her mouth. “This is good. Want some? It’s one of the healthiest foods you can eat.”
“Not a favorite,” Mary Louise said, putting her hand up. “And I’m fine. I’d like to find out what happened. If we don’t help Johnny clear his name, it could ruin his business.”
Opal walked in the living room and sat down. “So what should we do?”
“My instincts tell me it wasn’t Oscar. I agree with Pearl. Samantha was a good person and I’ve never met anyone who loved a man more. She and Clarence seemed happy.”
“She loved him all right,” Opal said, eating her fruit. “But what bothers me is what we witnessed tonight. Clarence turned into a vicious person. You saw how he acted. And you heard what he said. He threatened us!”
“Which is why I called Sheriff Littleton,” Pearl admitted, rejoining them. “And guess what I found out?”
Opal rested her elbow on the sofa’s back. “Clarence is his top suspect?”
“No. Well, I don’t know about all that but Oscar wasn’t Samantha’s friend. Oscar Leonardo was Samantha’s brother.”
Chapter Twelve
“Wow. I guess we followed the wrong rabbit into the meadows. Didn’t we?”
“Stop it. You sound like Pearl,” Opal said, tucking her feet underneath her.
“Do you think Johnny knew and just didn’t say anything?”
“That would mean he’s trying to hide something.” Opal must’ve realized Johnny looked like a viable contender on the suspect list. “Nothing gets by Johnny. If he stayed with Clarence and Samantha then he should’ve known Samantha and Oscar were siblings.”
“Maybe they just found out,” Pearl suggested. “Oscar uprooted his family and moved here from New York City. He was a designer. Kelly worked in a Manhattan art gallery. A move to Tennessee at the height of their careers doesn’t seem like a great idea. What if he discovered he had a sister and wanted to live near family? That’s practical. That happens.”
“You’re sure about this?” Opal asked.
“Sheriff Littleton has been interviewing neighbors.”
“Any chance you’ll stop calling him Sheriff Littleton? The man bakes in your kitchen, remember.”
“I’ll miss our time together but we aren’t a love match. I’m not anyone’s love match. All I want now are a few lazy days on the big porch downstairs. Sounds like an ideal situation for someone who has been married four times.”
“Eight,” Mary Louise and Opal said together.
“Four of those don’t count because I married and divorced the same man several times.”
“Then two of mine don’t count because they both cheated and left me.”
“They only count when they matter,” Opal said, settling any potential dispute.
“So if Oscar was Samantha’s brother, where does that leave the investigation?” Pearl asked.
“It doesn’t look too good for Johnny,” Opal said.
Pearl narrowed her eyes. “I knew he had the potential to be dangerous.”
“And the pendulum will swing,” Opal teased.
Mary Louise yawned. “The more I think about it, Clarence made himself look guilty tonight.” Now she was that swinging pendulum.
“Told you he had a killer’s swing.”
“And who was out at the barn tonight?” If only they had stuck together. Maybe then they would’ve been able to get a good look at the driver. “Clarence couldn’t have been two places at one time.”
“It was Clarence. No one just happened to call him,” Pearl said.
“You do realize you keep bouncing back and forth between Clarence and Johnny B? What about Kelly? Oscar’s wife seemingly had more motive than anyone.”
“Not really,” Mary Louise said. “I’m sure she knew Oscar and Samantha were siblings.”
“True,” Opal said, joining the undecided group.
“I have an idea,” Pearl said. “Let’s go see Kelly.”
“You want to
“Not a favorite,” Mary Louise said, putting her hand up. “And I’m fine. I’d like to find out what happened. If we don’t help Johnny clear his name, it could ruin his business.”
Opal walked in the living room and sat down. “So what should we do?”
“My instincts tell me it wasn’t Oscar. I agree with Pearl. Samantha was a good person and I’ve never met anyone who loved a man more. She and Clarence seemed happy.”
“She loved him all right,” Opal said, eating her fruit. “But what bothers me is what we witnessed tonight. Clarence turned into a vicious person. You saw how he acted. And you heard what he said. He threatened us!”
“Which is why I called Sheriff Littleton,” Pearl admitted, rejoining them. “And guess what I found out?”
Opal rested her elbow on the sofa’s back. “Clarence is his top suspect?”
“No. Well, I don’t know about all that but Oscar wasn’t Samantha’s friend. Oscar Leonardo was Samantha’s brother.”
Chapter Twelve
“Wow. I guess we followed the wrong rabbit into the meadows. Didn’t we?”
“Stop it. You sound like Pearl,” Opal said, tucking her feet underneath her.
“Do you think Johnny knew and just didn’t say anything?”
“That would mean he’s trying to hide something.” Opal must’ve realized Johnny looked like a viable contender on the suspect list. “Nothing gets by Johnny. If he stayed with Clarence and Samantha then he should’ve known Samantha and Oscar were siblings.”
“Maybe they just found out,” Pearl suggested. “Oscar uprooted his family and moved here from New York City. He was a designer. Kelly worked in a Manhattan art gallery. A move to Tennessee at the height of their careers doesn’t seem like a great idea. What if he discovered he had a sister and wanted to live near family? That’s practical. That happens.”
“You’re sure about this?” Opal asked.
“Sheriff Littleton has been interviewing neighbors.”
“Any chance you’ll stop calling him Sheriff Littleton? The man bakes in your kitchen, remember.”
“I’ll miss our time together but we aren’t a love match. I’m not anyone’s love match. All I want now are a few lazy days on the big porch downstairs. Sounds like an ideal situation for someone who has been married four times.”
“Eight,” Mary Louise and Opal said together.
“Four of those don’t count because I married and divorced the same man several times.”
“Then two of mine don’t count because they both cheated and left me.”
“They only count when they matter,” Opal said, settling any potential dispute.
“So if Oscar was Samantha’s brother, where does that leave the investigation?” Pearl asked.
“It doesn’t look too good for Johnny,” Opal said.
Pearl narrowed her eyes. “I knew he had the potential to be dangerous.”
“And the pendulum will swing,” Opal teased.
Mary Louise yawned. “The more I think about it, Clarence made himself look guilty tonight.” Now she was that swinging pendulum.
“Told you he had a killer’s swing.”
“And who was out at the barn tonight?” If only they had stuck together. Maybe then they would’ve been able to get a good look at the driver. “Clarence couldn’t have been two places at one time.”
“It was Clarence. No one just happened to call him,” Pearl said.
“You do realize you keep bouncing back and forth between Clarence and Johnny B? What about Kelly? Oscar’s wife seemingly had more motive than anyone.”
“Not really,” Mary Louise said. “I’m sure she knew Oscar and Samantha were siblings.”
“True,” Opal said, joining the undecided group.
“I have an idea,” Pearl said. “Let’s go see Kelly.”
“You want to
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