by Mary Daheim
Judith was puzzled. “But you ended up at the wrong house.”
Ruby looked chagrined. “I passed out before I got to the B&B. By the hedge or your garage, maybe? No clue. Somewhere along the way I dropped my purse. I don’t know how I ended up at the Rankerses’ house.”
“What happened to your cell?”
Ruby giggled. “Win kept it so he could make sure he wouldn’t lose me. He had to wind up his PI gig before he could ask me out. Saturday he called there when you and Joe weren’t around to ask if I could meet him for dinner and . . . well, you know. Before I left, Ozzie phoned, asking me to meet him at the residence inn where they were staying. I had Win stop by and wait in the car so I could pop in to explain I had a big date. Ozzie got ticked off and started lecturing me. I left.” She grimaced. “I didn’t want you to worry about me, so I dropped off the note saying I was with Ozzie and Freddy Mae. I didn’t want you to think I was a floozy. So Win explained everything and he was so sweet and so kind and so . . . really incompetent as a detective. I mean, he was only doing it as research for his next novel.” Ruby suddenly sobered. “He’s very successful, but doesn’t write under his real name. Flugelhorn doesn’t fit thriller novels very well. He writes as . . .” She leaned closer to whisper his nom de plume.
Judith’s jaw dropped. “You’re kidding! I’ve read two or three of his books. He’s not only a best-selling author, but an excellent writer.”
“Please don’t tell anybody,” Ruby begged. “Not even Joe. Win’s a very private guy. He never, ever makes public appearances. Readers terrify him. Can you believe he’s never been married?”
“I can believe anything right now,” Judith admitted. “Did Win manage to finish his PI assignment?”
“Yes, but he hasn’t reported back to his client yet. I’ve no idea who hired him, because it’s confidential. I didn’t bug him about it because we were so . . . preoccupied. And room service was to die for.”
Judith refrained from saying that she thought Ruby had died for something else. “Did you ever make up with your brother?”
“Win had called him, but he was back in San Diego. He’s such an old woman sometimes. It’s being in the military, I guess. Anyway, he was worried that I was trying to snoop around about Mom’s murder. I told him I’d given it up—I was in love. That really pissed him off!” She giggled some more. “Besides,” she went on, “solving an old case is hopeless, even with DNA. Oh—here comes Win. What’d you find out, lover boy?”
“Snow in the forecast,” he said. “We’d better get going. Sorry, Mrs. . . . Flynn? Thanks for taking care of my little lamb chop.”
Judith and Ruby both stood up. Win put his arm around his bride and leaned down to kiss her. He had a strong chin and an aquiline nose. The man of Ruby’s dreams was now a reality, but, Judith realized, more eagle than vulture. “If you ever come this way,” she said, “don’t forget about Hillside Manor. It’s not the Cascade, though.”
Win smiled. “We’re off to Rome next week. Maybe coming back?”
“You bet,” Ruby said. “This place feels kind of like home.” She blew a kiss to Judith as they went down the stairs.
Renie practically flew into the hall. “Where are they?”
“Off to Little Bavaria,” Judith replied, still reeling from the visit.
“Damn! I missed seeing them. What did Ruby think when you told her you’d solved her mother’s murder?”
“I didn’t tell her,” Judith said as they headed back to the kitchen, where Joe had prepared their drinks. “I’ll wait until Ruby and Win have their first big fight.”
“Something’s off,” Bill asserted.
Joe frowned as he handed Judith her Scotch. “I wonder if this guy knows about Ruby’s future inheritance. Maybe he married her for the money.”
“No,” Judith said, before taking a large swallow of Scotch. “You’re both wrong. He has his own money.”
“Wow,” Renie all but whispered. “I can’t believe it. A happy ending for Ruby? It’s almost too good to be true. On the other hand, sometimes life does sort of even out. I don’t suppose you told her about her half brother, Jess?”
“I didn’t have time to tell her much. She came and left like an autumn breeze.” Judith paused, hearing the newlyweds’ car drive away. “Ruby deserves to be happy. There’s no point in rehashing all this tonight. After a stop in Little Bavaria, they’re off to Rome.” She raised her glass. “To Mr. and Mrs. Flugelhorn. Ruby has gone with the Win.”
About the Author
MARY RICHARDSON DAHEIM is a Seattle native with a communications degree from the University of Washington. Realizing at an early age that getting published in books with real covers might elude her for years, she worked on daily newspapers and in public relations to help avoid her creditors. She lives in her hometown in a century-old house not unlike Hillside Manor, except for the body count. Daheim is also the author of the Alpine mystery series, the mother of three daughters, and the grandmother of two granddaughters, all of whom live within shrieking distance.
www.authormarydaheim.com
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Also by Mary Daheim
Just Desserts
Fowl Prey
Holy Terrors
Dune to Death
Bantam of the Opera
A Fit of Tempera
Major Vices
Murder, My Suite
Auntie Mayhem
Nutty as a Fruitcake
September Mourn
Wed and Buried
Snow Place to Die
Legs Benedict
Creeps Suzette
A Streetcar Named Expire
Suture Self
Silver Scream
Hocus Croakus
This Old Souse
Dead Man Docking
Saks & Violins
Scots on the Rocks
Vi Agra Falls
Loco Motive
All the Pretty Hearses
The Wurst Is Yet to Come
Credits
Jacket design by Richard L. Aquan
Jacket illustration by Bill Mayer
Copyright
This book is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents, and dialogue are drawn from the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
GONE WITH THE WIN. Copyright © 2013 by Mary Daheim. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.
FIRST EDITION
ISBN 978-0-06-208984-7
EPUB Edition July 2013 ISBN 9780062089861
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