For Better or Hearse by Laura Durham

Just asking. Personally, I think she should plead temporary insanity. Anyone who gets blood on an Hermès scarf has clearly lost her mind. I’d acquit her in a second.”
    I laughed despite my best efforts not to. “Very funny. But she didn’t get blood on the scarf. She was framed.”
    â€œYou don’t say? Who framed her?”
    Kate leaned forward and cupped a hand around her mouth. “We’re still working on that minor detail.”
    â€œYou can make all the jokes you want, Richard, but we’re going to find out who really killed Henri and set Georgia up.”
    â€œAs long as you do it after we meet with the Van de Kamps.” Richard stood up and unbuttoned the bottom button on his black suit jacket. He never liked his jackets buttoned all the way because he claimed it looked too uptight. “They’re interested in wedding planners, not a crime fighting duo. And they haven’t signed my contract yet, so a few mentions about how fabulous I am would be appreciated.”
    â€œYou’re sure these are good clients, right?” I asked. “Not a bride who thinks that decorating the reception with origami is a good idea?”
    Richard put a hand on his hip. “You’re still steamed about that, aren’t you?”
    â€œI can make paper cranes in my sleep,” Kate complained.
    â€œThis is a Potomac family who wants to throw a big bash for their only daughter. I guarantee you won’t be doing arts and crafts for them.” Richard jumped as the doorbell rang.
    The door opened and I heard footsteps in the foyer. Richard rushed forward to greet them, but all I could see as Mrs. Van de Kamp rounded the corner was blue eye shadow and lots of it. It took me only a second to recognize the girl in the shapeless dress behind her mother. I looked at Kate, whose eyes widened in recognition and fear.
    It was Viola the Vegan.
    â€œWeren’t you two at the bridal tea?” Viola eyed us warily. She looked less than thrilled to be there, and I had a feeling there had been some sort of coercion involved.
    â€œYou must be Mrs. Van de Kamp.” I stepped forward and took the mother’s hand. I turned to Viola and forced a smile. “And you must be the bride.”
    Viola barely took my hand. “You must be a genius.”
    Kate and I exchanged glances. The last thing we needed was to deal with Bratty Bride for the next year. Richard laughed nervously and motioned for us to sit down.
    I took my seat on the couch. I avoided looking at Richard for fear I might be overcome with the need to bludgeon him to death. “Tell us about your wedding plans so far.”
    â€œIsn’t that why we’d hire you?” Viola slouched down in an armchair. “To plan the wedding?”
    I liked this girl less every second. The faster I could get out of this, the better. I turned to the mother. “Have you set a date?”
    â€œWe’re looking at next fall, but we want to see what your availability is before settling on a day.” Mrs. Van de Kamp sounded desperate, and I could see why. “You come highly recommended from Richard.”
    So much for saying we were already booked, if she intended to plan the wedding around our availability. Leaving the country to get out of it seemed a bit extreme.
    â€œI need to get married before Jupiter goes retrograde, Mother.” Viola gave an exasperated sigh. “So it has to be before October seventeenth.”
    Then again, maybe relocating the business overseas wasn’t such an outrageous plan.
    â€œCome again?” Kate did little to hide her curiosity.
    Viola rolled her eyes as if we were idiots for not knowing the star charts. “After Jupiter goes into retrograde, it won’t be good for me to enter into any unions. That includes marriage.”
    â€œAbsolute nonsense,” her mother snapped. “I willnot rearrange a wedding based on what a telephone astrologer told