Murder on the Bucket List by Elizabeth Perona Page A

was awful,” Alice said.
    â€œIt was wonderful,” said Joy. She looked at Alice. “Sorry. I know it was awful for you.”
    Francine wondered how Alice had learned of the meeting. “I didn’t think you’d be coming,” she said. “You have a lot to deal with.”
    â€œAll the more reason to be here. Plus, I need to talk to all of you.”
    Mary Ruth handed Francine a small square cake. “Here, this is my famous flourless chocolate cake. I made an extra one for the event today but didn’t need it.” She stepped into the house, flapping her arms and trying to get a breeze going under her pink Mary Ruth’s Catering t-shirt.
    Joy tapped Mary Ruth on the shoulder. “You’re available tomorrow morning, aren’t you? Good Morning America is going to interview all of us at Alice’s pool near the scene of the crime.”
    Mary Ruth’s stared in fear. “I don’t think so!”
    â€œIt won’t be so bad,” Joy said, taking her by the arm. “Alice can’t be on because of the lawyer, but the rest of us will be there. It’s not so much about the murder as it is about the skinny-dipping and our Sixty Lists.”
    â€œThat’s supposed to make me feel better?”
    The two walked back to the library, Joy speaking soothingly. She must have been effective because by the time Francine took the cake to kitchen and got back to the library, Mary Ruth had agreed to participate.
    The five women sat in a circle, the latecomers having unpacked folding chairs from the library closet. Joy, as president of the group, tried several times to start the meeting but everyone kept talking. Just as she got the group quiet, Alice interrupted.
    â€œI’m sorry, but I’ve got something I’ve got to get off my chest and if I don’t do it right now I think I might burst.” They all leaned in a little closer. “Larry hasn’t been in Las Vegas, like he said. He came back on Saturday, and he’s been staying in a hotel on the east side of Indianapolis. The police located him an hour ago. He’s down at the police station with his lawyer.” She burst into tears.

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    The room was deathly quiet but for Alice’s sobs.
    Finally Joy spoke up. “You … didn’t know this?”
    Alice tried to talk but the tears kept flowing. She shook her head.
    The women acted on reflex. Joy went to comfort Alice. Charlotte went to get her a glass of water. Mary Ruth went to get some tissues. Francine began massaging Alice’s shoulders.
    â€œHow did you find out?” Francine asked.
    She took a minute to pull herself together. “He called me from the police station. Told me not to come down. Whispered a few excuses. Said he’d try to explain it later.”
    â€œI bet that middle part really hurt,” Charlotte said. She set the glass next to Alice. “Why would he not want you to come down?”
    The remark made her start her crying again. Francine glared at Charlotte while they waited for Alice to become calm. Mary Ruth came back, yanked out a couple of tissues, and handed them to Alice, who wiped her eyes. “I don’t know. Would the police even let me see him?”
    â€œDid he say he was arrested?” Charlotte wanted to know. “If he wasn’t arrested, he doesn’t have to stay for questioning. He can just walk away.”
    â€œHe didn’t say.”
    Francine tried to mentally step back from the situation so she could analyze it. From what little she knew about the law, Charlotte was right. If Larry was only being questioned, he didn’t have to answer. He could just walk away. Larry had his lawyer there, though. What did that mean? She hoped it meant he was getting good advice.
    Charlotte was still talking. “I know it looks really bad, Alice, but I don’t think you should leap to conclusions. You haven’t heard his side of it.” It was