A Body to Spare (The Odelia Grey Mysteries) by Sue Ann Jaffarian Page B

herself in the head while sitting in her favorite chair in front of the TV. It had been on the anniversary of Zach’s failure to return from the football game. The report made me shudder.
    Several years before, one of my friends had shot herself in the head. It had been the event that had brought Dev and Greg and I together. It had been filmed by her webcam, and I still have nightmares about watching Sophie kill herself.
    Pushing that horror out of my head, I started the search on the various players, then remembered Barbara Marracino, a woman who did professional online searches to supplement her retirement. Her late husband, Larry, had been a corporate investigator, and Steele and I had used him a great deal over the years. Barbara was still running the online search business but not the fieldwork her husband had done, since she had trouble moving due to arthritis in her back and legs. Her research business didn’t just involve investigations but also research for writers and other people who needed unusual or historical information but didn’t have the time to do it themselves. We had used Barbara several months ago off the books, and she had come up with amazing results and was quick as a bunny about it.
    I picked up my cell phone and scrolled through my contacts, hoping I’d had the presence of mind to save her number. I had, and I called. As soon as Barbara answered, I said, “Barbara, it’s Odelia Grey. How are you?”
    “Not bad for an old broad with one foot in the grave.” She followed up her words with a throaty laugh. “It’s nice to hear from you, Odelia. How are you doing, and how is Mr. Steele?”
    “I’m fine, thanks,” I responded, “and Mike Steele just got married.”
    “Seriously?” she asked with another short laugh.
    “Yep. He’s on his honeymoon as we speak.” I paused to form a short gap between the pleasantries and the purpose of my call. “Barbara, do you have time to do a few searches for me?”
    She paused too, but hers was longer, and I don’t think it was to change subjects. “I’m no longer in the business, Odelia. In fact, by the end of this week I’ll be moving into a rest home.”
    I was taken back, but not that much. While Barbara was younger than my mother, who lived in her own place and was always on the go, she was not in the same good physical condition as Mom. This move probably meant her condition had deteriorated. “I’m very sorry to hear that,” I told her.
    “I’m not,” she said in a voice filled with relief. “It’s really getting difficult for me to move around. My mind is still sharp, but my body can’t keep up, and lately my emphysema has worsened. I’m in a wheelchair now, but I’m a long ways from being a spitfire like that husband of yours.” She laughed. “My son’s house is too small and has too many steps inside and out for him to take me in, but he found a lovely place close to his home that can give me the care I need. I’ll actually be able to see him and his family more often now.” Her tone brightened at the last bit of information. Another pause, a tight raspy intake of breath, then, “But I had to give up the research biz. I hated to do it because it kept my mind focused, but them’s the breaks.”
    In spite of her trials and tribulations, Barbara had an amazing upbeat attitude. “I’m sorry to hear that, Barbara, but happy that you’ll be well looked after,” I said, trying to keep the disappointment out of my voice. “Do you have anyone you can refer me to?”
    “Why not do it yourself?” she suggested. “You’re a smart cookie and probably used to doing legal research. I don’t work magic. I just know and subscribe to a bushel of specialty sites that you’re probably not even aware exist.”
    I used search sites all the time, but mostly legal sites or free ones or the ones that allowed you to pay per use instead of requiring a subscription. “Can you send me the links to some of your favorite sites and I’ll