Til a Death Do Us Part: A Bakery Detectives Cozy Mystery Read Free Page B

the only one to have seen her.
    Then I thought about Emma's dazed look of shock before she ran away and fled for the hills.
    "Rachael?" Pippa waved me over. I realized then that the guests were all murmuring because the celebrant was clearing his throat ready to make an announcement.
    My first instinct, stupid as it was, was to just sit down in my seat as though nothing had happened. I must have been in shock. I felt as though it would be rude not to sit and listen while the celebrant was speaking.
    "Upon the advice of Mr. Whittaker," the celebrant started to say. "I need to inform all the guests present today that..."
    I suddenly jumped up. "Aunt Cassie!" I called out. I was met with shocked whispers and Jackson shooting me a look that said, what the heck are you doing? Her nephew spun around to stare at me and I looked down at him apologetically. "I’m sorry," I whispered to him.
    He stood up. "What about Aunt Cassie? Where is she?"
    "She wasn't...she wasn't breathing," I said lamely.
    There were more gasps and whispers. "She's...she's in the bathroom," I finally said before I collapsed back into my pew.
    Jackson was already gone, running out the door.

    * * *
    T he fresh air in my lungs barely did any good. I still felt as though I was going to hyperventilate.
    Pippa fanned at my face as we waited at the steps in the back of the reception lodge. "And there I was, thinking you were going to object to the wedding! Then you go and object just as the wedding is about to be called off!"
    I gritted my teeth. "I'm sure it's been called off now," I said as I looked at the idle mingling guests beside us, spilling onto the steps in seas of floral and grey suits.
    "Well, yes, a murder does have that effect," Pippa said. "But I suppose we'll never know what Jackson actually wanted his guests to know."
    I had a pretty good idea, though.
    "Is it just my imagination or does Jackson seem relieved that the wedding has been called off?" I said, turning her around a little so that she could get a good look at him at the top of the stairs. The other guests were keeping a respectful—or perhaps embarrassed—distance from him and he was standing on his own with his phone pressed to his ear, most likely in contact with the rest of the police force. There was already an ambulance and a few stray officers down at the bathrooms where I'd found Aunt Cassie. I myself was keeping a respectful distance from that place.
    Pippa shot me a look. "I just wonder if we're still getting paid."
    I had to admit that the thought had also crossed my mind, but I chided Pippa for the comment anyway. "It's hardly the most important thing right now."
    "Hmmm, and what is the most important thing right now then?" She nodded towards Jackson pacing alone out the back of the building with the vineyard behind him. The sky had turned progressively more purple and pink during the hour we had been stuck in there.
    "Aunt Cassie's murder, of course," I whispered.
    "Good. I hope that is what you are going to focus on then."
    I glanced back at the bathrooms. "Who would do such a thing, though?" I whispered, reaching up protectively for my own neck. I'd always had a thing about being touched on my neck. If anyone did it, or their hands came anywhere near my neck, without my prior consent then I would reflexively bat them away. Even if I knew they were going to touch my neck, like for instance I was getting my makeup done by a professional and they had to add some powder or foundation to my neck, I would hit their hand away half the time. I had to really, really trust a person before I would let their hands near my neck.
    Just thinking about the way that Aunt Cassie died made me shudder.
    "Rach?"
    "Right," I said, coming back to reality. "Of course that is what I am going to focus on."
    "Oh, good," she said quickly, seeming a little surprised. "Because half the time, you have to be dragged into these things reluctantly."
    I shook my head. "Not this time," I said, my right hand