Read Online Gilt by Association by Karen Rose Smith - Free Book Online

know,” her mother ordered.
    â€œI don’t know much. Nikki and I came for the open house, and I went to the greenhouse and found her.”
    â€œHow was she killed?”
    â€œI’m sure the detective doesn’t want me talking about this.”
    â€œCaprice, I’m your mother. I’ll keep my mouth shut if I have to. How was she killed?”
    â€œShe was shot. Three times.”
    â€œOh my goodness. In her greenhouse?”
    â€œYes.”
    â€œWas anything taken?”
    â€œI don’t think so. Nikki and I were in the house looking for Louise and nothing was disturbed.”
    â€œThere’s a safe in Chet’s office, and Louise has one of those boxes that look like a book where she keeps jewelry that isn’t in her safe deposit box. That’s in her bedroom on the bookshelf. You might want to tell the detective that.”
    â€œI’ll do that. He might want to question you since you were a good friend, especially since you know where her safe was and that kind of thing.”
    â€œJust so it isn’t that Detective Jones. I’ll give him a piece of my mind if he tries to bully me.”
    Her mother knew what Roz as well as Bella and Joe had gone through with Detective Jones, and Caprice had no doubt her mom would give him a piece of her mind.
    Detective Carstead was coming her way.
    â€œMom, are you going to be okay?”
    â€œOf course I will, dear. Your dad’s here, and I . . . I’ll go tell Nana. She’s going to be so shocked. I just can’t believe Louise is—” Her voice broke.
    â€œMom, I’m so sorry. I know Louise was your best friend.”
    â€œCan you stop over . . . later?” her mom asked, with a catch in her voice.
    â€œSure, I can. Nikki will, too.”
    Detective Carstead watched Caprice end her call and pocket her phone.
    â€œThe real estate agents are going to do what they can?” he asked.
    She nodded, and then said, “I called my mother, too.”
    â€œBut you didn’t give her every detail, right?”
    â€œShe wanted to know how Louise was killed and I told her, but she won’t tell anyone else.”
    He rolled his eyes toward the sky. “This is one of the reasons Jones doesn’t want you involved. You’re a big family. And . . . you all know Captain Powalski.”
    Captain Powalski, who was chief of police, was also a good friend of her dad’s, and he kept his distance when Caprice was involved in an investigation. Except . . . he had helped her out on the first murder she’d solved.
    â€œWhat about Captain Powalski?”
    â€œHe doesn’t want us to have to haul you in for obstruction of justice.”
    â€œI never obstruct justice.”
    Detective Carstead gave her a look that told her she’d better just keep quiet. Still . . . keeping quiet wasn’t her strong suit. “My mother told me something you might want to consider.” She related the information about the safe and Louise’s jewelry.
    â€œI made a note of it,” he said.
    Caprice spotted Nikki wandering toward her, looking a little dazed herself.
    â€œDo you need us, or can we go?” she asked the detective.
    â€œYou’re going to have to come to the station to sign statements. Tomorrow is okay for that. And you can’t take your vehicles. You know the drill.”
    She sighed. Vehicles had to be searched since they were on the property. She and Nikki would need a ride home.
    When Nikki was beside her, she reminded her, “We can’t take our cars. Who do you want to call?”
    Nikki seemed to shake off her daze. “You could call Grant.”
    Yes, she could, but she didn’t want to. Relying on him just wasn’t in her nature, maybe because she had a trust issue where most men were concerned. Her last serious relationship had been with a divorced man with a child. He’d ended up going back to his ex, and Caprice had been left out