Death Among the Doilies by Mollie Cox Bryan Page B

make a gorgeous couple. But she wasn’t certain Jane was ready for a real relationship. But what the heck—did every relationship have to lead to something serious? Why couldn’t Jane and Jude casually date and just have a good time?
    â€œI know I could kill someone. It’s not something I like to think about or something I’m proud of. Hell, I’m a pacifist. But if someone came at me or my kids, I have no idea what I’d be capable of,” Ruby said.
    Cora and Jane exchanged glances.
    â€œBut within a family, the mother is the nurturer. Usually kids don’t kill their mothers. When kids kill their parents, usually it’s their father,” Cora went on. “So, statistically speaking, the odds are if someone within the family killed Sarah, it would have been her husband.”
    â€œBut you’re talking about a relatively normal family,” Jude said. “And I never thought they were normal.”
    â€œWhat do you mean, specifically?” Cora asked.
    â€œOne of the daughters was arrested in college for prostitution. I don’t know which one. But if that doesn’t tell you something, I don’t know what does,” Jude said. “The other one had a baby when she was like, I don’t know, fifteen? Fourteen?”
    â€œIt keeps getting deeper,” Jane said.
    â€œThe more we find out about this family, the more it leads me to believe the police have a lot to investigate with Sarah’s murder. That gives me hope,” said Cora after a moment.
    â€œYou are such an optimist,” Jane said, and lifted her coffee cup in a toast. “To Cora, the Queen of Optimism.”
    â€œHear, hear,” Ruby and Jude chimed in.
    Fog had settled over the hills by the time the group was finished with dinner and walking back to the house. Fog unsettled Cora—perhaps it was too many cheesy horror flicks she had watched.
    â€œI’ve always thought this town was one of the prettiest I’ve ever seen,” Jude said when they arrived at the top of the hill where Kildare House was situated, and surveyed the town, despite the fog. At first, Cora had thought the house was simply named for the family who built it. But Kildare was actually the name of their hometown in Ireland, where they had made a small fortune with horses. So they changed their name when they came to America to honor their hometown. When they first bought the piece of land in the gap between two mountain ranges, they pretty much owned the town. The house was situated in such a way that it looked out over the town and valley. The view remained spectacular.
    â€œIt is pretty,” Cora agreed.
    â€œAnd the damned historic preservation folks will keep it that way. No matter what,” Ruby mumbled.
    â€œI’m impressed with what you’ve done to the place. I love your mission. I hope it all works out for you,” Jude said.
    â€œThanks, Jude,” Cora said and opened the front door.
    â€œMind if I take a look around?” he asked.
    â€œGo right ahead,” she said.
    â€œGod, if I were twenty years younger,” Ruby said as he left the foyer. “I’d go for it.”
    Jane laughed. “Really?”
    â€œHe’s hot! Come on, what’s wrong with you young women? Live a little!” Ruby said and added a little flourish with her hands.
    â€œNot my type,” Jane said.
    Cora didn’t reply. She was busy fussing over the floral arrangement.
    â€œIs he your type?” Ruby said, elbowing her.
    â€œWho?” Cora said, still distracted by the flowers.
    â€œJude!”
    â€œJude, my type? I don’t know. He is charismatic,” Cora said, thinking she would keep her true thoughts on the luscious man to herself. “But he is here on business. I make it a policy to not sleep with colleagues.” Was that her policy? Since when? Since now, she decided.
    â€œUsually a pretty easy policy to enforce since most of our