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

doesn’t know anything.” She patted the table next to her and gave the man under discussion a huge smile. “Thank you, Leon. You’re always such a dear.”

He basked in the praise.

“So, Leon,” I said. “What were you doing Monday night around nine?”

“Lucy!” Evangeline said.

Leon chuckled. “Oh yes. Your mother told us you like to play girl detective.” He sat down and stretched out his legs. “Let me think. What was I doing? Oh yes. I was at my aunt’s house for her eighty-fifth birthday party. She never married and never had children, and she and I are close. I arrived at six to help with the setup. The last of the guests left at eleven, and I waved them good-bye. I spent the night at Aunt Joan’s and came home the following morning after a late breakfast. Before you ask, my aunt lives in Elizabeth City, so I did not slip out between serving rounds of cake and canapés and drive to Nags Head to kill a man I’d never met.”

“Just asking.”

“The police asked the same. I’ve since had calls from Aunt Joan and my brother asking why I need an alibi.”

“Satisfied, Lucy?” Evangeline asked.

“Yes. Thank you. But I am wondering about one more thing …”

She leaned back in her chair with a sigh. “Go ahead.”

“You and Gordon Frankland recognized each other at Jake’s on Monday night. It was obvious you didn’t care for the man. How do you know him?”

“Odious man,” Evangeline said. “I told the police they should be concentrating on him as the killer of my husband, but they were not interested in my suggestions. He was a client of Rich. He came around to the house one weekend, barged in uninvited and unwelcome, demanding to speak to Rich. I told him Rich did not conduct business at home. He was very rude, and so persistent Rich finally emerged from his study, and I went back to the garden. Mr. Frankland did not stay long, and I did not care enough to ask what he wanted. Now, I ask you again, are you satisfied, Lucy? This is all getting quite tedious.”

I stood up. “Thank you.”

“I will not be returning to Nags Head. Have a nice life.” She picked up her book and started to read.

“ ’Bye,” Leon said.

I walked away, my tail tucked between my legs, but I didn’t go back to my car. I reminded myself that sometimes people need to be eliminated as suspects before one can concentrate on finding the guilty party.

Rather than waiting for the elevator, I ran lightly up the stairs. I approached room 220. I lifted my hand to knock. Then I dropped it. Was I really going to accuse Ricky of killing the man he’d always believed was his own father?

I walked away.

Chapter Nineteen

I was in line at Josie’s Cozy Bakery when the timer on my phone trilled once again. Once again I texted Louise Jane. Once again she replied, This is so weird. Once again I set the timer for another half hour. I ordered a latte and ham and Swiss on a baguette and found a table. All around me espresso machines hissed and people chatted and laughed and placed orders. I unwrapped my sandwich and bit into it. As long as I was on my lunch break, I might as well have lunch.

“What brings you here this early, sweetie?” I looked up to see my cousin standing over me.

I chewed and swallowed. “Having an early lunch. Do you have time to sit?”

Josie dropped into a chair. She waved to Alison behind the counter. “Bring me an Americano, will you, please.” She pulled off her hairnet, untied her ponytail, combed her long blonde hair with her fingers, and retied it with a quick twist of her wrist. “I’m under orders not to leave the bakery unless I’m under guard.”

“Jake told you what happened?”

“Yes, he did. You were lured out of the library, and my name was used to do so. We’re all worried about you, and Jake is worried about me too. Why are you unguarded?”

“Because I didn’t tell anyone I was leaving the library except Louise Jane, and I’m checking in with her regularly. Besides, what can happen in the middle of the day in the middle of town?” I swept my arms around me to take in the busy bakery and the crowded streets outside.

“That’s what I said to Jake. He said he doesn’t want to find out what can happen.”

“Fair enough. Thing is, Josie, I have no intention of living that way, so I’ve stepped up my so-called investigating. I’m determined to get to the bottom of this. The best way to do that, I’ve decided, is to eliminate suspects one by one and see who I end up with.”

“How’s that going?”

“Not well,” I admitted. “I’m eliminating suspects and being left with no one.” I took another bite of my sandwich. “This is good.”

“Did you doubt it would be?” Josie said.

I grinned. “Nope.”

“Here you go.” Blair put a mug in front of Josie. “Can I get you anything else?”

“No thanks.”

He left, and I leaned forward and kept my voice down. Josie leaned toward me. “Neither Evangeline nor Ricky has an alibi, but no matter how much I try to imagine it, I simply can’t believe either one of them killed Rich. If Evangeline wanted to kill him, as his wife she’d have had plenty of better opportunities to make it look like an accident or a random act. And Ricky …” I shook my head. “Not the Ricky I know. Frankly, he’s just too laid-back to do anything that drastic and dramatic. Ricky prefers to wait for things to fall into his lap. Which they usually do. Eventually.”

“You never know what people will do when they’re desperate.”

“That’s true. Maybe I’m wrong, but I don’t think so. And, if I may be so immodest, I don’t believe Ricky would have deliberately tried to frighten me as happened last night. I sense he still has a certain fondness for