHow . . . ?” I trailed off, not bothering to finish the question. How else? Someone here was probably friends with her or one of her gossip buddies. Once word got to Rita, rumors of murder and mayhem would be all over town.
    â€œI heard it through the grapevine that Jessica Fairweather was murdered at the party! Is it true?”
    I really didn’t want rumors flying around, especially with my name attached to them, so I answered with a noncommittal, “I can’t talk about it right now.”
    Rita didn’t seem put out by my refusal to answer. “Well, if it is true, I can’t say it is much of a shame.”
    I held up a finger to the waiting Will and veered off into a hallway where it was quieter. “Why’s that?” I asked, interested despite myself. If there was one thing Rita was good for, it was rumors, many of which turned out to be true.
    â€œShe wasn’t a very nice girl, now was she?” She huffed as if she’d met the sharp side of Miss Fairweather’s tongue more than once. “I’m sure there were countless men who would want to kill her, so I’m not surprised her current boyfriend gave in to the impulse.”
    â€œNo one said he killed her.” I wanted to be clear on that so she didn’t go around saying I told her he’d done it. “And by current boyfriend, I’m assuming that means she went through a lot of them?”
    â€œOh my, yes.” I could almost feel Rita shake her head in disapproval. “That girl was a floozy of the first grade. I swear she kept more than one man on a leash at any given time. With her money and looks, these poor saps kept throwing themselves at her, like they thought she would suddenly change.” Another huff. “As if.”
    I wasn’t a big fan of dishing on the dead, but if it was true, then that meant Quentin Pebbles had a pretty good motive for killing her, not to mention the other guys she’d strung along. I wondered if Paul knew about Jessica’s past, or if Rita was giving me unsubstantiated rumors? I’d have to find a way to ask around without seeming like I was prying.
    â€œDo you know the names of any of these boyfriends?” I asked.
    â€œWell, why would I?” Rita asked, sounding as if I’d just asked her if she knew the color of the deceased’s underwear. “I’m not one to get involved in other people’s personal lives.”
    I rolled my eyes and found myself looking at Will. He was standing a respectable distance away, mask turned in my direction. He was leaning against the wall, cane resting on one shoulder, looking absolutely dreamy.
    â€œI, uh, got to go,” I said, suddenly not quite as interested in Jessica Fairweather’s love life as I was a moment ago.
    â€œOh, well, I—”
    I clicked off, knowing that if I let her, Rita would continue talking. “Will,” I said, stuffing the phone back into my pocket.
    â€œYou could have finished,” he said with a smile. “I’m a patient man.”
    â€œYou’d have to be with me,” I said.
    He strode down the hall to join me, still smiling. Our hallway was deserted, and all of the doors were closed, so there was no one around to watch us. My heart picked up speed as I thought about that, and it didn’t help matters any that he was