Murder on the First Day of Christmas (Chloe Carstairs Mysteries) by Billie Thomas Page B

Saul’s book and for Oscar’s new private practice - not that he needed it, really.”
         I chewed my pencil thoughtfully, in what Mom would see as a complete disregard for all the money she and Dad had spent on my orthodontia. “You think Saul could’ve been a blackmailer? Knowing all that he did about people gave him a lot of power. Angela said as much.”
         “But why? He had plenty of money.”
         “Maybe he lived beyond his means. Maybe he gambled.”
         “His checks cashed,” Mom pointed out.
         Good thing too. Nothing would have incurred her wrath faster than getting stiffed on four French hens and five golden rings.
         “Maybe he wasn’t in it for the money,” I suggested. “Maybe he held things over people’s head as an ego thing. He had one.” I held up the Maserati picture. “Exhibit A.”
         “It’s definitely a line of inquiry, and whoever killed him might’ve thought he had told Oscar what he knew.”
         “Exit Oscar.”
         “So, who among our suspects has something to hide?” I kept chewing my pencil knowing Mom was restraining the urge to yank it out of my hand.  “My money is on Nancy. She’s big on appearances, and she was way too interested in Saul’s locked study door.”
         “Ok,” Mom agreed. “Write her down. The funeral is tomorrow, but I could probably talk to her Wednesday. I was planning to check on her anyway.”
         “Tomorrow? That’s fast isn’t it? What’s going on with Saul?”
         “I haven’t heard anything about Saul’s arrangements, but Nancy wanted Oscar’s service over with as soon as possible. She’s nothing if not efficient.”
         “I can talk to Robin. She works out at my gym. Maybe her trainer would let me take their next session.”
         “Stairmaster confessions? I like it.”
         “Yeah, nothing like a little oxygen deprivation to coax the truth out of a person.”
         Mom grimaced. “I guess we have to talk to the Beaumonts?”
         “Not that anyone would blackmail Bunny. Her life’s an open blouse anyway.”
         Mom suppressed a smile, “No stone unturned.”
         “We could talk to Jack Lassiter. Get the inside scoop on the investigation.”
         “I see you’ve already googled him.”
         “Just trying to be thorough. There’s a lot of overlap with Oscar, and he’s on the design review committee for his neighborhood. I can question him since he and Dana work together.” I said it casually, but I could feel Mom’s eyes on me.
         “That leaves Angela, and the Beaumonts,” she said. “I’ve been calling Angela all morning. She’s not answering.”
         “Let’s see how it goes with Nancy and Robin and Jack.” Again, I used the breezy tone.
         “And Jack.” Mom stood and stretched. “There were other people at Saul’s party, and your father is right, they didn’t have to be at Oscar’s party to have killed him. But somehow, I think we should start with the people that were most connected with our victims.”
         “Agreed. I feel good about this. We have an in the police don’t have, which gives us the edge.”
         “It’s not a game, Chloe.”
         Maybe not, but I still like to win.

    CHAPTER 12
     

     My printouts had given us a lot of background on our first round of suspects. Facts, dates and places. The on-the-record stuff.  All necessary, but Mom never underestimates the value of rumor, hearsay and innuendo, so she treated us to manicures and a little gossip at Nails and Tales, her friend Charlotte’s salon being famous for both.
         Charlotte Marshall’s husband was a successful plastic surgeon, so she didn’t need to work. In fact, she claimed she earned two dollars less per hour than her housekeeper and one dollar less than her pool man. Still, she wasn’t the sit-at-home kind, so after her fifth child headed off to