BLUE WEDDING (Melody The Librarian Mysteries Book 3) Read Free Page A

don’t I give you directions? Would 1:00 be okay?”
    I felt as if I’d been outmaneuvered. It could’ve been so simple. Oh, well, time to take one for the team. It wouldn’t be a bad thing to meet the bride-to-be, would it? Maybe I’d even like her….
    “One o’clock is fine,” I said. “Go ahead with the directions.”
    I hung up and waited for Mom’s commentary. One, two, three….
    “Did I hear you say that you’re playing at a wedding?” Mom asked, her face concealed by the newspaper.
    “Yup, next Saturday.” I sipped my coffee quickly, plotting my escape.
    “Tiffany Ashcroft…I think I know some Ashcrofts out toward Crawford. Not in Crawford, but out in one of those tony little suburbs that’ve sprung up. What am I trying to say?”
    “Like a gated community?” I suggested. “Like Wellsworth?”
    “That’s it!” Mom was pleased that I’d been able to fill the temporary void in her vocabulary. Wellsworth, of course, would be my destination.
    “Well, I’d better eat something and shower,” I said, getting up. “My skin reeks of stale smoke.”
    “So now Zak Van Dyke has you working for him on a Sunday? Are you getting paid for this?”
    “Mom, this is Gary’s project. Mr. Van Dyke has nothing to do with this, and I’m just helping Gary out.”
    Mom was unrelenting in her quest for justice. “And were you compensated for the concerts you did on his behalf? I’ll bet that exposure translated into sales for him!”
    “I think he did well,” I said. “When he sells the accordions, I’ll be the one giving lessons, so it all works out.”
    She sniffed. “Sounds like trickle-down economics to me. He’ll probably want a percentage off the lessons.”
    “Mom, it’s not all about the money,” I protested. “They’re friends, and that project helped me prove something to myself. I researched material, arranged it and came up with a lovely program of music. And I had help, collaborating with Gary. Now that I’m part of his group of players, Gary’s lining up jobs for us, we’re making money and I’m having fun. If all I cared about was money, I could probably work the polka circuit this summer, but I’d rather not.”
    “Just like your grandmother did,” Mom cackled. “I don’t remember her getting rich from the polka circuit.”
    “No, but she enjoyed her life, Mom. It made her feel special, traveling and getting up on stage. Not everyone who plays music gets rich from doing it. We do it because we love playing!”
    “All I’m saying is don’t let anyone take advantage of you. Maybe you’re too nice to be in that business.”
    “Well, maybe you should be my manager,” I countered. “Seriously, I can play and be nice, and you…can make us rich.”
    “I have a job, thank you,” Mom replied, rattling her paper to signal the end of our conversation was near. “I have plenty to do at the store. I just offered some advice; you’re free to take it or leave it.”
    I knew she meant well, but I wished that she could offer encouragement without disparaging the character of others. I thought the world of Mr. Van Dyke; that’s why compensation never even entered my mind when he suggested the promotional concerts. And Gary…well, the jury was still out on exactly how Gary’s and my relationship would evolve, but he was certainly a good friend.
    I tried to block out Mom’s insinuations. Distrust is like a poison; once it gets in your system, nothing is ever the same.

Chapter 3
     
    Mom was right about the tony trappings of Wellsworth. It wasn’t intimidatingly upscale by any means, but the entrance to the community did feature a barrier and the man in the guardhouse asked for the name and address of the residence I planned to visit. I drove past a golf course and clubhouse, but once I entered the housing area, it wasn’t all that impressive. The houses were new, each slightly different from the other, yet similar in many ways, particularly the prominence of the driveway