Chocolate Cream Cupcake & Murder (A Dana Sweet Cozy Mystery Book 3) Read Free Page B

around. “You know I’m not one to gossip…”
    Yeah, sure. Katie wanted to roll her eyes and grin.
    “But,” Gerdie continued. “that wife of his came into the salon the other day, to get her nails done.” Gerdie splayed her newly manicured French nails out for emphasize.
    “And?”
    “Well, not only was she a snooty little thing, turning up her nose at everyone there and demanding to be ahead of everyone who was already waiting, but when she was having her nails done and casually chatting with Tisha, one of the nail girls, she mentioned how much she was going to change things at the manor.”
    “Change things? Why would she say that?”
    “Oh, yes, child. Tisha mentioned that Jackie Renaldo was in the salon the other day, Tierry’s only daughter. And of course, she’d heard how Jackie’s been running her mouth all over town how they were gonna get rid of that gold-digger trying to marry their daddy. So Goldie said that she was gonna get rid of his kids first.”
    “But she can’t do that.”
    “Oh, yes, she can, apparently. Those grown-ass lazy kids of his don’t do anything but sleep in till noon and squander away his money. He had ‘em late in life. When he was in his fifties he’d married a very young wife number four and she’d given him those kids. Well, wifey four split now with a fortune of an alimony—just like the ones before. You know that saying: If a girl wants to be rich, just marry a gullible rich man without a prenup then divorce him later.”
    “That’s awful, Gerdie-Sue. I’m sure the universe would pay back anyone who tried that.”
    “Hmm-mmm, child. In dividends.” Gerdie-Sue winked.
    “Well, anyway, I don’t believe any of it.”
    “Oh, you’d better child. Those kids are apparently scheming to get rid of Miss Thing. And you know something. He was engaged about seventeen times.”
    “Seventeen times?” Katie said, incredulously. She couldn’t wait to tell Dana all of this.
    “Yep. Seventeen times.”
    “Well, what happened? He wasn’t married seventeen times, why surely.”
    “Nope. That’s because the kids are all crafty.”
    “Crafty?”
    “Yep. They made sure that many of his engagements never made it to the altar.”
    “I had no idea that was going on.”
    “Oh, yes. They don’t get along with anybody. I’m surprised the maid and butler stayed that long.”
    “Really?”
    “Oh, yes, child.” Gerdie patted her newly permed hairdo and brushed an imaginary hair off her shoulders. She always seemed to come alive when she was out spreading news like an entertainment reporter. Everybody came to Gerdie-Sue for news. She seemed to know everything about everyone in Berry Cove. How did she do it?
    Still, as Dana once told Katie, that old adage often rang true: Those who gossiped to you, will gossip about you. They all liked Gerdie but they were sure as sin not to tell her their private business they wouldn’t want spread about town like a layer of butter on a toasted cheese sandwich.
    “The maid and butler can’t stand the man. He always talks down to them like he was barking at them. And I hear he treats ‘em all like slaves and lets them wear Victorian-era clothes and all. Very old fashioned. They also have to address him as master. Can you believe that? No one can get along with old man Renaldo. He’s so hard to please. A grumpy mean old guy who gives his kids barely anything. That’s why they can’t afford to move out on their own. And who’s gonna go from living in a mansion to a roach-infested tenant housing to get by. Of course, they’d stay there getting free meals and a small allowance and still have a chance to borrow his expensive cars. That’s why his children figure that a pretty young face can’t be with him for his personality. He’s a cheapie, too. She’ll marry him and leave him in the dust.”
    “But why doesn’t he just do a prenup?”
    “Oh, child. You have a lot to learn about the legal system in this province. You sign a