Powdered Murder Read Free Page A

fitting went by too fast, and before I knew it was nearing dinner time. The hour had come for me to join Lila and her other bridesmaids at the Pinecliffe Mountain Resort Spa. I'd thought all day about the things Mrs. Millbreck had said. I needed a new dress. A gift. The poise to waltz alongside Patrick and his new bride on the dance floor. But instead of taking on my bridesmaid duties, I ended up browsing the cooking section at The Painted Deer Bookshop.
    Drooling over pictures of desserts is one of my guilty pleasures, but it's probably more torturous than satisfying. I live on Canyon Street above the book store which wasn't the smartest idea on my part since the shop owner, Mrs. Tankle, is my Landlady.
    I'd driven away from town and towards Pinecliffe Mountain with nothing to give Lila for her big day. I pulled up to the staff parking lot and noticed something out of the ordinary. There were extra cars parked in the visitor's lot. More so than usual. Most of the resort's guests opted to have their cars valeted when they came into town. Parking on sheets of ice could be uncomfortably tricky in the chilly winter months. January especially. The visitor's lot was normally only half full.
    I stepped out of my car and grabbed my gym bag just as my path was blocked by a thin man in a navy blue ski jacket. His smile was way too white to be a wandering local from a neighboring town. He had to have come from the city. I clenched my fist out of habit as he smiled and nodded at me.
    Adrenaline always pumps through my veins when strange men approach me, especially in the staff parking lot. I chalk it up to my naive college days when it seemed like a clever idea to go for a run through campus after sundown. The silence helped me clear my thoughts. The downside was a man in a hoodie standing behind a street lamp casually smoking a cigarette and staring in my direction. I nixed the late night jogs after I saw him along my running route on more than one occasion. He even tried talking to me once, blocking my path to get me to stop. It creeped me out.
    "Hello," the man said.
    "Can I help you?" Hotel management insisted that we be polite to all potential guests.
    "Why yes, you can."
    He followed me towards the staff entrance that led to the employee lounge. I stopped just outside the door, keeping my badge in my pocket. I waited as the man clasped his hands together and eyed my gym bag.
    The only time I've ever been robbed was when Joy and I went to Vegas for an Aerosmith concert. And technically I was almost pick-pocketed, but I happened to turn around and face the culprit before he was able to pull anything out of my purse. I remember thinking how weird it was that some random stranger was standing so close to us. He'd stopped walking and quickly crossed the street just as I looked down and realized my purse had been unzipped.
    If this man was aiming to steal my bag and its inexpensive contents then he was about to be disappointed. If he succeeded then he would have stolen a brand new lipstick, a borrowed cocktail dress, a cashless wallet, an employee polo shirt, my name tag, and two double fudge protein bars.
    "If you are looking for accommodations our concierge will be more than happy to assist you inside," I replied.
    "I already have a room booked," he answered.
    "Then what is it you want?"
    "I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions." The man eagerly studied my expression. When he noticed the way my jaw was clenched and how my feet were positioned in a defensive stance, he took a step back. "Please, I'm not looking for trouble. I am just trying to do my job."
    "Which is?"
    "Um.…"
    He scratched his chin and casually rubbed the tip of his rounded nose. It was starting to turn pink from the cold. His ski jacket was zipped up to his neck and he was wearing ski gloves, but the pieces of material on the palms of the gloves weren't worn. They looked brand new. I glanced at the man's shoes. They were snow boots that also looked like