Murder Is Binding bm-1

by Lorna Barrett

  Tricia grimaced, her already haggard spirits sinking even lower. "Sorry, Ange, I was running errands."

  "You sound tired. Is everything okay?"

  "I got back in time for a rush of customers."

  "Good, then you're flush. Let's go shopping. I hear there's an outlet mall not too far from this sleepy little village of yours."

  "I can't leave the shop."

  "Every time I've called, you've been away from the store. I've been running all over town myself; I'm surprised I didn't run into you." Her sarcasm came through the phone lines loud and clear.

  Tricia ignored it. "Yes, well, Ginny was inundated with customers because I have been out most of the day."

  "If you can't leave now, can you at least get off early?" Angelica pressed.

  "No. Ange, this is my store. It's up to me to-"

  Angelica cut her off with a loud sigh. "Have you never heard the word delegation?"

  "Yes, and I'm also familiar with the words responsibility and ownership. Pride of ownership," she amended.

  "No shopping today?" Angelica whined.

  "Sorry."

  "How about dinner tonight?"

  Tricia's turn for the heavy sigh. "At the inn?"

  "Goodness no. I'm going to cook for you. I'll come by at seven with everything I need. Have you got a bottle of red in the fridge?"

  "Yes."

  "Good. I've got loads to tell you. See you then."

  The phone clicked in Tricia's ear. She hung up.

  First Angelica showed up for an extended visit. Now she wanted to cook for her little sister. Something about this whole visit didn't feel right. Angelica was a confirmed chatterbox, yet she'd barely spoken of-nor seemed unduly upset about-her impending divorce, merely saying she and Drew would remain good friends. Still, it was unlike Angie to be so nice to Tricia. Something was definitely up, and Tricia was afraid to find out just what Angelica might be plotting.

  Winnie Wentworth had her own car, so she didn't actually qualify as a "bag lady." Then again, from the looks of the contents of the backseat of her bashed and battered 1993 Cadillac Seville, maybe she did live in her car.

  Winnie raked a grubby hand through the wiry mass of gray hair on top of her head. Her threadbare clothes were gray, too, either from repeated washings or from not being washed at all. She watched, eagle-eyed, as Tricia sorted through the offerings in her trunk. Book club editions, creased and well-thumbed paperbacks, all good-mostly contemporary-authors, but not the kind of stock Tricia wanted to carry at Haven't Got a Clue.

  Desperate to find something of worth, Tricia pawed through the books a second time. "I understand you sell to all the local bookshop owners. Did you ever sell to Doris Gleason?"

  Winnie pulled back a soiled scrap of old blanket from around another stack of books. Six copies of different Betty Crocker cookbooks peeked out. "She was my best customer. Now what am I going to do with all these stupid books? Nobody else in this town will touch 'em." Eyes narrowed, she scrutinized Tricia's face. "And you don't want any of my books, either, do you?"

  Tricia hesitated for a moment. "Did you see the Amelia Simmons cookbook Doris had in her special little case?"

  "See it? I sold it to her. She gave me five bucks for it."

  "Did you know it was worth much more?"

  "Everything I sell is usually worth more than what I can get for it. But I don't have the overhead you people do." She nodded at Tricia. "I don't wear no froufrou clothes. I don't got no fancy house. Maybe she coulda given me more, but then I was only gonna ask a couple a bucks for it anyway. Most people didn't like Doris, but she was always fair to me."

  Perhaps Doris would be mourned after all.

  "Do you remember where you bought the book?"

  Winnie shook her head. "I don't remember where I get stuff, let alone who I get it from. I buy from tag sales, estate sales, and auctions." She leaned forward, squinting at Tricia, who got a whiff of the woman's unwashed body. "But mark my words-whoever I got it from musta seen it in her shop. Outside of the fancy shops, ain't many books like that in and around Stoneham."

  Did Winnie realize the implications of what she'd just said? "Doris was murdered by someone who wanted that book. I think you should be careful. That person may think you can implicate him or her in Doris's death."

  Winnie waved a hand in annoyance. "Nah. Everybody around here knows I got a mind like a sieve. I ain't worried. Now are you gonna take any of these books or not?"

  Tricia selected three and paid Winnie five dollars in cash.

  "Don'tcha wanna see what else I got?" Winnie folded back another end of the blanket. A small white box contained a tangle of costume jewelry: bright rhinestones of every color of the rainbow adorned brooches, clip and screw-back earrings, and necklaces. Other metals glinted dully under the trunk's wan lightbulb. Tricia picked through the offerings. She loved the colorful brooches in the shapes of flowers, butterflies, and snowflakes, but they were out of date, not something she could really wear herself. But one little gold pin drew her attention.

  "That there's a scatter pin, and an oldie," Winnie said with pride.

  Tricia examined it closely. About an inch long and maybe three-quarters of an inch wide, it was made of gold-solid gold-with an old-fashioned clasp. Its face was etched with delightful leaves and curlicues. A faded memory stirred in Tricia's mind. "My grandmother had a pin like this."

  "It'd look real nice on a jacket or a hat," Winnie said, smelling a sale.

  Tricia held the little pin in her hand, rubbing her thumb in circles against its surface. Grandmother Miles had worn her scatter pin on the collar of a snowy white blouse. As a little girl Tricia had sat on her grandmother's lap, playing with the pin while Grandmother would read to her. Whatever happened to that plain little adornment?

  "You can have it for five bucks," Winnie offered.

  Tricia's gaze rose from the pin to the old woman before her. Winnie's wispy hair was rustled by the breeze, her eyes red-rimmed but bright at the prospect of another sale.

  Tricia gave her ten.

  Back inside the shop, Tricia tossed the paperbacks into the trash barrel and headed for the sales counter and a group of waiting customers. She opened the cash drawer and deposited the scatter pin in the left-hand, empty change hole before ringing up the next sale.

  Winnie was foolish if she thought her poor memory would keep her safe from whoever had killed Doris Gleason. It might be something Tricia should report to Sheriff Adams.

  And she did.

  But her warning came too late to save Winnie.

  Four

  Sheriff Adams squinted down at Tricia, her piercing gaze sharper than a stiletto. "Two people have died in the last twenty-four hours after speaking with you, Ms. Miles. Why do you think that is?"

  Tricia exhaled a slow breath through her nose, surprised steam wasn't escaping from her ears. "I talked to a Deputy Morrison in your office only minutes after speaking to Winnie, warning that she could be in danger from the same person who killed Doris Gleason."

  The sheriff consulted her notebook. "That was at eleven-oh-three this morning. And have you left the premises since that time?"

  "No, she hasn't," Ginny answered curtly.

  A flush of gratitude warmed Tricia. Ginny just earned herself a twenty-five-cent-an-hour raise.

  Sheriff Adams frowned. "Odd all the same."

  "How did Winnie die?" Tricia asked.

  "Car accident. She hit a bridge abutment and wasn't wearing a seat belt. No skid marks. I'm having the car's brakes checked."

  "You think they were tampered with?"

  "It's possible."

  "Well, Tricia certainly didn't cut the lines," Ginny said hotly. "Look, there's not even a pill on her sweater, let alone a speck of dirt or grease."

  Tricia fought the urge to show Sheriff Adams her grease-free fingernails.

  This is ridiculous, she thought. I am not responsible for anyone's death. Yet the heat of Sheriff Adams's scrutiny had caused sweat to
form at the back of her neck.

  "Will there be an autopsy?" Tricia asked.

  "To rule out drug and alcohol use. It's also possible she had a heart attack-or simply blacked out while behind the wheel. Who knows if she even ate regularly?"

  "Then why come here and practically accuse Tricia of murder?" Ginny demanded.

  Tricia laid a hand on her assistant's arm. "Now, Ginny, I'm sure Sheriff Adams is only doing her job." Which should include clearing me! "Are there any leads in Doris's murder?"

  "Not so far." Sheriff Adams slapped her notebook closed. "I'll be in touch."

  Tricia and Ginny, along with the six customers who'd been eavesdropping on the conversation, watched as the sheriff got into her double-parked cruiser and took off.

  "The music has stopped," Tricia told Ginny, trying not to focus on all those pairs of eyes. "Let's put on something cheerful. Maybe Celtic?"

  "You got it." Ginny crossed the room for the CD player and the customers went back to perusing the shelves.

  Miss Marple jumped up on the sales counter, rubbed her little warm face against Tricia's hand. "Good girl," she murmured, and yet even the comfort of petting her cat couldn't ease the knot of apprehension that had settled in Tricia's stomach. Two deaths less than twenty-four hours apart and both connected to that antique cookbook. Had the sheriff started looking for it on online auction sites or had she or one of her deputies called Sotheby's? Would the killer be dumb enough to try to sell it or would he or she now dump the book to avoid drawing attention to themselves? Perhaps a third party would be enlisted to sell it in a year or two.

  Tricia's gaze was drawn to the clock on the wall. Twenty minutes until closing, and then Angie would show up to cook her dinner-and no doubt spoil what was left of her day.

  With one last scratch behind the ears, Tricia left Miss Marple to begin her end-of-day tasks.

  Main Street was bathed in shadows as the last of the customers departed, with Mr. Everett bringing up the rear. "Good. All gone," Ginny said, turning the sign to CLOSED and throwing the dead bolt. She diverted on her way to the register to close the blinds over the shop's window. "Another good day."

  "That depends on your point of view," Tricia said, thinking about Winnie, although she knew Ginny meant the cash drawer stuffed with bills, checks, and credit card receipts.

  Ginny stopped before the counter and fished in her apron pocket.

  "Don't tell me-" Tricia said, dreading what she knew she was about to see.

  "Yep. I found a lot more. And I've got a theory," she said, slapping ten or more of the nudist leaflets on the sales counter. "Somebody's been hiding these things in a lot of books. Pretty much everybody who comes in here is a stranger, except for-"

  "Mr. Everett?" Tricia said, aghast. She shook her head. "No, I won't believe that sweet old man-"

  "Runs around in the buff?" Ginny finished. She thought about it and shuddered. "Have you got any ideas?"

  "No," Tricia admitted. "I wonder if we're the only business being targeted."

  "We'll have to make some calls tomorrow to find out. If we have time." Ginny hit the release button on the cash drawer, which popped open. "Look at all that wonderful money!" She grinned.

  Tricia took out the day's receipts, counted them, and placed them in the little blue zippered bank pouch. By then Ginny had retrieved her jacket, said a cheery good-bye, and departed. Tricia locked the money in the safe; that left only the nudist leaflets on the counter.

  She tried to imagine prim and proper Mr. Everett in his birthday suit and, thankfully, failed.

  She trashed the leaflets.

  The clock ticked. Miss Marple had parked herself at the door leading to the back stairs and the loft apartment and cried, impatient for her dinner. "I'm hungry, too, but we have to wait for Angie."

  Miss Marple turned her back on Tricia, licked the pads on one of her white boots.

  The street lamps glowed and most of the parked cars had disappeared when the sound of an engine drew Tricia to draw back the shade on the front window to see Angie's rental car pull up in front of the store. She got out, waved a hello, and opened the car's rear door, crouching down for something. Tricia headed for the shop's door to intercept.

  "Here, take this," Angelica said, handing Tricia a large, heavy Crock-Pot along with funky chili pepper potholders. Tricia set it on the sales counter, heading back to the door to hold it open for Angelica, who juggled her large purse and a big brown grocery bag, with a crusty loaf of Italian bread poking over its rim.

  "How much food did you bring?"

  "You can freeze the leftovers. Besides, you're much too thin. I'll bet you haven't had a decent meal in months. Now lead me to the kitchen, and then you can tell me how it is you became Stoneham's jinx of death."

  Miss Marple sat before her now-empty food bowl, daintily washing her face. After a brief tour of the loft apartment, with its soaring ceiling and contemporary decor, which Angelica had declared gorgeous, she'd commandeered the kitchen, demanding various utensils that had gathered dust from months of disuse. The pasta water was already bubbling on the stove when Tricia located her corkscrew and opened the wine. She poured, handing a glass to Angelica.

  "Just who in town thinks I'm a jinx, and how are you privy to that kind of gossip? You've only been in town one day."

  Angelica shrugged theatrically. "It's my face. People feel they can unburden themselves to me."

  Tricia frowned. She'd never felt so inclined.

  "You know, I never saw the appeal of small-town life," Angelica began and took a sip of her wine. "But everyone's just so friendly and they love to talk."

  "About me, apparently." Tricia said, growing impatient.

  Angelica waved a hand in dismissal, put down her glass, and stirred the sauce once more. "It's just an odd coincidence. I'm sure the sheriff's department will take care of everything within a few days and someone else will be the object of everyone's curiosity." She tasted the sauce. "Mmm. Maybe it could use a little more oregano." She started opening cupboards.

  "The one by the sink," Tricia said. "And just what is it everyone's saying?"

  Angelica squinted at the row of jars. "I told you. That you're a jinx. Don't be surprised if the locals cross the street as you approach. Set the table, will you? The pasta is almost al dente."

  Tricia dutifully gathered place mats, plates, and cutlery. "Who did you meet? How did you meet them?"

  Angelica sprinkled on the herb and stirred it in. "I took a walk around your new little hometown. It's very cute. I can see why you love it here. Let's see, I spoke to most of the other booksellers, or at least their sales staff. Do you realize there isn't one shoe store in this entire town?" She slapped her forehead. "Like I need to tell you. Look at your feet."

  Tricia glanced down at her thick-soled loafers. "What's wrong with my shoes?"

  "Honey, between them and those sweater sets, you are in dire need of a fashion intervention. I have not arrived a minute too soon."

  "I have to stand for ten hours a day. I need comfortable shoes."

  "If you say so. I also noticed that besides the Brookville Inn, there isn't one decent restaurant in Stoneham."

  "We've got the Bookshelf Diner."

  "As I said, there isn't one decent restaurant," Angelica deadpanned. "Where do regular people go for food that isn't dripping in grease?"

  "I eat in a lot."

  "Good thing, too. It's a lot healthier." She stirred the pasta. "Now, do you want to hear the results of Doris Gleason's autopsy, or are you squeamish?"

  "Give me a break, Ange. I've been reading mysteries and thrillers since I was in grade school."

  Angelica snagged her glass and drank. "As expected, the knife wound was fatal-sliced up something terribly vital. She died almost instantaneously, that's why there wasn't much blood."

  Hardly a gory account. "Tell me something I didn't know."

  Angelica sobered. "The poor woman had pancreatic cancer, which she either didn't know about or had chosen
not to have treated. Without immediate treatment, it's likely she would've died within months."

  Doris couldn't have known, otherwise she wouldn't have been worried about renegotiating her lease. "That poor soul."

  Angelica frowned. "I suppose that depends on your point of view. A quick death with little fear or pain, or lingering in agony: I'll take the former any day."

  Tricia reached for linen napkins from a drawer. "How did you find out about Doris's autopsy?"

  Angelica went back to work on the salad as she spoke. "Didn't I tell you? Bess, the Brookview Inn's receptionist, has a cousin who works for the county health department, who has a direct pipeline to the medical examiner's office. Isn't it amazing how already I've met the most eclectic assortment of people here in Stoneham? Not many of them seem to know you."

  "That's because nearly all my customers are from out of town."

  "And I'm sure the fact that-except for today, apparently-you rarely leave the store also has a lot to do with it." She paused in slicing a tomato and looked over at her sister. "I'm worried about you, Trish. You need to have a life outside your bookstore."

  "I'm doing just fine."

  "Have you made any friends?" Angelica asked, abandoning her knife to add spices to a little bowl of olive oil.

  "Of course I have," she said, thinking of her conversation earlier in the day with Deborah.

  "All booksellers, no doubt. They probably work themselves to death, too, with no real social outlets. Then again, you were right; aside from reading, there isn't much else to do in this burg."

  "It's the main draw. How I and all the other booksellers make our living. And in a world with so many other distractions, it's getting harder and harder to find new readers."

  Angelica shook her head sadly. "How typical you'd choose a dying trade."

  Tricia ignored the jab. "Have you spoken to any of the locals about Bob Kelly?"

  "Of course. He's a fascinating man and I want to know all about him. Although I've noticed people either seem to love him or hate him."