Page 92 of The Bride Wore White

The closest she was likely to come to wearing a wedding gown was the time she had awakened in a very expensive wedding gown stained with the blood of the very dead Gilbert Dover.

A very expensive wedding gown.

She caught her breath.Don’t be ridiculous.

But she had to be sure.

She changed course and hurried toward the lobby. When she got to the front desk, she smiled at the clerk.

“Can you tell me how to get to the local library?” she said.

“It’s downtown in the civic plaza,” the clerk said. “Too far to walk. Mr.Wingate took his car out earlier. Don’t worry, the valet can get you a cab.”

“Thank you.”

She hitched the strap of her handbag over her shoulder and went quickly toward the hotel entrance.

Maybe she was wrong.

But her intuition was whispering to her.The last one standing.

Chapter 47

She was not wrong.

Prudence stared at the photo in the San Francisco newspaper for a long time, her stomach tight with anxiety. Incipient panic did a terrible dance across her nerves.

Maybe she was overreacting. Jumping to conclusions. Letting her imagination run wild. On the surface, it made no sense. But if you looked below the surface, the logic held.

She touched the crystal pendant. The gentle energy locked in the stone had a calming effect.

She could not wait to tell Jack her theory of the crime. If she was wrong, he would be able to tell her why. If she was right, there wasn’t much either of them could do about it. The killer had been very clever and would probably continue to abide in the shadows.

Her intuition was shrieking at her. She checked the wall clock. How long did it take to play a round of golf? What if the two men decided to stop off in the clubhouse for a drink after the game?

She slung the strap of her handbag over her shoulder, carefullyrefolded the copy of the San Francisco paper, and took it back to the librarian’s desk. The small sign declared that the name of the woman behind the desk was Miss Frazier.

“Did you find the information you needed?” Miss Frazier asked.

“Yes, thank you,” Prudence said. “I appreciate the help.”

“You’re Madame Ariadne, aren’t you? I saw the news about that terrible fire at Mr.Wingate’s house. Thank goodness you both made it out alive. It must have been a dreadful experience.”

“Yes,” Prudence said. “It was.”

She started to turn toward the door. There was a phone booth outside on the corner. She would call the golf club and leave a message for Jack.

“I heard about the incident in Mr.Wingate’s villa at the Burning Cove Hotel,” Miss Frazier continued. “According to the papers, someone broke into his room and attempted to murder him with poison.”

“I must be off, Miss Frazier. Thank you for your help.”

“You’re welcome. You know, Mr.Wingate moved to town a few months ago. He became a regular patron here at the library, but aside from his visits, he kept to himself. His life has certainly become a lot more active since he hired a personal psychic.”

“I’ve been encouraging him to get out more,” Prudence said.

She rushed to the door and escaped onto the front steps. Safely outside, she paused for a moment to collect herself and then went briskly toward the phone booth at the end of the block.

Chapter 48

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