Fleeced: A Regan Reilly Mystery by Carol Clark (grave mercy txt) 📗

about the sheep and her lost opportunity in Jacques Harlow’s movies that Regan felt a little sorry for her.

Now if only Jack would get here, Regan thought as she joined the group around her mother and father.

“Those sheep are so interesting,” Nora said. “I like them.”

“So did the movie director who didn’t want to give them back. I guess they’re much more valuable than one might think at first glance.”

“Their eyes do have a certain sparkle,” Nora said.

Regan looked over and noticed a dark-haired woman hanging around by the sheep and occasionally staring up at them. Something about her seemed familiar, but Regan was sure she hadn’t been at the singles party.

“Oh, here’s Kyle Fleming,” Nora said as she spotted Kyle coming through the door. “Regan, you should meet him. He gave the best lecture on con artists.”

“I’d love to,” Regan said.

Thomas was scheduled to give a toast right before they started the buffet line at eight. He went into his office to get out his notes. He’d worked hard on his little speech. If they were ever going to rustle up any new members for the club, now was the time to motivate them.

Thomas shut the door, walked over to his desk, and sat down. When he looked up, Daphne was leaning against the opposite wall, tears streaming down her cheeks.

“Daphne!”

“Can you come out back with me?” she asked, her voice cracking. “I need some air. I don’t want anyone to see me like this.”

“Of course!”

“Where’s Thomas?” Janey asked Regan.

“I haven’t seen him.”

“He’s not in his office and he’s supposed to give a toast.”

“Excuse me!”

Everyone turned to see a man who looked as if he’d had a few too many drinks climb the ladder near the sheep. He waved his arms at the crowd.

“I’d like to make an annoucement,” he slurred. “My name is Burkhard, and I know that some of you are here from Lydia Sevatura’s singles parties. I just thought that you should know that she has been making fun-”

“AAAAAHHHHHHHHH!” Lydia came charging across the room like one of the bulls running in Pamplona and knocked down the ladder. Burkhard fell sideways, jostling the platform where the sheep were parked, and landed on top of the anniversary cake.

The sudden jolt dislodged one of Dolly’s eyes, and it fell to the floor. As Regan rushed over, the dark-haired woman who’d been staring at the sheep dove for the ground, and an icing-covered Burkhard slid down on top of her.

Just as Regan leaned down to pull Burkhard up, she saw the woman’s hand close over the eye. In a flash, everything came together. I only have eyes for ewe. The diamonds. The sparkly eyes.

“Buttercup!” Regan cried.

Georgette’s head involuntarily turned toward Regan’s voice.

“It’s you, Georgette, isn’t it?” Regan said. “Why don’t you hand it over?”

With her free hand, Georgette reached down the inside of her leg, grabbed her gun, and started to run for the door.

The crowd started to scream and scatter in a panic, trying to get out of Georgette’s way.

With a burst of speed, Regan ran after her and tackled her from behind.

“No, Georgette,” Regan yelled as the gun fired into the air, putting a hole through one of the ancient portraits above the stairway. Regan knocked the gun out of Georgette’s hand as she wrestled her to the ground.

From behind Regan, the voice of Kyle Fleming boomed. “Georgette, how nice to see you again.”

Georgette started screaming bloody murder as Regan grabbed the gun and pried the diamond from her hand. Kyle Fleming quickly slapped a pair of cuffs around Georgette’s wrists.

With the diamond in hand, Regan raced back to the platform, raised the ladder off the floor, scrambled up the steps, and grabbed the three other diamonds from Dolly’s and Bah-Bah’s eye sockets. She turned to the crowd and held out her hand. “The missing diamonds!”

“The club is saved!” someone cried, and everyone cheered.

Just then, Janey’s voice shouted from the doorway, “Regan, I can’t find Thomas anywhere!”

Before Regan could say a word, Harriet came running out of the kitchen. “Fire!” she screamed and turned to run back.

Mass hysteria erupted once again. As it was, the crowd was packed in cheek by jowl. They turned as one and started heading for the door for the second time in a matter of moments.

Regan turned and saw Jack standing in the doorway. “Jack!”

“Regan, who was that woman who cried fire?”

“Harriet. One of the student butlers,” Regan yelled, smoke pouring out all around.

Jack ran toward the kitchen.

“Regan, I have to find Thomas!” Janey wailed.

Nora and Luke were helping usher people out. Regan passed them. “Go ahead. We want to find Thomas. And I’m afraid there’s someone else who might be in their apartment.”

“I’m coming with you,” Luke insisted.

Clara was nearby. “I’m coming too, Regan.”.

Together they all ran down the hall. Smoke was everywhere. “He’s not in his office!” Regan yelled.

“Where is he?” Janey gasped.

Clara grabbed the master key from Thomas’s desk.

“I’m going to try Daphne’s door,” Regan said. They raced down the hall, calling Thomas’s and Daphne’s names. Regan banged on the door to Daphne’s apartment. “Give me the key,” she ordered Clara.

Clara handed it over, and Regan unlocked the door. “Daphne,” she called, turning on lights. Peering into the bedroom, she saw clothes all over the bed. Is she under that rumpled mass? Regan wondered. She flicked on the light, raced over, Clara at her heels, and picked a sweater off the heap. No Daphne.

“Oh my God!” Regan yelled.

“Oh, sweet Jesus!” Clara cried.

There were two sheep appliqués stuck to the right arm of Daphne’s sweater. “It was Daphne who killed Nat!” Regan said in horror.

Janey howled. “And she’s furious with Thomas!”

“Let’s go!” Regan said.

“I bet they’re out back!” Clara cried.

They ran into the hallway, which was thick with smoke, and hurried down the staircase and out the back door. Daphne had Thomas cornered. She had a huge knife in her hands.

“Daphne!” Regan yelled.

Daphne turned to Regan, her eyes filled with hate. “He ruined my career!”

“What about