“No,” said Lloyd. “But he’ll be insured?”
“Oh, yes.” He grinned. “Christmas’ll be a bit bleak, though. They even took his turkey. Seems he was expecting some guests.”
Lloyd was still chuckling about that as he drove to the flat. He could hazard a guess as to who had relieved Eric Watson of his consumer durables and his turkey, but he’d done enough of that for one week, and nonaggravated burglary wasn’t in Stansfield’s purview. So any help that he could have given Malworth wouldn’t have been appreciated.
He and Judy sat on the sofa and watched his video of It’s a Wonderful Life in a room lit only by the Christmas tree lights. Judy, in her pregnant mode, had to wipe away tears at the end, and tried to pretend that wasn’t what she was doing at all.
“It’s Christmas Day,” he said, kissing her, and turned on the table lamp so she could see. “Will you marry me, Judy?”
She frowned. “I’ve already said I’ll marry you.”
“I know,” he said. “But that’s sometime never. I want us to get married before the baby’s born.”
Her eyes widened.
He took the little box from his pocket, opened it, and the diamond winked in the soft light. “This has got a matching wedding ring,” he said. “So I don’t want you to put it on unless you agree, and I’ll understand if you don’t.”
It was a gamble; pinning Judy down to any commitment wasn’t easy, and pinning her down to a wedding date had thus far proved impossible. Even now he didn’t dare actually name a day. But she wouldn’t go back on a promise, a real promise. And that was what he was asking her to make.
“Well?” he said after a moment. “Are you going to put it on?”
She looked back at him, shaking her head. “No,” she said. “I’m not going to put it on, Lloyd.”
She held out her left hand. “You are,” she said.
By the same author
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The Lloyd and Hill Mysteries
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MURDER AT THE OLD VICARAGE
GONE TO HER DEATH
THE MURDERS OF MRS. AUSTIN AND MRS. BEALE
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Look for these exciting mysteries by Jill McGown
featuring Lloyd and Hill.…
A PERFECT MATCH
MURDER AT THE OLD VICARAGE
GONE TO HER DEATH
THE MURDERS OF MRS. AUSTIN
AND MRS. BEALE
MURDER … NOW AND THEN
A SHRED OF EVIDENCE
VERDICT UNSAFE
PICTURE OF INNOCENCE
PLOTS AND ERRORS
Published by Ballantine Books.
Available at bookstores everywhere.