The Best Man to Trust - By Kerry Connor Page 0,26

want.”

Scott and Rachel followed soon after, then Jessica, with Greg close behind. No one looked particularly happy to be up, and everyone seemed nervous, glancing around the room uneasily as soon as they stepped inside.

“I wasn’t expecting anyone else to be up this early,” Tom told them, trying to keep his tone somewhat upbeat.

“I heard people in the hall and figured everyone was coming down,” Jessica said. “I didn’t want to be the only one upstairs.” She plunked what looked like a heavy bookend on the table next to her plate.

“What’s that?” Alex asked.

“I’m not walking around here unarmed.”

“That’s not a bad idea,” Rachel murmured.

“I couldn’t agree more,” Greg said. As he said it, he set an unopened bottle of wine he’d been holding by the neck onto the table.

Tom couldn’t blame them for the impulse, but the idea of everyone walking around with a weapon, nervous and ready to lash out at the slightest hint of danger, seemed like a recipe for disaster. Someone was destined to get hurt.

Then again, with a killer in the house likely intending to strike again, that was already a very real possibility.

As if she’d heard the others come in, Meredith suddenly backed through the kitchen door, carrying a tray laden with dishes. She held the door, and Ellen came through a few seconds later, pushing a cart bearing more plates. The incredible aromas Tom had smelled in the kitchen earlier began to fill the room. The others mostly began to perk up slightly at the arrival of the food.

Tom rose to his feet. “Can I help you with that?” he asked Meredith, already starting to push away from the table.

She gave her head a firm shake. “No. I have it. You’re a guest here. Thank you, though.”

She gently eased the tray onto the table and immediately began to unload the dishes. Settling back in his chair, Tom watched her work with a growing sense of admiration. She moved quickly, graciously tending to each of her guests in turn. Her smile remained in place, her tone courteous and upbeat. There was no hint of the tension she had to be feeling given the circumstances. Looking at her, no one would have believed anything was wrong.

Everyone began reaching for the dishes. All but one, Tom suddenly noticed. Jess didn’t reach for the food, surveying the meal, Ellen and Meredith with open suspicion.

“Something wrong, Jess?” he asked.

Every eye in the room moved toward her. Jessica raised her chin, staring straight at Ellen. “Are we sure it’s safe to eat?”

Everyone froze. Tom sensed a few of them glancing down at their plates.

Ellen’s smile didn’t waver, but Tom didn’t miss the hint of outrage that flashed in her eyes as Jess’s meaning hit home. It quickly disappeared as she raised a brow and met Jess’s stare. “If I’d wanted to poison you folks, I could have done it last night at dinner and saved myself all this trouble, now couldn’t I?” Without waiting for a response, she spun away and swept into the kitchen.

The uncomfortable silence remained in her wake. Jess didn’t look remotely chagrined, clamping her lips together in a tight line. No one seemed to know what to do.

Finally Tom reached out and plucked a biscuit from the basket in front of him. Lifting it to his mouth, he took a big—and pointed—bite and began chewing. “Tastes good to me,” he said, not having to fake his enthusiasm.

Within moments, Greg picked up the dish of eggs. The others soon followed. Finally even Jess reached for a piece of toast. It wasn’t long before they were all eating.

Tom met Meredith’s eyes, gratitude shining in her gaze. He nodded shortly, trying to ignore the feeling that filled his chest at her thankfulness. As reasonable as he knew it was for the wedding party to suspect the staff—and vice versa—they couldn’t afford to turn on each other. It would only make things more unbearable—and dangerous—around here. And Ellen was right. If she was the killer, why would she have gone through the trouble of dragging the body into the hall to terrify them, only to poison them all the next morning? No, whoever the killer was—though he wasn’t ruling her out completely—that person was playing a longer game.

“By the way,” Meredith announced once everyone was eating. “I wanted to let everyone know that I was thinking of going through Haley’s room and seeing if I can find any clues to indicate who might have wanted to hurt her and