Total pages in book: 61
Estimated words: 57502 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 288(@200wpm)___ 230(@250wpm)___ 192(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 57502 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 288(@200wpm)___ 230(@250wpm)___ 192(@300wpm)
The clang of silverware against a glass sounded, and the crowd went quiet. “I want to thank everyone for coming,” Maggie announced, and all eyes focused on her. “Hannah was such a dear friend, ever since we sat next to each other at the Aurelian Hills Women in Business Association. Now defunct, sadly.”
There’d been a women in business club here and Jane had never known about it? Hadn’t even received an invitation to attend a single meeting? Wow. Clearly that explained why it went bust. They’d ignored the owner of one of this town’s oldest ventures.
Well, no matter. Jane wouldn’t have wanted to join, anyway. She notched her chin.
“Hannah saw the best in Aurelian Hills and hoped to keep the town thriving. Who knew her plan of opening a market for local crafters would become a tearoom and bookstore?” Maggie swallowed and blinked back tears. Real or faked? “I’ve seen her waive booth fees time and time again. I only hope…”
Hmm. What had Maggie stopped herself from saying? She only hoped she did just as good a job when she took over the Treasure Room?
Jane observed the crowd to gauge whether people were buying what the mechanic was selling. A remorseful, smug, or skeptical expression might just lead to the killer, but she spotted only sorrow and tears.
Still no sign of Ashley Katz. No sign of Donnie Eggerson either. Had he left?
Christopher remained at Maggie’s side. Though his arm no longer wrapped around her waist, he watched his girlfriend with an adoring smile. Sensing someone’s attention, he scanned the room until he found Jane. His smile widened, and he shrugged as if to say, Isn’t she wonderful?
“Hannah enjoyed hearing our stories,” Maggie continued, drawing Jane’s focus back to her. “That’s why I thought we could all read a passage from our work in progress.”
“Beau would love to kick things off,” Jane declared.
He glared at her then nodded to the guests, who zeroed in on him, as he whipped out his phone. “I’ll share the opening line.” Staring at a blank screen, he improvised on the spot, saying, “Once upon a time, a military vet threw the maddening woman who constantly embroiled him in situations over his shoulder and carted her outside to deliver a long overdue–”
“Dance party? Surprise picnic? Hot-air balloon ride?” Jane exclaimed, so enthralled with the story she forgot to search for any documents. Maybe the rest of the audience was engrossed, too. No one spoke.
“How…interesting,” Abigail said amid the quiet. She clapped somewhat woodenly and others joined in. “Why don’t I go next?” She reached behind her to lift a notebook from a side table, then flipped to the first page. After casting a smug smile Jane’s way, she read, “Death at the Cemetery by Abigail Waynes-Kirkland. Chapter one. Zane Maddening, owner of Forest of Recollections Burial Grounds, died as he deserved. Badly. My name is Tabby Paynes-Murksand, and I did the deed. Let me tell you how…” She closed the notebook and grinned. “If you want to hear more, you’ll have to wait for the publication.”
Beau stiffened, and Jane’s jaw went slack. Had Abigail just issued a taunt, cat and mouse style?
Jane reeled for the rest of the evening. Reeled as she relayed everything she’d learned at the memorial to Conrad, who verified the details Christopher shared about Donnie Eggerson and promised to take a deeper look at the video game expert. Conrad also promised to look into the paperwork Maggie might or might not possess, Jacob’s maybe-maybe-not crush on the mechanic and Abigail’s story. Jane reeled harder as they dissected the pros and cons of each suspect. Reeled faster as she wrote more on her own book, letting scenes flow from her all night long. She only began to calm when her amazing lawman drove her to a mystery locale “for the wedding” late the next morning.
With one hand on the wheel, he reached over to twine his fingers with hers. “We’ll figure it out, sweetheart. We get closer every day. I’m reviewing the phone records of our suspects, and I can tell you Jacob Thacker and Maggie Johnson speak often. Thacker and Abigail Waynes-Kirkland speak almost as much. If they conspired to commit murder, we’ll catch them. But as for today, we aren’t investigators. We are two people very much in love, planning our wedding, intending to spend the rest of our lives together.”
He wasn’t wrong. They were two people in love, planning their wedding. And knowing Jacob Thacker often spoke on the phone with Maggie and Abigail satisfied Jane’s need to learn more, more, more—for now.
“All right,” she said. “Today only, there’ll be no case talk. Except to say Abigail is the worst, she might have worked with Jacob, and Maggie might or might not know.” Jane’s current working theory. “But I’m only doing this because you handled your punishment like a champion, and this is your reward.”