Deadly Ever After by Eva Gates (distant reading .txt) 📗

Charles washed his whiskers.

The police had left no evidence of their presence at the library last night, and I was glad of it. I didn’t want to be pestered with questions as to what was going on.

As Connor had noticed, I’d slept well. Which wasn’t what I would have expected would happen. Someone had threatened me, warned me to back off. I didn’t like that, and I had to ask myself why they’d done so. I wasn’t doing much active investigating in this case, such as going around to people’s houses or confronting them with hard-hitting questions about where they’d been at certain times. I simply knew most of the people involved, and we talked about the death of Rich Lewiston and considered possible motives when we were together. Wasn’t that a natural thing to do? I’d asked questions some might consider nosy, and I’d talked about the case with the police. Did Rich’s killer think I knew more than I did?

As a regular Saturday morning at the library swirled around me, I thought about all that had happened over the past few days, trying to remember what I’d said to whom when. I’d told James Dalrymple I was good at finding things out. Had that been a mistake? I’d been warning him to be careful around Charlene, but had he thought I’d meant something else?

I’d have had no reason at all to think that James, a visiting professor from England here to do academic research, had anything to do with the death of a Boston lawyer if not for Evangeline’s reaction to seeing him. He hadn’t reacted to her in return, but maybe he was better at concealing his feelings than she was. Or maybe he’d expected to run into her at some point in time and had prepared himself for when it happened.

It was time for me to talk to Charlene. Enough of doors slamming in faces and surreptitious meetings anyone else would call dates. Charlene and I were friends, and if she was falling for James, and if James was mixed up in any way in the killing of Rich Lewiston, Charlene had to be told.

Before I could do anything about that, Louise Jane came into the library, a bounce in her step and a huge smile on her face. “I have fabulous news, Lucy,” she declared.

I didn’t say, You’re running away to sea?—but I thought it. Charles left his post on the wingback chair near the magazine rack and climbed onto my desk to hear this fabulous news.

“What?” I said.

“Are you always so suspicious, Lucy? It does you no credit.”

“I’m not in the mood for guessing games this morning, Louise Jane.”

“You will be when I tell you.” She stood in front of the desk, beaming at me.

“Mrs. Covington,” I called to a passing patron. “How nice to see you this morning.”

“And you as well, Lucy. How are the wedding plans going?”

“Slow but steady,” I said. “We’re thinking of late next year, once hurricane season has passed, or maybe the following spring.”

“I was hoping you wouldn’t go to Boston for the wedding. You’re an Outer Banks girl now.”

Louise Jane cleared her throat.

“I’m sorry,” Mrs. Covington said, glancing between us. “Am I interrupting anything?”

“No,” I said.

“Yes,” Louise Jane said.

Mrs. Covington slipped away, leaving me no one to chat to. Except for Louise Jane, who let out a heavy sigh. “Really, Lucy.”

“I can’t talk about my upcoming wedding with patrons and friends?”

She couldn’t restrain herself any longer and blurted out, “I’ve found you a house.”

I hadn’t been expecting that. “You’ve what?”

“I’ve found you and Connor a house to buy. You said you don’t mind a fixer-upper if it’s at a reasonable price. Well, it’s at a reasonable price, and it’s in Nags Head. Awful good location, right on the beach. A nail here, a screw there, and it’ll be as good as new.”

“Louise Jane, Connor and I can’t afford a collapsing garden shed on the beach in Nags Head.”

“You can afford this one. When do you want to come and see it? This afternoon would be good.”

“You’re not kidding, are you? This isn’t a practical joke?”

“When have you ever known me to joke?”

“Never,” I admitted.

“Call me when you’ve spoken to Connor, and I’ll take you around to see the house. It needs to be in daytime, though; the atmosphere at night isn’t … conducive to a proper inspection.”

“Uh. Okay.”

She turned and had started to walk away when I remembered what I’d been thinking about. “Louise Jane, one thing. Did you and Daisy go into the marsh last night?”

“No. We had dinner and then went to a movie in town. I like Daisy a lot. I’m going to miss her when they go back to England.”

“Just you and Daisy went to this movie?”

Her eyes narrowed. “Why are you asking?”

“No reason.”

“Of course there’s a reason, Lucy. You never cared before about my social arrangements.”

“Sure I have.” I smiled at her.

“Whatever. Yes, just Daisy and I went to the movie. James was doing something with Charlene. I don’t know what. Don’t forget to call Connor, now.”

“I won’t.”

Louise Jane headed for the bookshelves, and I leaned back in my chair and thought about what she’d said. James hadn’t been with his wife yesterday evening. Did that mean he’d been sending texts to me and nailing warnings to the library door? Not necessarily, but it was time to find out what was going on. James had been spending a lot of his time in the library, working in the rare-books room—easy enough for him to find my phone number. I picked up the desk phone, but before I could make the call, Daisy and James arrived.

“Hi.” The rows of bangles on Daisy’s arms tinkled cheerfully as she lifted a hand in greeting.

“ ’Morning,” James said.

I studied his face, searching for a sign of … what? Guilt? Disappointment to find me still here?

I saw nothing but polite disinterest.

“Have a nice evening?” I asked.

I’d been talking to James, but Daisy answered. “Great. Louise Jane and I went to