Murder at the Book Group by Maggie King Page B

prettily dead and alone in bed, as opposed to how she was found: flushing and foaming at the mouth like a menopausal, rabid dog while hosting the book group. I failed to impress Vince.
    â€œI was just glad that she, meaning the character, did die and the damn movie ended. You may have a point about Carlene’s vanity determining her choices, even in death. But you said she brought up the cyanide topic during the book group. And that she seemed distressed.”
    â€œPeople get distressed and don’t do themselves in. Besides, distressed isn’t quite the right word. Agitated is more accurate. As opposed to her usual calm, serene self. Besides, there’s her book success. Despite the thing with Evan, things were looking up—oh, I forgot about the Costa Rica trip.” I told Vince about Carlene’s travel plans and how she asked me to have coffee with her and Georgia. “She wanted travel tips about the country. Does someone plan a trip and then turn around and kill herself?” Vince allowed that suicide didn’t follow.
    â€œOf course, I don’t want to get carried away here. It’s certainly possible that she did commit suicide. Who could figure the woman out anyway?” I moved on to share the conversations I’d had earlier, starting with the man in the car.
    â€œSounds like this was an ongoing relationship,” Vince noted when I finished. “Maybe ongoing encounter is a better word.”
    â€œWhy, I didn’t think of it that way. I had an idea he was someone new.” I resolved to start thinking outside the box and wrote it down to be sure I remembered. “Do you think he was the reason for the separation?”
    â€œCould be. Just speculation, of course. What other conversations did you have today?”
    I told him about Art’s description of Linda and Carlene at the signing. Despite my earlier decision to keep quiet about anything to do with Kat and Evan, I wound up spilling the beans on their hot affair. Other than agreeing that it was a funny combination, strange bedfellows and all that, Vince had little reaction. I imagined that as a cop he’d seen and heard it all.
    After a pause, Vince asked, “Did Carlene and Linda talk to each other last night?”
    â€œNot that I saw. I’m sure Carlene was avoiding Linda. She seemed puzzled that Linda remembered her so well when she didn’t remember Linda. Personally, I think she remembered Linda very well, and that she wasn’t a pleasant memory. I never saw Carlene so rattled. Of course, she was rattled before Linda showed up . . . That could mean that she knew ahead of time that Linda was coming . . .” I trailed off, trying to collect my thoughts. “I thought Linda and the huge mistake might be connected.”
    â€œDid you talk to Linda?”
    â€œNo. She was in the dining room describing her colonoscopy to Annabel. I didn’t want to interrupt.” Vince hooted. “She left early, way before any one else did, so the police don’t have any contact information for her, and no one else does either.” I told him about Kat’s deleting Linda’s number from her incoming call register.
    â€œYou say you were all in the dining room when Carlene closed the pocket doors to take her call in private. Did Linda look for Carlene to say good-bye?”
    â€œNo. I distinctly remember that because I thought it was funny that she didn’t ask where Carlene was, or say, ‘Well, tell her I said good-bye,’ something like that. She just left by the front door. Of course, Carlene had ignored her, so she might have been miffed about that.”
    â€œAnd now a word of caution, Hazel.” Vince, in police mode, echoed Lucy’s earlier words. “Don’t discuss this information with anyone, especially not with your group members.”
    Sniffing, I said, “Well, since I was there last night, I have a vested interest in anything