Murder of a Wedding Belle Read online

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Dedication

  CHAPTER 1 - Just a Matter of Time

  CHAPTER 2 - The Belle of the Ball

  CHAPTER 3 - The Countdown Begins

  CHAPTER 4 - If the Shoe Fits

  CHAPTER 5 - Reality Check

  CHAPTER 6 - Meeting of the Minds

  CHAPTER 7 - Two Birds with One Stone

  CHAPTER 8 - Picture Imperfect

  CHAPTER 9 - Dressing the Part

  CHAPTER 10 - Off Center

  CHAPTER 11 - Something Old

  CHAPTER 12 - Something New

  CHAPTER 13 - Razzle-dazzle

  CHAPTER 14 - Something Borrowed

  CHAPTER 15 - Something Blue

  CHAPTER 16 - Flower Power

  CHAPTER 17 - Bang for Your Buck

  CHAPTER 18 - A Class Act

  CHAPTER 19 - Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow

  CHAPTER 20 - Let the Poker Chips Fall Where They May

  CHAPTER 21 - The Price of Beauty

  CHAPTER 22 - All That Glitters

  CHAPTER 23 - Ready, Set, Rehearse

  CHAPTER 24 - Final Touches

  CHAPTER 25 - Icing on the Cake

  EPILOGUE

  Teaser chapter

  Signet

  Kate Collins

  JoAnna Carl

  GET CLUED IN

  Other Scumble River Mysteries

  Praise for the Scumble River Mystery Series

  Murder of a Royal Pain

  “Denise Swanson’s Scumble River mysteries are always fun to read . . . a strong whodunit with solid twists.”

  —Midwest Book Review

  “The series remains fresh and dramatic; a great combination, which translates to an enjoyable and intriguing reading experience.”

  —Once Upon a Romance Reviews

  “A trip to Scumble River is like visiting with old friends.... Another entry into a fine series that is sure to be on most must-read lists.”

  —The Mystery Reader

  “Swanson has given me many a smile and many hours of wonderful fun reading. This is another in a long line of really great books.”

  —CrimeSpree Magazine

  “Scumble River mysteries are well constructed, well written, and each one is better than the last—and they’re just plain fun to read. Readers of cozy mysteries who haven’t read Denise Swanson’s books are in for a real treat when they do.”

  —Cozy Library

  “Swanson’s protagonist is such a delight that readers will eagerly follow her as she tries to solve a convoluted crime.”

  —Romantic Times

  Murder of a Chocolate-Covered Cherry

  “Denise Swanson neatly seasons the cleverly crafted plot ... with a generous dash of romance as Skye’s relationship with Scumble River’s police chief, Wally Boyd, continues to simmer neatly along.”

  —Chicago Tribune

  “The Scumble River mysteries are great fun. . . . Denise Swanson makes humorous writing appear effortless.”

  —Mystery News

  “Top-notch storytelling with truly unique and wonderful characters.”

  —CrimeSpree Magazine

  “[A] hilarious mystery.”

  —The Pilot (North Carolina)

  Murder of a Botoxed Blonde

  “With its endearing hero, terrific cast of realistically quirky secondary characters, and generous soupçon of humor, Murder of a Botoxed Blonde . . . is a delight.”

  —Chicago Tribune

  “Tight plotting and plenty of surprises keep this series on my must-read list.”

  —CrimeSpree Magazine

  “This fast-paced cozy has it all.”

  —Romantic Times

  Murder of a Real Bad Boy

  “Swanson is a born storyteller.”

  —CrimeSpree Magazine

  “Another knee-slapping adventure in Scumble River.”

  —The Amplifier (KY)

  Murder of a Smart Cookie

  “[Swanson] smartly spins on a solid plot and likable characters.”

  —South Florida Sun-Sentinel

  “[A] hilarious amateur sleuth mystery.... [Swanson] has a lot of surprises in store for the reader.”

  —Midwest Book Review

  Murder of a Pink Elephant

  “The must-read book of the summer.”

  —Butler County Post (KY)

  “Current readers will appreciate the trip into Scumble River, while new readers will want to go back.”

  —The Best Reviews

  Murder of a Barbie and Ken

  “Swanson continues her lively, light, and quite insightful look at small-town life . . . a solid plot [and] likeable characters who never slide into caricature.”

  —The Hartford Courant

  “Another side-splitting visit to Scumble River . . . filled with some of the quirkiest and most eccentric characters we ever have met, with a sharp, witty protagonist.”

  —Butler County Post (KY)

  Murder of a Snake in the Grass

  “An endearing and realistic character . . . a fast-paced, enjoyable read.”

  —The Herald News (MA)

  “This book is delightful....The characters are human and generous and worth following through the series.”

  —Mysterious Women

  Murder of a Sleeping Beauty

  “A smooth, pleasant, and ultimately satisfying book.”

  —Chicago Tribune

  “Another delightful and intriguing escapade.”—Mystery News

  Murder of a Sweet Old Lady

  “More fun than the whirlagig at the county fair and tastier than a corn dog.”

  —The Charlotte Austin Review

  “Swansonis is on her way to the top of the genre ... a magnificent tale written by a wonderful author.”

  —Midwest Book Review

  Murder of a Small-Town Honey

  “Bounces along with gently wry humor and jaunty twists and turns. The quintessential amateur sleuth: bright, curious, and more than a little nervy.”

  —Earlene Fowler, Agatha Award–winning author

  “A likable new heroine reminiscent of some of our favorite childhood detectives—with a little bit of an edge.... A fresh, delightful, and enjoyable first mystery.”

  —The Charlotte Austin Review

  “A charming, insightful debut.”

  —Carolyn Hart

  Other Scumble River Mysteries

  Murder of a Royal Pain

  Murder of a Chocolate-Covered Cherry

  Murder of a Botoxed Blonde

  Murder of a Real Bad Boy

  Murder of a Smart Cookie

  Murder of a Pink Elephant

  Murder of a Barbie and Ken

  Murder of a Snake in the Grass

  Murder of a Sleeping Beauty

  Murder of a Sweet Old Lady

  Murder of a Small-Town Honey

  OBSIDIAN

  Published by New American Library, a division of

  Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 375 Hudson Street,

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  80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England

  First published by Obsidian, an imprint of New American Library, a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

  First Printing, April 2010

  Copyright © Denise Swanson Stybr, 2010

  All rights reserved

  OBSIDIAN and logo are trademarks of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

  Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

  PUBLISHER’S NOTE

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party Web sites or their content.

  The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.

  ISBN : 978-1-101-56499-8

  http://us.penguingroup.com

  To my good friend Sharon Postil. Boomerang and I both thank you for your help and friendship.

  Author’s Note

  In July of 2000, when the first book in my Scumble River series, Murder of a Small-Town Honey, was published, it was written in “real time.” It was the year 2000 in Skye’s life as well as mine, but after several books in a series, time becomes a problem. It takes me from seven months to a year to write a book, and then it is usually another year from the time I turn that book in to my editor until the reader sees it on a bookstore shelf. This can make the timeline confusing. Different authors handle this matter in different ways. After a great deal of deliberation, I decided that Skye and her friends and family would age more slowly than those of us who don’t live in Scumble River. So to catch everyone up, the following is when the books take place:

  Murder of a Small-Town Honey—August 2000

  Murder of a Sweet Old Lady—March 2001

  Murder of a Sleeping Beauty—April 2002

  Murder of a Snake in the Grass—August 2002

  Murder of a Barbie and Ken—November 2002

  Murder of a Pink Elephant—February 2003

  Murder of a Smart Cookie—June 2003

  Murder of a Real Bad Boy—September 2003

  Murder of a Botoxed Blonde—November 2003

  Murder of a Chocolate-Covered Cherry—April 2004

  Murder of a Royal Pain—October 2004

  Murder of a Wedding Belle—June 2005

  The Scumble River short story and novella take place:

  “Not a Monster of a Chance” from And the Dying Is Easy—June 2001

  “Dead Blondes Tell No Tales” from Drop-Dead Blonde—March 2003

  Scumble River is not a real town. The characters and events portrayed in these pages are entirely fictional, and any resemblance to living persons is pure coincidence.

  CHAPTER 1

  Just a Matter of Time

  November

  Skye Denison twisted her left hand from side to side, admiring the glitter of the diamond engagement ring on her finger. Sunshine streaming through the windshield of her aqua 1957 Bel Air made the two-carat gemstone blaze like a Fourth of July sparkler. Reluctantly, she slid the ring off, tucked it into its Tiffany blue box, and zipped it into the inner pocket of her purse. The last thing she needed was her mother getting the wrong idea.

  Wally Boyd, Scumble River police chief and secret heir to a Texas oil fortune, had proposed to Skye a month ago. Although she hadn’t said yes, he’d insisted that she hold on to the ring until she decided. It wasn’t that she didn’t love him; she just didn’t trust her judgment where men were concerned. After making some bad choices in the past, she was leery of commitment.

  She had to make up her mind about Wally soon, but not today. Today was all about Skye’s cousin Riley Erickson. Ten years ago, while Skye had still been away working in the Peace Corps, Riley had left their hometown of Scumble River to attend college in California, and decided to stay there permanently. She had finally returned for a visit, and Skye didn’t want to be late for her party.

  After checking her lipstick in the rearview mirror, Skye picked up the seven-layer salad—her food assignment for the gathering—and got out of the Chevy, which she’d parked in the alley behind her grandma Cora’s house. The Denisons didn’t get together as often as her mother’s extended Italian clan, the Leofantis, did, and Skye looked forward to catching up with her dad’s side of the family.

  However, when she put her hand on the knob of the kitchen’s screen door, the excited chatter echoing through the aluminum mesh brought her up short. For an instant she wasn’t sure she was at the right house. The Denisons came from stoic Swedish farm stock. They never got worked up. Heck, they seldom raised their voices, and they certainly didn’t squeal like a gaggle of schoolgirls.

  What in the world could cause her unflappable relatives to make sounds like whooping cranes on crack?

  Skye pushed open the door and walked into pandemonium. Her great-aunt Dora was crying. Yikes! Had someone died? No. A blond beauty with white-gold curls was standing at the heart of the uproar, surrounded by a flock of chirping women who were all fluttering around her like birds at a feeder and patting her as if she were a prize parakeet.

  It had been nearly seventeen years since Skye had seen her cousin, and she wouldn’t have recognized her in a crowd, but she figured the blonde must be Riley.

  No doubt the men were in the living room, probably watching a football game, or whatever sporting event was on TV in late November, but Skye was surprised that there wasn’t anyone at the stove cooking. One thing the Denison and Leofanti females had in common was their culinary skills.

  Skye spotted her mother on the fringe of the group and joined her. Come August, May would turn sixty, but she looked at least fifteen years younger. With her petite build and the perkiness of the high school cheerleader she’d once been, she was the personification of eternal youth.

  Before Skye could speak, May grabbed her arm. “Isn’t it thrilling?”

  “What?” Skye set down her salad bowl on the kitchen counter before her mom could accidentally knock it out of her hands.

  “Riley’s getting married right here in Scumble River on June twenty-fifth!” May trilled.

  “She’s having the ceremony here?” Skye had heard of destination weddings but had never imagined Scumble River as one of those destinations.

  “Yes.” May beamed. “And she wants you to be her maid of honor.”

  “Why me?” The question slipped out before Skye could stop it.

  “Shh! Do you want Riley to hear you?” May dragged Skye through the dining room into the nearest bedroom and whispered, “She’ll think you aren’t tickled pink that she asked you.”

  “Well, technically, she hasn’t asked me.” Skye stalled for time. May would be unhappy with her decision to refuse Riley’s request, but sometime after Skye had hit thirty, being a bridesmaid had lost its appeal.

  She’d stood up for several of her sorority sisters right after college, a couple of friends while she’d been in the Peace Corps, and her grad
uate school roommate the year before she’d moved home. Being in a wedding was a lot of work, not to mention a huge expense, and seven hideous dresses she could never wear again were her limit.

  May narrowed her eyes and stared at Skye. “But once she asks you, you are going to say yes, right?”

  “My question stands. Why would Riley want me to be her maid of honor?” Skye held firm. “She was only twelve when I left for college, and we haven’t seen each other since.”

  “Blood is blood, no matter how much time has passed,” May countered. “She idolized you. She followed you around at family gatherings and begged her mother to hire you as her babysitter.”

  Skye refused to be swayed. “But we haven’t kept in touch. Not to mention I’m not even entirely sure how we’re related.”

  “Your grandma Denison and Riley’s grandmother Dora are sisters. That makes your father and Riley’s mother, Anita, first cousins,” May explained. “And since both Anita and Riley are only children, close or not, you are Riley’s only female relative young enough to be in her wedding.”

  “How about Riley’s father’s people?” Skye knew Anita had been married and widowed during a brief time when she had lived out east, but couldn’t remember the details.

  “Anita lost touch with them after he died and she moved back home.”

  “Oh.” Skye paused, then shook her head. “Anyway, I just don’t have the money.”

  “That’s the best part. Riley’s fiancé is filthy rich. Nick is some big developer in California. He drives a Maserati.”