Murder by Page One by Olivia Matthews (read aloud txt) 📗

bookstore. Granted, the grocery store, general store, pharmacy, and a few other locations had modest literature selections. Jo’s store, however, catered to a wide range of literary tastes, and offered events to celebrate books and reading. Losing either the library or the bookstore would be a devastating blow to the Peach Coast community.

I turned to follow Jo and Spence to the front of the store…then did a double take. The sight of a familiar figure in the store’s romance section captured my attention.

I called to my friends over my shoulder. “Go ahead without me. I’ll catch up with you.”

“Where are you going?” Jo’s voice trailed after me. I ignored her for now.

I had Zelda Taylor in my sights and was determined to question the writing group president. “Hey, Zelda. I’m so happy to see you at the bookstore.”

Startled, she spun to face me. The pleated skirt of her cream cotton dress spun around her. A cloud of her soft, floral perfume embraced me. “Marvey. Hello. I’m happy to see you here too. My, your pendant is lovely.”

“Thank you.” I touched my Joy Luck Club pendant. “There are people in town who are giving Jo’s bookstore a wide berth after Fiona’s murder.”

“Yes, I’ve heard some of the talk around town.” Zelda waved a dismissive hand. The diamonds in her silver charm bracelet glittered under the fluorescent lights. “People are unsettled because of the murder. It’s understandable. Once the killer’s been caught, everyone will feel better, and things will go back to normal.” She dialed down her master-of-ceremonies volume for a more confidential tone. “I’ve also heard you’re doing some amateur sleuthing. What have you learned?”

I released my pendant and folded my hands in front of my hips over my pencil-thin dark blue skirt. “I’ve learned there was tension between you and Fiona. May I ask the cause of it?”

Zelda straightened as though jerked from behind. A few red strands escaped the pile of hair on top of her head. She touched the short pearl necklace that dressed up the otherwise plain bodice of her dress. “What are you saying? Do you think I could’ve killed Fiona?”

“I’m not trying to find the killer.” I spread my arms. “I’m trying to prove my friend’s innocence.”

“By pointing the finger at someone else? You’re very bold.”

“I’ll let the evidence do the pointing.”

Zelda took my measure as though trying to decide how much, if anything, to tell me. I knew she wasn’t obligated to speak with me. No one was. But I dared to hope she would, if only to clear suspicion from herself. I held her gaze, reminding myself to breathe.

After a moment, her body relaxed. She shrugged. “Why not? They say confession is good for the soul. There was a time I wanted to hurt Fiona.” Zelda’s voice was low and intense. “I even fantasized about it. That woman ruined my life.”

She wasn’t the only one who could make that claim. “How?”

“As I said, those feelings are in the past. I didn’t kill Fiona.” Zelda’s simple gray pumps tapped across the hardwood flooring as she crossed to a pair of overstuffed armchairs.

I followed. “What happened between you?”

Zelda gracefully lowered herself onto one of the floral upholstered armchairs. I sank onto the one beside her. Her white cheeks flushed pink, and she dropped her eyes. “I was a financial manager with Malcovich Savings and Loan. I loved my job. I really loved it, and I enjoyed working for the bank. Over the years, I’d climbed the corporate ladder, and I was looking for my next big move.”

“I’m listening.” I could hear her excitement as she talked about her previous job. It reminded me of the passion I had for the library and my career.

My empathy was growing for her. Because I knew how the story would end, I took a breath to brace myself and caught the scent of fresh paper and new books. A brief scan of the seating area confirmed we had the space to ourselves. Nearby signage revealed we were in To Be Read’s self-help section. I forced myself to look away from the bookshelves.

Zelda folded her arms and crossed legs. I was pretty sure that with her interest in body language, Viv would agree Zelda was feeling defensive. “The bank asked Fiona to do an audit of a product I was in charge of. It was a successful product. They were thinking of expanding it, but wanted an outside review to make sure the numbers were solid. I didn’t think anything of it.”

“Why would you? I’m sure you did your due diligence to confirm your reports.” I sensed we’d come to the part of her story in which bad things were about to happen. Her dream career would become a nightmare.

“Absolutely I did.” Zelda sat straighter and gripped the arms of her chair. “I was confident the audit was a formality. The bank would greenlight expanding the product, and I’d get my promotion. I was wrong on all three accounts.”

Here it comes. “Fiona found something.”

Zelda sighed. It was the sound of someone trying to put the past behind her and to find inner peace. “According to her audit, the formula I programmed for my spreadsheet was wrong. The bank was actually losing money on the project. I was fired on the spot.”

I briefly closed my eyes as I imagined the pain, anxiety, and humiliation Zelda must’ve felt as a result. “I’m so sorry. How devastating.”

“You have a way with words.” Zelda’s tone was dry. “Yes, I was devastated, mortified, and very, very confused.”

“Because if the product was losing money, you—or someone—would’ve realized it sooner.”

“That’s exactly what I thought.” She wiped away tears. “I was certain Fiona had done something to my files to make it seem as though the error had been mine. I was confident my spreadsheet could not have been wrong. I was sure of it. I even confronted her.”

Reaching into my purse, I took out a small packet of tissues and offered one to Zelda. “Had Fiona tampered