personal questions for someone who’s just here to pay her respects.”
For a short woman, she sure had a long stride. I did my best to keep up with Marci.
“Well, you have to admit, the whole thing is pretty interesting. I mean, in a sad
way. What happened to Angela is a mystery, and I only know what everyone else knows,
what I’ve read in the newspapers. Naturally, it’s got me wondering…Do you thinkthere’s any chance that someone here in Ardent Lake might know more about what really
happened?”
She barked out a laugh. “I can’t speak for anyone but myself, and all I know is that
the woman made me nuts. What with her crazy talk about astrology and spells and whatnot.
I didn’t like her. There. That’s the honest truth. If that makes me a suspect, then
a whole bunch of other people here are suspects, too.”
We got to the broad sidewalk that ringed the park and a cross street, and I hoped
Marci didn’t decide to cross against the light. I was already scrambling to keep up
with her, and I didn’t want to look like a stalker.
She glanced over her shoulder, back the way we came. “I’ll bet anything you’re staying
at the Victoria. It’s one of the few places to stay in town and I know for a fact
that other B and B is booked solid with a group of antiquers. The Victoria is back
that way.”
I shrugged like it was no big deal. “It’s a beautiful night. I don’t mind walking
some more. Besides, if your husband asks, you can tell him we bumped into each other,
and that’s what delayed you.”
“Yeah. Sure. Thanks.”
The light changed and we crossed the street.
“So you were saying…” She wasn’t, but I was hoping she wouldn’t come right out and
call me a liar. “About people who didn’t like Angela.”
She darted me a look and took a moment to make up her mind. “Well, if you don’t hear
it from me, you’ll only hear it from somebody else,” she finally said. “There’s that
bitch Susan O’Hara, for one. I saw you talking to herat the funeral home. I’ll tell you what, the moment I heard that Angela had been murdered,
I prayed Susan was the one who did it. Damn, that would be perfect! Miss High and
Mighty O’Hara, led away in handcuffs.”
Oh yeah, I was tempted to pounce on this nugget. Like a pigeon on a bread crumb. I
controlled myself, playing it cool far better than any theater major who’d never been
much of an actor should have been able to. “I never met Susan until this afternoon.
She doesn’t exactly seem like a murderer.”
“Yeah, that’s what they always say, isn’t it?” We came to another cross street, and
since there was no sign of traffic, Marci hurried across and I followed along. “From
what I’ve read in the papers, the cops say robbery wasn’t the motive in Angela’s murder.
Is that true?” she asked.
“I only know what I’ve read in the papers, too.”
“Well, if it’s true about robbery not being a motive, it’s got to make you wonder,
doesn’t it? We’re not exactly country bumpkins here in Ardent Lake. I mean, we watch
CSI
and all the other cop shows. We know what’s what. And I know the first thing the
cops are going to ask is who had a reason to kill ol’ Angela.”
“And you think Susan did?”
She stopped in front of a sweet little Victorian cottage with a white picket fence
out front and an arbor that spanned the walk that led to the front door. I pictured
it in the summer, with roses growing all around.
Marci put her hand on the gate inside the arbor and pushed it open. “I don’t think
it,” she said. “I know it.”
I had played it cool long enough. Even a button nerd who truly was in town just to
offer her condolenceswouldn’t pass up an opportunity for hot gossip like that, right?
Eager not to look…well, too eager, I schooled my voice when I asked, “Why would Susan
want to kill Angela?”
Marci slid me a look. “So you are working with the
For a short woman, she sure had a long stride. I did my best to keep up with Marci.
“Well, you have to admit, the whole thing is pretty interesting. I mean, in a sad
way. What happened to Angela is a mystery, and I only know what everyone else knows,
what I’ve read in the newspapers. Naturally, it’s got me wondering…Do you thinkthere’s any chance that someone here in Ardent Lake might know more about what really
happened?”
She barked out a laugh. “I can’t speak for anyone but myself, and all I know is that
the woman made me nuts. What with her crazy talk about astrology and spells and whatnot.
I didn’t like her. There. That’s the honest truth. If that makes me a suspect, then
a whole bunch of other people here are suspects, too.”
We got to the broad sidewalk that ringed the park and a cross street, and I hoped
Marci didn’t decide to cross against the light. I was already scrambling to keep up
with her, and I didn’t want to look like a stalker.
She glanced over her shoulder, back the way we came. “I’ll bet anything you’re staying
at the Victoria. It’s one of the few places to stay in town and I know for a fact
that other B and B is booked solid with a group of antiquers. The Victoria is back
that way.”
I shrugged like it was no big deal. “It’s a beautiful night. I don’t mind walking
some more. Besides, if your husband asks, you can tell him we bumped into each other,
and that’s what delayed you.”
“Yeah. Sure. Thanks.”
The light changed and we crossed the street.
“So you were saying…” She wasn’t, but I was hoping she wouldn’t come right out and
call me a liar. “About people who didn’t like Angela.”
She darted me a look and took a moment to make up her mind. “Well, if you don’t hear
it from me, you’ll only hear it from somebody else,” she finally said. “There’s that
bitch Susan O’Hara, for one. I saw you talking to herat the funeral home. I’ll tell you what, the moment I heard that Angela had been murdered,
I prayed Susan was the one who did it. Damn, that would be perfect! Miss High and
Mighty O’Hara, led away in handcuffs.”
Oh yeah, I was tempted to pounce on this nugget. Like a pigeon on a bread crumb. I
controlled myself, playing it cool far better than any theater major who’d never been
much of an actor should have been able to. “I never met Susan until this afternoon.
She doesn’t exactly seem like a murderer.”
“Yeah, that’s what they always say, isn’t it?” We came to another cross street, and
since there was no sign of traffic, Marci hurried across and I followed along. “From
what I’ve read in the papers, the cops say robbery wasn’t the motive in Angela’s murder.
Is that true?” she asked.
“I only know what I’ve read in the papers, too.”
“Well, if it’s true about robbery not being a motive, it’s got to make you wonder,
doesn’t it? We’re not exactly country bumpkins here in Ardent Lake. I mean, we watch
CSI
and all the other cop shows. We know what’s what. And I know the first thing the
cops are going to ask is who had a reason to kill ol’ Angela.”
“And you think Susan did?”
She stopped in front of a sweet little Victorian cottage with a white picket fence
out front and an arbor that spanned the walk that led to the front door. I pictured
it in the summer, with roses growing all around.
Marci put her hand on the gate inside the arbor and pushed it open. “I don’t think
it,” she said. “I know it.”
I had played it cool long enough. Even a button nerd who truly was in town just to
offer her condolenceswouldn’t pass up an opportunity for hot gossip like that, right?
Eager not to look…well, too eager, I schooled my voice when I asked, “Why would Susan
want to kill Angela?”
Marci slid me a look. “So you are working with the
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