was, because underneath she was a romantic.
âFunny, isnât it? All those years I hated BoomBoom. Hell, we even fought in grade school, and then when I divorced Fair I could avoid my own failings by being angry at her.â
Fair had had an affair with BoomBoom.
âThe Lord works in mysterious ways, His wonders to perform.â
âMiranda says that all the time.â
Miranda had worked with Harry for years at Crozetâs post office.
Joan looked up at the round kitchen wall clock. âWhat time do you have?â
âNine.â Harry checked her wristwatch, which had been her fatherâs.
âForgot the power was out.â She pulled her chair underneath the clock, stepped on it, and moved the hands forward. âWhat a storm. Iâm surprised there wasnât more damage. We must be okay, because Larry hasnât called on his cell.â
Larry and Fair, both on ATVs, were checking the entire farm. While Manuel could have assigned someone to this task, the men really wanted to drive around on the ATVs, plus Fair would be there if any horse had sustained an injury. Poor Manuel had been devastated by Jorgeâs murder. The first thing he did this morning was to go to Mass and say a prayer for Jorgeâs soul.
âThatâs some good news.â
Joan pulled the chair back, sitting down with a thump, which made Cookie bark. The animals had flopped on the couch in the living room. âOh, Cookie, itâs just me.â
âNever know,â
the Jack Russell called back.
âYou know, Iâm kind of all right, my mind is clear, and then all this hits me again, and I feel my heart beat faster, I go back over every little thing, and I canât figure it out. Then I get kind of obsessed and I go over and over where we were, what we were doing, and everyone else and whoâs mad at whom, and I get dizzy.â
âAt two last night, Fair and I tried to remember who was on the rail for Renataâs class and who wasnât. I finally fell asleep.â Harry put both hands on her teacup. âThis morning I read the program to see who had horses in the class and who didnât. I thought anyone not on the rail could be a potential murderer, but the storm put an end to that theory. Folks starting running in all directions at the first thunderclap.â
A car drove into the driveway. The door to the garage, which was under the house, was open.
âGrandmaâs here,â
Cookie announced.
âYoo-hoo,â Frances called up.
Paul and Frances lived at the corner of Kalarama Farm in a lovely, unpretentious two-story brick house that went back to the time of the great Kalarama Rex, foaled in 1922.
Harry whispered, âShe know?â
âNot yet.â Joan stood up as her mother opened the door into the kitchen.
âGood morning.â Frances kissed Joan on the cheek, then kissed Harry. âHow are you girls this morning?â
âAll things considered, as good as we can be,â Joan replied.
Like most mother-daughter relationships, this one was mostly good, with a few spots of strain.
âI hope they find who did this terrible thing.â Frances didnât sit down when Joan pointed to a chair. âBut he wasnât killed here, and thatâs a good thing.â
Joan stared at her mother, who was not an unfeeling woman. âMother.â
âNo, no, I didnât mean that the way it sounded, but I was thinking, if Jorge did something or crossed someone, why didnât they kill him here? So I think whatever happened happened because of the show.â
âOr maybe thatâs where it all came together.â Harry followed Francesâs line of thought.
âWell, Iâm not a policeman.â Frances flattened her lips together for an instant as she wrinkled her brow. âThat coffee does smell good.â She accepted the proffered chair.
Joan walked over to the stove, and Cookie breezed in to sit by
Maggie Brendan
Barbara O'Connor
Jan Washburn
Terri Blackstock
Norah Simone
Barry Kemp
G.P. Taylor
Alan Cumyn
Linda Barnes
Lisa Jackson