Krista Davis - Diva 01 _ Diva Runs Out of Thyme, The

Table of Contents

Title Page

Copyright Page

Dedication

Acknowledgements

ONE

TWO

THREE

FOUR

FIVE

SIX

SEVEN

EIGHT

NINE

TEN

ELEVEN

TWELVE

THIRTEEN

FOURTEEN

FIFTEEN

SIXTEEN

SEVENTEEN

EIGHTEEN

NINETEEN

TWENTY

TWENTY-ONE

TWENTY-TWO

TWENTY-THREE

TWENTY-FOUR

TWENTY-FIVE

TWENTY-SIX

TWENTY-SEVEN

TWENTY-EIGHT

TWENTY-NINE

THIRTY

THIRTY-ONE

THIRTY-TWO

THIRTY-THREE

RECIPES & COOKING TIPS

Skewered

After what seemed an eternity, a man with skin drawn tightly over the contours of his face flashed a badge at me and said he was Detective Kenner. I told him the whole story.

When I finished, he said, “You know the store has cameras. We’ll be able to verify what you’ve said.”

Of course. Why hadn’t I thought of that? “So you’ll be able to see who killed that guy and put him in the Dumpster.”

“How do you know he was murdered?”

“Most people don’t bleed spontaneously from the chest.”

His cold eyes narrowed. “You’re in a lot of trouble, Mrs. Winston. Being a wiseacre isn’t going to help any.”

Was he trying to scare me? “I didn’t do anything. The store videos will back that up.”

“Then how do you explain the blood on your sweater?”

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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 websites or their content.

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THE DIVA RUNS OUT OF THYME

A Berkley Prime Crime Book / published by arrangement with the author

PRINTING HISTORY

Berkley Prime Crime mass-market edition / October 2008

Copyright © 2008 by Christina Ryplansky.

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Purchase only authorized editions.

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375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.

eISBN : 978-1-436-28083-9

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a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.,

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For my mom, Marianne,

my friend and my biggest fan,

who has always encouraged me,

even when I decided to become a writer.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Many thanks to my agent, Jacky Sach, and my editor, Sandra Harding, without whom the divas would not exist. Special thanks to Janet Bolin, Daryl Wood Gerber, and Sandra Parshall, who read, critiqued, and offered insights with humor and patience. Thanks also to my valuable first reader, Betsy Strickland, as well as Susan Erba and Amy Wheeler, who showed me true friendship by enduring the ups and downs of my life over the past few years. And special appreciation to Trudy Wheeler, who knew just how a Frenchman might express disdain.

Finally, endless thanks to the Guppies for cheering me on and urging me to persevere. You are far too many to mention but you are undoubtedly the best friends I’ve never met.

To the residents of Old Town, I apologize for taking liberties with your beautiful city. Sophie’s home and several other locations are blends of various places and are not based on any particular existing structure.

ONE

Live on Good Morning Washington!

Special guest in the Washington, DC,

television studio: Natasha

“My very favorite holiday is Thanksgiving. No other day is so much about family and friends and fabulous food. By now, I hope everyone has sent out their invitations. We crafted these darling ones by ripping recycled natural-colored paper into the shapes of maple leaves. Don’t cut them or you won’t get this lovely soft frayed effect. Glue each leaf to a square of darker linen. Ours has a slight golden cast to it that says autumn. Then, with a calligraphy pen, handwrite a special note to each guest. Don’t forget to make matching envelopes out of the recycled paper.”

Natasha’s velvety voice drifted up the stairs. I clenched my teeth at the sound. In sixth grade she started a rumor that I wet the bed at her slumber party. That scandalous lie had followed me to graduation.

I didn’t actually hate her but found her annoying in the way perfect people so often are. Even though I felt fairly content with my life, Natasha had a tendency to pop up and make me feel inadequate, like an embarrassed sixth-grader again.

We’d competed against each other for almost everything when we were in school—sports, grades, honors. Competition became the norm for us. I fought it but Natasha loved to act superior, which brought out the worst in me. I never entered her world of beauty pageants, though. She did quite well, but I took some satisfaction in the knowledge that she never won a Miss Congeniality title.

Who’d have imagined that Natasha would have her own lifestyle TV show on a local cable channel in Washington, DC, not to mention a lifestyle advice column? And now that my ex-husband, Mars, had set up housekeeping with her, the sound of her voice made me boil. It seemed like she was turning up everywhere lately. But not in my house!

I pounded down to the family room off my kitchen. My mother immediately changed the channel.

My sister, Hannah, reached for the remote. “Mom! I was watching that!”

Dad leaned against the doorway to the sunroom, a mug of coffee in his hand. “I warned them. You shouldn’t be subjected to that woman in your own home.”

“It’s been two years since Mars and Sophie split. She told me she’s moved on. Besides, it’s not like Natasha had anything to do with their divorce.” Hannah tugged the remote from Mom and switched the TV back to Natasha’s show.