Organized for Murder by Ritter Ames

Well, that and her husband's unplanned business trip accompanying an old flame.
    She took her cocoa to the table, then penned her next two questions. The first was more than a little scary, but abject fear of the second made her stomach roil.
     
    3) Is Sophia setting me up for the murder to cover up her own crime, or to try another attempt at Keith?
    4) Has Keith seen Sophia since we've moved to Hazelton? Is he having an
    She stopped short of writing the last word. Affair. Okay, she'd let the word slip into her thoughts, but an affair? Had she missed any signs? Sure, Keith came home at erratic times, but Kate knew how social he was, and he always told her who'd held him up to talk. No pattern of missing hours or nights, or any inconsistencies to point toward infidelity. He never smelled of strange perfume, and his shirt collars always came home lipstick-free. Kate paid the credit card bills and tracked down any dubious charges, but should she expect a credit card trail if they met at Sophia's or put the expenses on a corporate card? After all, they were presumably staying in the same hotel that very night. Moreover, what about Sophia's husband?
    Who was the man who gave her the "White" to tack on after the hyphen?
    Kate chewed her lower lip. She'd let fatigue and paranoia take control tonight. Nothing more. No way was her husband cheating on her.
    In a bold move, she crossed out question number four and scribbled five more, almost as if each addition further reduced the likelihood of the struck sentence.
     
    4) Has Keith seen Sophia since we've moved to Hazelton? Is he having an 4) Who picked the lily of the valley for the vase in the kitchen? Amelia, Danny, or Mrs. Baxter?
    5) If questioned, will the pizza order clerk remember anything about the person (or voice) who placed the order delivered to our house some time after 7:00 p.m. on Thurs. night? Probably a long shot.
    6) Who can tell me what Thomas is up to? Does his business need a transfusion of cash? Does Meg know anything about him?
    7) Mrs. Baxter was a childhood friend of Amelia's. How well did the transition work out when it became an employer/employee relationship?
    8) What are Danny's plans for the future? Does he see himself as heir apparent to the Nethercutt Empire? What is the Nethercutt Empire?
     
    Jane might be the best lead on the last question. Maybe number seven as well. While Kate was only at the Nethercutt mansion the one day with Amelia and Mrs. Baxter, the women's attitudes toward one another had seemed strictly professional. No word or deed between the two on the day of the murder even whispered of a childhood bond, which had probably included dolls and pretend tea parties. However, through a succession of marriages, Amelia had been gone a good many years. Any friendship that survived such an absence would have a tough time staying on steady terms. And Amelia liked being in charge, regardless of any adolescent adventures the pair might have shared.
    As an adult mistress of the manor, Amelia's manner likely sent a "keeping you in your place" message to anyone in her employ. Besides, how nostalgic can one be with a former friend when their places shifted from girlhood confidants to servant and mistress?
    Mrs. Baxter's house also puzzled Kate, the frou-frou front room in sharp contrast to the stainless steel coffee carafe. Yet equally at odds were the woman's décor and design employed in the Nethercutt kitchen—all work, no frills. If the kitchen in her cottage resembled Amelia's, that could tell the tale. Or, had she taken the carafe from the Nethercutt's? Had she removed anything else from the mansion?
     
    9) Sneak by Mrs. B.'s cottage and peek in the kitchen window.
     
    Kate smiled. She'd need some kind of backup excuse in case she got caught, but another side trip to Mrs. Baxter's place was definitely in order.
    She paused. Even as she wrote each letter, she wished the ink would disappear from the page.
     
    10) What was the value of the items