A Party To Die For (Julia Blake Cozy Mystery Book 3) by Gillian Larkin Page B

vacuum cleaner!”
    Clara
started to laugh. It was such a booming laugh that I couldn’t help but join in.
    I
explained about my day job and the spider incident.
    “I
will leave you to it. I shall try and find the birthday girl. By the way, Julia,
did you know you’ve got something behind your ear?”
    “What?”
I reached up to my left ear. There was nothing there.
    Clara
reached towards my right ear and gave it a little tug. She showed me what she’d
found.
    “A
one pound coin! What a peculiar place to keep your change!” Clara laughed
again.
    I
laughed too, I knew it was a trick but it made me feel about ten years old.
    “Do
help yourself to food later, we’ve got plenty,” I told her.
    Clara
gave me the pound, waved goodbye and then did a funny walk out of the kitchen.
    I
put the pound in my pocket. Clara Chuckles seemed the perfect person to cheer
Megan-Rose up.
    I
squirted my cleaning fluid onto the offending work surface and gave it a good
wipe down. When I was satisfied that it was clean I took my supplies back to
the cupboard. As I got down on the floor again my knees gave a little creak of
protest. It was lovely that I had a cleaning cupboard here but I wished Fiona
had given me one a bit higher up.
    As
I struggled to stand up I could hear voices outside in the garden. They were
arguing. I crouched back down. My cupboard was near the kitchen window and I
didn’t want to pop up suddenly and let whoever was arguing think I was
listening to them.
    So
I stayed where I was to listen instead.
    One
of the voices belonged to Fiona, I thought the other one was Gina’s.
    “But
you can’t send her away! I’ve told you before that I’ll look after her,” Gina
was saying.
    “And
I’ve told you before that I’m her real mother, not you. What have you got to
offer her? You’ve no husband and no proper job. Hardly a worthy role model,”
Fiona replied.
    “I’d 
make sure she’d be happy and well looked after,” Gina said more quietly.
    “She’s
going to be fine at the boarding school. It’s the best in the country. I can’t
stand here arguing with you, I’ve got things to do!”
    I
heard heels clicking across the patio.
    Then
I heard Gina mumble to herself, “I’ll never let you send my daughter away.”
     

Chapter 4
     
    When
I was sure that Gina had gone I straightened up. I walked back into the main
party area and over to the food table.
    “I
wish you’d stop disappearing,” Anna grumbled. “I’ve had to sort out the sausage
rolls on my own.”
    I
looked at the sausage rolls, they were arranged artfully in a pyramid. I didn’t
like to point out that the first child to see the pyramid would probably take
the bottom roll, just to see it collapse. Anna wasn’t used to catering for children.
    The
door bell rang and guests were ushered in. Fiona greeted them all in the manner
of a queen welcoming her subjects.
    I
heard a few people ask where the party girl was. Fiona mentioned that she’d
gone to change into her very best outfit.
    At
that moment Megan-Rose ran down the stairs. She was not in her best outfit. She
was wearing grubby jeans and a T shirt. They were crumpled as if they had been
in the washing basket for a few days.
    Fiona
gave her daughter a horrified look. Megan-Rose pulled herself up as tall as she
could and walked regally past her mother.
    I
couldn’t help but give a little smile. Not many people stood up to Fiona Doyle.
    “What
a tremendous party! Must have cost you a fortune!”
    A
shrill voice rang out. It was one that I recognised. It belonged to Kim
Blackburn, Fiona’s neighbour.
    “I’ve
been watching out of our window all morning to see how young Megan-Rose was celebrating
her birthday, haven’t I Bob?” she went on.
    Bob
nodded, his cheeks wobbled.
    “You
haven’t spared a penny, have you? The beautiful decorations, the tables and
chairs! And the cake! Just perfect for a princess, isn’t it Bob?”
    Bob
nodded again. I noticed his eyes were fixed on Fiona’s