Murder Follows Money Read Free Page A

can wait for your bags.”
    “Don will stay here and help,” Naomi decreed. “You may as well stay too, Kim.” She rummaged in her big shoulder bag. “Here are the claim checks. Be as quick as you can. Hannah needs to get to her hotel for a rest.”
    “I’m fine, Naomi.” Hannah looked bored by the commotion. “Where is the car?”
    We had to wait for a few moments outside the door until the right limousine hove into view. I hoisted Hannah’s book in the air, as Judi had told me to, and soon one of the big vehicles pulled over. Naomi tucked Hannah tenderly into the back while I spoke to the driver. He wasn’t allowed to park at the curb, but promised to circle until we emerged with the baggage.
    I joined Don and Kim at the baggage claim. With Hannah and Naomi out of the way, Kim was perceptibly more relaxed.
    “So, Don, you’ve never been here before. What about you, Kim?”
    “Never.” She glanced around the airport. “From here it doesn’t look much different from Boston.”
    “Well, I’ve never been to Boston. But maybe the weather’s better here in January.”
    “Couldn’t be worse.” Don spoke around the wad of chewing gum he’d crammed in his mouth.
    “Don’s from Florida,” Kim explained. “He’s been complaining about our New England winters ever since Naomi hired him.” She looked up at him with her wistful smile. “Don’t you love the skiing and sledding? And walking in the crisp, frosty air? I do.”
    He smiled faintly at her, then, with a movement much faster than I’d expected from him, had a camera in his hand and was taking her picture. “Couldn’t resist,” he said around the gum, flicking the tip of her nose with a careless finger. “You’re cute when you think about cold weather.”
    He turned away, but not before I’d glimpsed the warmth at the back of his teasing smile.
    Kim shrugged. “He treats me like I was his kid sister,” she whispered to me, looking at Don’s back with an exasperated expression. “Don’t you think he’s cute, Liz?”
    “He’s good-looking if you like that lanky style.”
    “Right. He’s too lanky for me.” Kim tossed her head.
    “Do you have a boyfriend at home?”
    She looked at her nails, blushing. “A couple of boys take me out. They’re nice and all. But Don’s, like, a man.”
    “Luggage is up,” the man called out just then. “Get a-moving, ladies.”
    I got a baggage cart and we stacked some big plastic crates on it. “The cooking supplies,” Kim said. “Some nice dishes. Hannah doesn’t take chances. She brings everything she might need for a demonstration.”
    Don hefted a couple of big duffel bags. “What’s in these?”
    Kim thought. “I believe they have linens. Maybe some of Naomi’s makeup stuff.” She turned to me. “Naomi does all the personal things for Hannah—gets her ready for appearances and things like that.”
    “Thank God,” I muttered. “And these must be Hannah’s.” The suitcases were large, elegant leather and tapestry, with wheels.
    “One’s Hannah’s, the other’s Naomi’s. And they have these littler ones too.” Kim draped smaller bags around the larger ones, like saddlebags on mules. “And this is mine.” She found a place on the luggage cart for a battered old suitcase. “This belongs to my folks,” she said, catching my eye. “Nobody travels much in my family.”
    Don had another duffel bag, which he swung onto his shoulder, balancing the camera case and small duffel he already carried. We draped the big duffels on top of the crates on the luggage cart and Don wheeled it, listing precariously, out the doors, while Kim and I followed with the more elegant bits. Considering that they were on a multi-city tour, I guessed it wasn’t that much luggage, but it sure made for a lot of schlepping. I was thankful that after we got it into the hotel, I wouldn’t have to wrassle with it again until Friday.
    The limo was lurking for us when we lurched through the doors. The