Give Murder A Hand: Lizzie. Book 2 (The Westport Mysteries) Read Free Page B

temples and had started work on a very small muffin top. I knew
he worked hard to keep the weight off, as Danny resembled a walking skeleton,
but I guess age catches up with us all at some point.
    Next to Danny, he was very conservative. Danny and Andrew were not
only life partners; they were also business partners, owning their own
hairdressing salon on River Road. Personally, I thought Andrew must actually be
some sort of saint.
    “Hey Molly, Sexpo’s in town. I was wondering if you wanted to go?”
asked Danny looking hopefully at Molly, his eyebrows raised.
    “Why don’t you go with Andrew?” she responded.
    “He won’t go with me,” said Danny, sulkily. “He says I’m too
embarrassing.”
    “You are too embarrassing!” commented Andrew.
    “Well, excuse me if I just happen to show my enthusiasm!” snapped
Danny, turning his back on Andrew and giving his full attention to Molly. I
knew what Molly was thinking. She thought Danny was embarrassing too.
    “Umm, I’m not really sure. I’m pretty busy with work at the
moment.”
    “I’ll go!” piped up Grandma Mabel. “It’ll be great. I might learn a
few new things.” I felt Riley smile next to me. He loved Mable. He thought she
was a hoot.
    I could see Danny mentally calculating how he could retract his
statement about going. “Oh ... well ... umm ...”
    “Mum! Really!” chastised my mother, horrified.
    “What?” asked Grandma.
    “What would the ladies at Seniors’ group think?”
    “They’d think it was great. In fact, I might see if I can get a
group of us to go. We could get all sorts of new toys. And maybe the men may
learn a thing or two,” she said, swishing her bottom teeth around.
    I smiled as Danny eyes widened and he looked for the exits.
    “Daniel, if you take your Grandmother to Sexpo I will stop making
you chocolate cake,” continued Mum. That was a threat we all took seriously. “And
you,” she said, turning towards Grandma, “you need to start acting your age!”
    “Humph,” said Grandma, forking at her potatoes. “Sounds like you
should be the one going. It might loosen you up a bit.”
    We all held our breath as we heard Mum suck in hers. Mum may be
small, but when she’s upset, it’s time to get out of her way and hide. I snuck
a look at Mum and saw her death-stare Grandma, deciding whether or not it was
worth the fight. After a few minutes of silence, she must have decided it
wasn’t.
    “Lizzie, I need you to take your Grandmother to the doctor’s on
Monday,” she said, looking at me.
    “I’d love to, Mum,” I replied, noting the forced calmness of her
voice. “But my car is in for a service. I won’t have any transport. Sorry. Maybe
Molly can take her?”
    “Sure. Why not?” said Molly. “I can move work around to do that for
you, Mum. But Lizzie, you really should join us.” She looked at me, her smile
tight. “It’ll be nice spending time together.”
    Spending time together, my ass. She just didn’t want to take Grandma
on her own. As I mentioned, Grandma is a bit of a wild card and I emphasize ‘wild’.
Grandma now lives with my mum and dad after she accidentally set the oven on
fire. She’d had only ever been married once in her life, and as far as we knew
had had a long, faithful marriage. However, since Grandpa had relocated to
somewhere beyond the Pearly Gates, Grandma seemed to be making up for lost
time.
    “Great!” said Grandma, coming in on the end of our conversation. “You
can pick me up early and we can go shopping. I need a new dress.”
    “Good. That’s sorted then,” said Mum, standing up and clearing the
plates as she went. Silently, we all helped her, too afraid to say anything
that may upset the peace. Only when dessert was served—sticky date pudding with
custard – yum!—did the tension in the room lift.
    “What’s happening with your dead body?” asked Danny, looking at me.
    “It’s not my dead body,” I responded, shivering.
    “Possession is nine-tenths of