Chapters (26)
- Cover
- Praise for New York Times bestselling author Jenn McKinlay’s Hat Shop Mysteries
- Titles by Jenn McKinlay
- Dedication
- Chapter 1
- Chapter 2
- Chapter 3
- Chapter 4
- Chapter 5
- Chapter 6
- Chapter 7
- Chapter 8
- Chapter 9
- Chapter 10
- Chapter 11
- Chapter 12
- Chapter 13
- Chapter 14
- Chapter 15
- Chapter 16
- Chapter 17
- Chapter 18
- Acknowledgments
- Excerpt from SUMMER READING
- About the Author
- What’s next onyour reading list?
I opened the door to the room that was formerly Andre’s. It was smaller than the suite I’d shared with Viv, but it was still a beautiful room done in soft shades of sage green. I gestured for Harry to go in first as he had the bigger bag. I followed him and turned to close the door. I glanced down the hallway in both directions to confirm it was clear before shutting the door tight and turning the lock.
* * *
Breakfast was held, buffet-style, in a smaller room on the first floor of the castle. Great big warming pans of eggs and sausage, scones and toast, and urns of tea and coffee were a welcome start to the day.
Harry and I loaded our plates and joined Viv and Andre, who were already seated beside a window that looked out over the castle gardens. The sun was streaming through the pane, making even the somber day bright. The gardens looked thick and lush with greenery and blooms that were just beginning to burst. It was a perfect day for a wedding. I couldn’t imagine what Piper was feeling at this moment.
“Morning,” Viv greeted us. “How was your night?”
“Quiet,” I said. “I conked out as soon as my head hit the pillow. You?”
“Same,” she said.
I glanced at Andre and he said, “I expected to hear the McKenna bride moaning and groaning her way through the halls, but no, so I slept just fine. I did overhear some goss while getting my food this morning, however.”
“Oh?” I asked. I took a long sip of my coffee, hoping to get my brain to kick in. I liked tea and all but I needed the punch in the face that was a hot cup of coffee to get my morning started.
“Sunny is missing,” he said.
“What?”
He nodded. “I overheard Detective Stewart saying that after she ran out of the dining room last night, she just disappeared. She never went back to her room and a thorough search of the castle hasn’t revealed her whereabouts either. Of course, Trisha has proclaimed that this proves that she murdered Dooney and she’s now on the run.”
I glanced at a small table in the corner where Trisha was sitting alone. She looked rough, and I suspected the hangover she was suffering from was a doozy. I nearly felt sorry for her but I just couldn’t manage it. The grief she had caused both families and Sunny was inexcusable.
“I wonder if she’s hiding in a place that isn’t obvious,” Harry said. He turned and looked at me and raised his eyebrows. He was talking about the hidden tunnel.
“Maybe,” I said. “Should we try and look for her?”
“Oh, no.” Andre shook his head. “Have you never watched a horror film in your life? That’s how people die. You never go looking for the missing person.”