Wish You Were Here by Rita Mae Brown

don’t know a damn thing but I’m going to find out. This has to stop!”
    â€œWell”—Market rubbed his chin—“Courtney knows, Rick Shaw and Officer Cooper, and Clai and Diana of the Rescue Squad, of course. Train people know, including the passengers. Train stopped. A lot of people know.”
    â€œYes, yes.” Her voice trailed off.
    â€œWhat are you thinking?”
    â€œThat I wish so many people didn’t know already. Controlling the information might have been a way to snag a clue.”
    â€œYeah.” The phone rang inside. “I’ve got to pick that up. Let’s stick together, Harry.”
    â€œYou bet.”
    Market opened the door and Pewter scooted in, calling her goodbyes over her shoulder.
    A miserable Harry unlocked the door to the post office, Mrs. Murphy and Tucker behind.
    â€œCome on.”
    Mrs. Murphy looked at Tucker.
“You thinking what I’m thinking?”
    Tucker replied,
“Yes, but we don’t know where.”
    â€œDamn!”
Mrs. Murphy fluffed her tail in fury and walked dramatically into the post office.
    Tucker followed as Harry picked up the phone and started dialing.
“It could be miles and miles from here.”
    â€œI know!”
Mrs. Murphy crabbed.
“And we’ll lose the scent—if it’s there.”
    â€œIt held a little bit the other time. That day was stinky hot too.”
    Mrs. Murphy leaned up against the corgi.
“I hope so. Buddy-bud, we’re going to have to use our powers to get to the bottom of this. Harry’s smart but her nose is bad. Her ears aren’t too good either. People can’t move very fast. We’ve got to find out who’s doing this so we can protect her.”
    â€œI’ll die before I let anyone hurt Harry!”
Tucker barked loudly.
    â€œSusan, there’s been another murder.”
    â€œI’ll be right there,” Susan replied.
    She started to dial Fair at the clinic but hung up the phone. It was a knee-jerk reaction to call him.
    â€œRick Shaw came by for Ned,” Susan said as Harry unlocked the front door. It was 7:30 A . M .
    â€œWhat’s he want with Ned?”
    â€œHe wants him to organize a Citizen’s Alert group. Harry, this is unbelievable. This is Crozet, Virginia, for Pete’s sake, not New York City.”
    â€œUnbelievable or not, it’s happening. Did Rick say anything about Maude?”
    â€œWhat do you mean?”
    â€œI mean, was she alive when she was run over?” Harry’s entire body twitched at the thought and a wave of nausea engulfed her.
    â€œI thought of that too. I asked him. He said they didn’t know but they believed not. The coroner would know exactly when she died.”
    â€œIf Rick said that, it means she was dead already. I mean, you’d have to be pretty stupid not to tell after a certain point. Did he say anything else?”
    â€œOnly that it happened out near the Greenwood tunnel, out on that first part of track.”
    Harry said, almost to herself, “What was she doing out that far?”
    â€œGod only knows.” Susan sniffed. “What if this—this creature starts after our children?”
    â€œThat’s not going to happen. I’m sure of it.”
    â€œHow would you know?” A note of anger crept into Susan’s voice.
    â€œI’m sorry. I didn’t mean to ignore your concern for the children, and you should keep the kids in at night. It’s just that—well, I don’t know. A feeling.”
    â€œThere’s a madman loose! Tell me what Kelly Craycroft and Maude Bly Modena had in common! Tell me that!”
    â€œIf we can figure that out, we might catch the killer.” Command rang through Harry’s voice. She was a born leader, although she never acknowledged it and even avoided groups.
    Susan knew Harry had made up her mind. “You aren’t trained in this sort of