Page 47 of The Anniversary Party

Leo nodded sagely. “Amen to that.”

“Maybe it’s not that bad,” Sasha said. “Officer Duncan’s on his way with Hatty and John. I don’t care how bad the storm is. Sooner or later, they’ll get here. Then it’ll be a matter for the police. All we need to do is keep an eye on them until Duncan gets here. It’s not like the killer’s going to strike again—especially not in a room with eighteen other people.”

“Good point. And we’ll be able to watch Grady to make sure he doesn’t bolt.”

“Youdothink Grady killed Rex?” Maisy pressed.

Leo tossed up his hands and shrugged. “He’s the leader in the clubhouse. He obviously had the opportunity, seeing as how his button was under the body. He has a motive. And if that candlestick under his bedwasthe murder weapon, he had means.”

“What I can’t wrap my mind around is if he bashed Rex over the head with that candlestick, why would he put it under his bed? A guy who runs a multimillion-dollar business has to be smarter than that,” Sasha said.

“I don’t know,” Maisy said. “Look at all the titans of industry you two have taken down. Criminals are stupid.”

“She’s got a point,” Leo agreed.

“I suppose. Should we let them know the police are on their way?”

“I don’t know if we want to tip off Grady, but it might keep everybody calm.” Leo bobbed his head, weighing the options.

“Just how close to mutiny are they?” Sasha asked Maisy.

“I don’t think they’re ready to throw you two overboard. But it’s close.”

“We’ll play it by ear,” Leo decided as they left the library and crossed the hall to the dining room.

CHAPTER18

They walked into the crowded dining room and scanned the space for empty seats.

“You two lovebirds take those,” Maisy said, pointing to a pair together at the end of the table. Then she claimed a free chair between Annette and Leeza.

For a celebration of life, it was a morose gathering. The room was nearly silent, save for a few whispers between Paul and Leeza. Tessa was cutting the cake. After a moment, Annette got up and began to pass slices of cake around the table. Grady stood at the bar behind the table with an array of ingredients, a row of vintage coupe glasses, and a large drink shaker.

“What are you making?” Leo asked him, eyeing the complicated-looking cocktail fixings.

“Rex’s favorite. He called it an elevated amaretto sour. He always used top-shelf ingredients from start to finish. I’m sure I won’t be able to do it justice, but I’m gonna try.” He shook the mixer. “It starts with a dry shake to froth the egg whites.”

“Egg whites?”

“You’ll love it,” Leeza promised.

“Amaretto and almond cake,” Naya observed. “Rex must’ve been a fan of almonds.”

Tessa looked up from the cake she was slicing with a wistful smile. “He adored them. His favorite snack was a handful of almonds.”

“He always had a jar of almond butter in his pantry,” Annette added. “I’d forgotten about that.”

Grady pressed his lips together in a rueful expression while he uncapped the shaker and added the ice. “I can’t believe I was the last one to see him alive,” he said as he resumed shaking the container vigorously.

Sasha squeezed Leo’s leg under the table. He nodded subtly. Across the table, Maisy’s mouth opened in a moue of surprise.

Play it cool, Maisy.He sent the silent instruction out into the room and prayed it would somehow find her.

“Aside from the murderer, you mean,” Daniel corrected.

Grady blinked at him. “Oh, yeah. I guess.”

He returned to his mixology.

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