COZY MYSTERY: Trail Mix Murder: A Cozy Mystery in the Mountains (Book 2) Read Free Page A

women with scuba masks swam/danced in a floor-to-ceiling aquarium that had been created especially for LeeLee’s birthday.
    As means of skirting past the strict noise control laws, the entire town had been invited to LeeLee’s birthday party. It seemed like almost everyone had shown up. The room was filled with awe-struck locals, mixing with bored looking socialites.
    Victoria, back in her days in New York, had seen far more decadent parties and remained comparatively inured to them. Like Amanda, she believed that the money would be better spent elsewhere, but unlike Amanda, she knew that for someone like LeeLee, whose entire life centered around her fashion lines, parties such as this were as much a business decision as a personal preference.
    Amanda had volunteered to stay at home and babysit Ida and Annie, and the two little girls had been very excited to have a slumber party. Byron, who had disliked the whole idea of the slumber party, had opted to work as a server just so he could see the lavish décor.
    He stood in one corner now, wearing a mechanized suit with a jackal’s mask, asking passing guests if they would like to sample the crystal mushrooms or the orange walnut sambuca cake.
    The final touch, of course, was a pyramid shaped throne on which LeeLee herself sat, dressed as the Egyptian Empress Cleopatra. She was dressed in a lavish gold armor gown, with a darker gold cape thrown around her. On a closer look, one could see that the cape consisted of feathers that had been hand painted with glitter. On her head were a wig of dreadlocked hair tipped with gold, and a bedazzled crown of jade and faux sapphire.
    Victoria, despite herself, loved the theatricality of it all and thought that LeeLee looked quite fitting as an empress.
    LeeLee had started her life as an orphan, Victoria knew. At the time, she had been named the rather plain Lily Brown. At age 14, she had been discovered by a photographer as she sold umbrellas and caps on a beach. Instantly, she had risen to fame, becoming a model, and had altered her name to reflect her new life.
    But the fame and fortune had soon left her with a crippling addiction to pills and drinks. At 21, the lifestyle had ruined her looks, so that the former runway model was now a homeless drunk.
    Instead of disappearing into obscurity, LeeLee had risen from the flames like a phoenix. She quit her bad habits, bought herself a sewing machine, and began going door-to-door, peddling her wares. Initially, she had no buyers until she began offering to sew custom fitted shirts. Skeptical customers fell in love with her clothes and the way they made them look and once again, LeeLee had found fame. Only this time, she guarded it wisely.
    As she sat on her throne now, surrounded by a crowd of fawning admirers, LeeLee’s imperial face looked perfectly content.
    Still, Victoria wondered if LeeLee was happy. Could one ever be happy, alone at the top like she was? Her work must give her satisfaction but she had no family and no true friends. She only attracted what Victoria thought of as a pack of vultures.
    Victoria’s attention came back to the counter that she was manning, as a woman paused and asked for a drink.
    “Just water please.”
    Surprised, as she had so far only gotten requests for champagne or other expensive liqueurs, Victoria said, “Would you like ice or lemon?” She looked up with curiosity at the woman.
    The woman had on a bright red overcoat, which perfectly matched the shade of her bright red lips. Her dark hair was artificially highlighted with gold, and although her skin seemed like alabaster from afar, up close, Victoria could see that her entire face was covered in a bright sheen of makeup.
    “Hot in here,” Victoria commented. “Perhaps you’d like me to take your coat? I could have someone give it to the coat check boys by the door.”
    The woman looked startled, then shook her head. “No.,” she said decisively, drinking down her water in one gulp.
    “Did