Dead by Midnight - Beverly Barton [99]
“How long have you been married?” Maleah asked.
“Two years. We met in college and got married the summer after graduation.”
A man’s loud demanding voice echoed through the house, “Amelia Rose, where have you got off to, girl?”
Their hostess gasped, then shook her head and smiled. “That’s Uncle Clement. He’s Tyler’s great-uncle. His maternal grandfather’s brother. If y’all will excuse me. He’ll keep hollering until I go see what he wants. He’s a dear old thing, but a little addled. He’s nearly ninety.”
As soon as Amelia Rose went in search of Uncle Clement, Maleah and Derek exchanged closed-mouthed grins.
“I don’t know if we’ve walked into a page of Gone With the Wind or a Victorian novel,” Derek said.
“A combination of the two. What do you want to bet that the rooms are either called Rhett’s Room, Scarlett’s Room, and so on, or they’re named after flowers? You know, the Lily Room, the Gardenia Room, and the Rose Room.”
Just as Derek opened his mouth to speak, they heard a voice from the hallway. “Hello there. Sorry to keep y’all waiting.”
When they turned to meet the speaker, Maleah barely managed not to gasp aloud. The young man—not a day over twenty-five—was strikingly handsome. The only thing about him that could be described as average was his height and body build. Large blue eyes, edged with thick brown lashes, were set in a chiseled, lightly tanned face that would make any Greek god envious. A tangle of golden blond curls framed those too-perfect features.
As he entered the room, he held out his hand to Maleah. “I’m Tyler Owens and you must be Ms. Perdue. It’s a pleasure, ma’am.”
My God, he was not only handsome beyond belief, but mannerly, too. Although she wasn’t sure being called ma’am was a compliment.
“Maleah Perdue.” She shook his hand.
He possessed a devastating smile.
When he turned to shake hands with Derek, Maleah couldn’t help but notice the width of his shoulders encased in a soft, silk shirt and how tight his buttocks were in the faded, often-washed jeans.
“I certainly appreciate y’all coming here to Danville,” Tyler said. “I could have flown to Knoxville next week, but this week, I simply couldn’t get away. We’re hosting a bridal tea Wednesday, a wedding rehearsal dinner on Friday, and the wedding on Saturday.”
“Coming here wasn’t a problem,” Maleah assured him. “We’re interviewing anyone connected to the Midnight Masquerade movie who might be able to help us find out who has been sending threatening letters and, to date, has murdered four people.”
Tyler’s eyes widened and his cheeks flushed. “We’ve taken precautions for Mother. The rehab center where she is recovering has been alerted to the threat on her life and no one is allowed to see her except immediate family and the staff, of course.”
“How many letters has your mother received?” Derek asked.
“Three, that I know of,” Tyler replied. “I have them if you’d like to see them.” He glanced away, a melancholy expression on his gorgeous face. “I’m certain that those letters contributed to Mother’s stroke. She’s not an elderly woman by any means. She’s only forty-four.”
“I’m very sorry about your mother,” Maleah said.
He gave her another breathtaking smile. “Thank you, Ms. Perdue. That’s kind of you to say.”
When Derek cleared his throat, Maleah interpreted the action as a criticism. She could almost hear him accusing her of being dumbstruck by Tyler Owens’s obvious physical beauty. Well, yeah. Duh. What red-blooded woman wouldn’t be?
Tyler turned his attention to Derek, who got right to the point. “When you phoned us, you mentioned that you think you might know who the Midnight Killer is.”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“Well?” Derek asked.
“Of course, you want to know, don’t you?” Tyler cast his sorrowful gaze toward the polished