Death among the Roses: a Melanie Hart Mystery (Melanie Hart Cozy Mysteries Book 1) Read Free Page A

packed for a honeymoon which now would never happen.
    I cleared my throat. Cordelia glanced at me. Never had I seen so hopeless a look on my dear friend’s sweet face. I pulled a deep breath, wondering what I could possibly say to comfort this grieving woman. And though I wanted to do better, all I could come up with were the old, trite phrases everyone tosses out at times like these. “My dear friend. I’m so sorry for you loss.”
    Cordelia tossed her head. “You and everyone else. They are all of them, every last one of them, so very sorry. But what good does their sympathy do me? It can’t bring Gary back.”
    I crossed the room and knelt down beside her. “Cordelia, none of us wanted this for you.”
    “And what about Gary?” she protested. “Who is there to comfort him now?”
    I reached out and wrapped my hand about hers. “You’re right, Gary is beyond our help. And we’re outraged by that. Trust me. Your Mom, Dad, all of us, we loved him. We’d give anything to be able to tell him that now. Maybe it can’t help him. But for whatever it’s worth, Gary will be missed by a large number of people.”
    She nodded and ducked her head. “On some level, I think I know that.”
    “Then, please, since he’s not here, at least let us help you.”
    “There’s nothing you or anyone can do.” Fresh tears glistened in the corners of Cordelia’s eyes. She blinked rapidly to contain them.
    I pulled a small straight chair over next to the rocker and sat. “What about just letting us hold your hand. Or maybe we could offer you a shoulder to cry on?”
    She sighed. “If only it were that simple.” She dragged her gaze to mine. “Melanie, somebody murdered Gary. How am I to live with that? Someone stole his life. That big, sweet, dear man of mine is gone. And he was only twenty-five. Why would anyone do that? ”
    “Gossford will figure that part out. He came to the church after you left and interviewed every one of us. All the wedding guests. You know Gossford, he's like a bulldog. He won't quit until he finds his man."
    My friend smiled sadly. “Mom said he’s coming here in the morning. I have no idea what to tell him.”
    “Just answer his questions. That’s all you need to do.” I rubbed her back.
    “What kind of questions?”
    “I don’t know, exactly. I suppose he'll want to know if Gary had any enemies. If he'd quarreled with anyone lately?”
    Cordelia’s head jerked backward. “With me?”
    “I doubt very much that Gossford suspects you. You were inside the church. You have bridesmaids for witnesses. Gossford's simply out there beating the bushes, looking for leads. He's on your side. I’m sure he wants very much to catch this killer.”
    “But I don't have anything to tell him. You knew Gary. He got along with everyone.”
    “Okay, then maybe Gossford will want to know if he had been stressed out over anything?”
    Cordelia sighed. Her face grew even more pale. "Nothing I know of.” She wrung her hands. “Oh, Melanie, what am I to do?”
    I rubbed her shoulder. “Worrying won’t help. Ginger thought you’d been sedated. I expected to find you asleep in bed.”
    “The doctor gave me some pills, but I haven't taken them.” She swung her gaze to the top of a crowded dresser. A little medicine bottle sat at one end. “I don’t want to sleep,” she protested. “Why would I? The man I loved best in the world is dead. I don’t want to shrug that off. I don’t want to selfishly tend to my needs.”
    “Cordelia, Gary wouldn’t want you making yourself sick. You know that. And you have days and days of grieving ahead. But to do that, you must first recover from the shock of Gary’s death. You're overwhelmed. You need sleep to face this ordeal.”
    My friend stared at me for a long moment. Finally she took a deep breath. “I’m so afraid I’ll forget him. I’m terrified that I’ll carry on with my life. That some day I’ll find another man and betray Gary for a new love. And