Peril in Paperback: A Bibliophile Mystery

stopped us. “How can I help?”
    Gabriel studied him for a split second. “Guard both doors. Nobody enters or leaves without me knowing about it.”
    “I’m on it.”
    Gabriel led me into the Red Room, closed the door, and locked it. Then he systematically studied the scene, barely touching or moving anything. He started with another quick examination of Bella and worked outward in a spiral, just as I’d seen the police do at other crime scenes.
    He told me what pictures to take with my smart phone and I complied, snapping shots of the room itself. Of Bella. Of the scattered chairs. Of the broken glass on the floor. I kidded myself that by keeping busy, I could avoid the fact that I was, once again, stuck in a room with a dead body.
    At some point, Merrilee knocked on the door and handed the plastic bags to Gabriel.
    “Good girl,” he said, rewarding her with a dazzling smile. After she stumbled away (Gabriel had that effect on women), he used one bag to pick up the bits of broken glass and slip them into the other bag, never touching the glass with his bare hands.
    “Nice glass,” he said, holding the bag at eye level. “Used to be, anyway.”
    “Cut crystal,” I said, taking a closer look at the chunks of heavy material. “The glass is etched. Might be an antique.”
    “Yeah,” he muttered. “Won’t find fingerprints on that etched surface.”
    We determined that the broken glass had been the one that held Grace’s passion fruit iced tea. Had she been the real target?
    Bella’s cocktail glass remained intact on the floor by her chair, still half full. After I took a picture of the glass in its place, Gabriel carefully poured the liquid into one bag and slipped the glass into the other.
    Once we were finished, Gabriel asked Nathan to help him lay Bella’s body down on the floor instead of leaving her sprawled precariously on her chair. Then Gabriel told Nathan he could join the others in the Gold Salon.
    Gabriel and I remained in the hall while I filled himin on all that had happened before and during the séance. I was in the middle of explaining how Bella had sucked down her cocktail when Gabriel gripped my forearm. “Wait a minute. Are you all right?”
    I gazed up at him, bewildered. “Of course.”
    He stared at me with intent. “Brooklyn, don’t bullshit me.”
    “What’re you talking about? Okay, I’m upset. Someone just died in front of me. Again.”
    “No, it’s something else.” Frowning deeply, he searched my face and I could see sympathy in his eyes. “Something else is upsetting you.”
    “Are you kidding?” I swallowed nervously. Could he actually tell that I was worried about Derek? Wishing he were here with me at yet another crime scene? I knew Gabriel was perceptive, but this was ridiculous. I wasn’t about to whine to him, so I stuck to the distress I was feeling about Bella. Which was the truth, after all. “I was getting to know her, Gabriel. She was amazing. Gorgeous but also smart and funny and…damn it! I’m completely flummoxed and pissed off and nervous. Here I am, once again in the middle of a damn murder scene. It’s not fair. I was supposed to relax and enjoy…”
    I shook my head. “Sorry for whining. I’m being a toad. This isn’t about me. It’s about Bella. We’ve got to find out who killed her. And why.”
    “Then let’s do it.” He walked with me down the hall to get away from any big ears that might be hovering in and around the Gold Salon. “Tell me everything that’s happened since you got here.”
    I did so, starting with the run-in with Madge and sharing my thoughts about an apparent relationship between Marko and Bella. I listed all of Grace’s announcements the night before, adding that Suzie was suspicious that Grace was planning to change her will.
    I told him how much I disliked Grace’s lawyer, Stephen Fowler, and made it clear that I wasn’t the only onewho felt that way. I went through the entire guest list, giving him my initial reactions to each person.
    “Who all was drinking at the séance table?” he asked.
    “Good question.” I recalled Bella and Marko bringing their cocktails with them. Ruth and Grace both had drinks, too. I wasn’t sure about the Brinkers or the Crawfords. I mentioned that Ruth had handed Grace the glass of iced tea mere seconds before the séance began.
    “While we were listening to you climbing the stairs, I heard someone gasping and choking. I thought it was laughter. There was the