Page 93 of Killer on the First Page

“That seems a little far-fetched,” said Lachlan Todd.

Getting things back on track, Penny Fenland turned her attention to Ned. “A heart attack, you said.”

“From the looks of it, yes. But she was about to squeal on someone,” he said. “And that makes her death suspicious, as far as I’m concerned.”

Ray Valentine cleared his throat. “Back when I was on the force—”

“You were never on the force,” Sheryl Youngblut snapped. “Everything you have was stolen from Cephus. Your entire writing career is based on a lie.”

“The janitor,” said Penny. “Why isn’t he here?”

“Cephus has an alibi,” Ned pointed out. “You don’t.”

Poor Geri was wringing her hands. “May we—”

“—speak?” said Gerry.

They’d lost three guests in two days: dead, dead, and dead. It was the sort of thing that could damage one’s rankings on Yelp.

“One of our china saucers,” said Gerry.

“And a silver fork,” Geri reminded him. “Early Colonial Revival—”

“—curved Castilian design.”

“They’ve disappeared,” said Geri. “Vanished! Saucer and fork both. Gerry and I took a full inventory—”

“—after the reception.”

“Gone. Both of them.”

“Oh, that,” said Miranda. “They’re at the bookstore. Edgar said he’d run them over later.”

Geri’s shoulders relaxed. “Phew! We were so worried. Didn’t want to accuse anyone.”

“One hates to accuse someone,” said Gerry.

At which moment, in a perfectdeus ex machinamanner, Edgar entered. “Cold outside!” he said. He looked around at the group Ned had gathered in the reception hall. “I just stopped by to...” He held out a paper I Only Read Murder book bag for Geri. “Here’s the plate and fork Owen left in my room last night.”

Her eyes welled with appreciation. “Thankyou,” she breathed.

Gerry took the bag from Edgar with equally teary-eyed gratitude. “Hate to accuse anyone,” he said.

Ned was doing his best not to growl. “Well, I’m glad we were able to resolve the Case of the Missing Dinnerware. Maybe we can return to the issue at hand: the murders? Unless you have anything else to add, Geri?”

“We do! Tell them, honey.”

“Oh, right,” said Gerry, brightening up. “Almost forgot. We found the murder weapon.”

Bolt upright, Ned said, “The weapon? The one used to kill Kane Hamady?”

“The very one! Though we are merely assuming it’s the same weapon, aren’t we, dear?”

“That’s right,” said Geri. “I mean, how many harpoon guns would guests need?”

It wasn’t a harpoon. It was a lightweight aluminum speargun capable of firing either metal spears or modified arrows at great force over short distances. Geri had wrapped it in a plastic bag, and Ned extracted it gingerly with thumb and forefinger.

“You should check it for fingerprints!” said Ray Valentine.