kill Jamie, and Katherine before her? Bobby would find out in a hurry. He was probably already talking to the Ramsey County ME.
Think.
Whether he killed her or not, there had to be a connection. Young came to my house because of Jamie. I knew it. Maybe he didn’t kill Jamie, but he tried to kill me because of her.
Think.
Bobby wouldn’t hesitate for a second to arrest me for obstruction if I even came within shouting distance of his investigation. So, I needed to be careful. But I was going to learn the connection between Young and Jamie. That was my a-gen-da, as Kirsten would put it. That’s what I’m going to do, screw Dunston.
And then there was Stacy. Oh God, did she die when Jamie died?
Think.
Did I have to kill Young? What if I had just stayed in the house and called the cops? What if I had left my gun in the drawer? What if I had been more forceful when I confronted him. What if …?
Kirsten was right. There is so much in my world that’s wrong.
“Are you okay?”
I had been concentrating on the ducks and my own thoughts and didn’t see her approach.
“Are you okay?” she repeated.
“Margot?”
Her white satin robe gleamed in the moonlight, seemed nearly as bright as the moon. She was standing in bare feet on her side of the pond, her arms folded under her ample bosom. Her reflection shimmering in the water reminded me of Galadriel, the ethereal elf in The Lord of the Rings.
“As well as can be expected,” I told her.
“I heard what happened. I guess everyone in the neighborhood has heard what happened. Are you sure you’re all right?”
“Yes.”
“I think you should know, Karl Olson is making noises about getting up a petition to force you to move.”
“Throw one dead body on the front yard and the whole place gets paranoid.”
“It is the suburbs.”
“Just barely,” I reminded her.
“I saw you from my bedroom window.” She gestured with her head at the large white house behind her. “I thought you might want to talk.”
“No. Thank you.”
Margot sat on her well-trimmed lawn, hugging her bare legs to her chest. She rested her chin on her knees. She seemed so young, although she was a half decade older than I was.
“How are the ducks?”
“They’ll be leaving soon, I think.”
“I’ll miss them.”
“Me, too.”
“I never thanked you.”
“For what?”
“For the ducks. For the pond. I had my misgivings when your father put it in, but now … It’s really quite lovely.”
“You spent a lot of time with my father when he was digging it. You brought him lemonade.”
“I only brought him lemonade once. After that it was Leinies.”
“Leinenkugel’s, brewed in Wisconsin. To my dad that’s an imported beer.”
“He liked them.”
“Yes, he did.”
“Did he ever tell you what we talked about when I brought him the beers?”
“Dad? No. When you told Dad something, that’s as far as it went. He was the keeper of everyone’s secrets.”
“He was very proud of you. He said so. Many times. He thought you were a good man, only he didn’t know how to tell you.”
“You told me. At the funeral. I’ve always been grateful to you for that little bit of kindness.”
“Your father was kind to me at a time when I needed kindness.”
“He was that way.”
“He never remarried after your mother died. He never even dated. Did he ever tell you why?”
I shook my head.
“He couldn’t. His love for your mother wouldn’t allow it. I wish I could find a man to love me that much. I’m three husbands down and I haven’t even come close.”
“They say the fourth time is the charm.”
“They say the third time is the charm, but never mind.”
She stood and wrapped her arms around herself like she was suddenly cold.
“Why don’t you come up to the house with me? We’ll have coffee.”
“It’s tempting, but …”
“It’ll be fine.”
“I’m afraid I wouldn’t be very good company, tonight. I have too much on my
Think.
Whether he killed her or not, there had to be a connection. Young came to my house because of Jamie. I knew it. Maybe he didn’t kill Jamie, but he tried to kill me because of her.
Think.
Bobby wouldn’t hesitate for a second to arrest me for obstruction if I even came within shouting distance of his investigation. So, I needed to be careful. But I was going to learn the connection between Young and Jamie. That was my a-gen-da, as Kirsten would put it. That’s what I’m going to do, screw Dunston.
And then there was Stacy. Oh God, did she die when Jamie died?
Think.
Did I have to kill Young? What if I had just stayed in the house and called the cops? What if I had left my gun in the drawer? What if I had been more forceful when I confronted him. What if …?
Kirsten was right. There is so much in my world that’s wrong.
“Are you okay?”
I had been concentrating on the ducks and my own thoughts and didn’t see her approach.
“Are you okay?” she repeated.
“Margot?”
Her white satin robe gleamed in the moonlight, seemed nearly as bright as the moon. She was standing in bare feet on her side of the pond, her arms folded under her ample bosom. Her reflection shimmering in the water reminded me of Galadriel, the ethereal elf in The Lord of the Rings.
“As well as can be expected,” I told her.
“I heard what happened. I guess everyone in the neighborhood has heard what happened. Are you sure you’re all right?”
“Yes.”
“I think you should know, Karl Olson is making noises about getting up a petition to force you to move.”
“Throw one dead body on the front yard and the whole place gets paranoid.”
“It is the suburbs.”
“Just barely,” I reminded her.
“I saw you from my bedroom window.” She gestured with her head at the large white house behind her. “I thought you might want to talk.”
“No. Thank you.”
Margot sat on her well-trimmed lawn, hugging her bare legs to her chest. She rested her chin on her knees. She seemed so young, although she was a half decade older than I was.
“How are the ducks?”
“They’ll be leaving soon, I think.”
“I’ll miss them.”
“Me, too.”
“I never thanked you.”
“For what?”
“For the ducks. For the pond. I had my misgivings when your father put it in, but now … It’s really quite lovely.”
“You spent a lot of time with my father when he was digging it. You brought him lemonade.”
“I only brought him lemonade once. After that it was Leinies.”
“Leinenkugel’s, brewed in Wisconsin. To my dad that’s an imported beer.”
“He liked them.”
“Yes, he did.”
“Did he ever tell you what we talked about when I brought him the beers?”
“Dad? No. When you told Dad something, that’s as far as it went. He was the keeper of everyone’s secrets.”
“He was very proud of you. He said so. Many times. He thought you were a good man, only he didn’t know how to tell you.”
“You told me. At the funeral. I’ve always been grateful to you for that little bit of kindness.”
“Your father was kind to me at a time when I needed kindness.”
“He was that way.”
“He never remarried after your mother died. He never even dated. Did he ever tell you why?”
I shook my head.
“He couldn’t. His love for your mother wouldn’t allow it. I wish I could find a man to love me that much. I’m three husbands down and I haven’t even come close.”
“They say the fourth time is the charm.”
“They say the third time is the charm, but never mind.”
She stood and wrapped her arms around herself like she was suddenly cold.
“Why don’t you come up to the house with me? We’ll have coffee.”
“It’s tempting, but …”
“It’ll be fine.”
“I’m afraid I wouldn’t be very good company, tonight. I have too much on my
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