A Puzzle in a Pear Tree Read Online Free PDF Page A

the women in the show.”
    “That reasoning is not up to your usual high standard. Wouldn’t you agree that the most likely person is Becky Baldwin?”
    “Oh, give me a break,” Sherry Carter said.
    “As I understand it, Becky’s the star of the show. The one who gets all the gifts. The one who sings about her true love sending to me, or however it goes.”
    “There’s another twenty or thirty actresses in the show. Why couldn’t it be any of them?”
    “It could, but Becky’s the star. And the puzzle in the pear tree was given to
her.
That’s on the one hand. On the other, you have to figure why would anyone
want
to kill anyone in the show?”
    “You think someone is jealous because Becky has the starring role?” Sherry said.
    “You miss my point,” Chief Harper said glumly. “Becky Baldwin is the type of woman who inspires strong feelings. You either love her or hate her. You, for example, don’t particularly like her. But I can’t imagine you sending her that poem, even if you were able to write puzzles.”
    “Thanks for your support.”
    “But someone else might. Plus Becky’s an attorney. She hasn’t been back in town long, but she’s handled some high-profile cases.”
    “That’s ridiculous,” Sherry said, and immediately felt bad. What Chief Harper was saying was absolutely true. If the acrostic threat was genuine, Becky Baldwin was the most likely target.
    Sherry even begrudged her that.

5
    “CAN YOU BE A VIRGIN?”
    Sherry Carter raised her eyebrows. “I beg your pardon?”
    Aaron Grant grinned. “Can you be a virgin?”
    “You know,” Cora said, “in all the times I’ve been married, propositioned, and proposed to, I don’t believe anyone’s ever asked me that.”
    “Me either,” Sherry said. “What’s up, Aaron?”
    “They need a Virgin Mary for the live Nativity. I figure if I can be a wise man, you can be a virgin.”
    “Very funny,” Sherry said.
    “Oh, but I’m serious,” Aaron persisted. “I’ve already agreed to do it. Told Charlie I’d ask you.”
    “Who?”
    “Charlie Ferric, the art teacher. Charlie’s in charge of the Nativity. One of the high school girls canceled, and Charlie’s one virgin short. It’s just for an hour. Whaddya say, Sherry?”
    “What’s it entail?”
    “Just posing. On the village green. In a large wooden stable.”
    “Posing?”
    “Sure. Bakerhaven’s famous for its live Nativity. Mary and Joseph are real, and the wise men and shepherds. They pose in the stable with the Baby Jesus.”
    “A real baby?”
    “No. A baby wouldn’t last an hour.”
    “I’m not sure I would either. You better get someone else.”
    “If you say so.” Aaron shrugged innocently. “Becky Baldwin’s doing it. . . .”
    “Becky’s playing the Virgin Mary?”
    “Sure. She’s done it before.”
    Sherry opened her mouth, closed it. “I’m not gonna touch that.”
    “So, can I put you down as a virgin?”
    “Boy, talk about milking a joke,” Sherry said.
    “Well, why not? We got a maid a-milking right here.”
    “A lousy one, by all accounts,” Cora grumbled. “At least according to Chief Harper’s assessment of Jimmy Potter’s assessment of Rupert Winston’s assessment of my alleged performance.”
    “That’s hardly fair,” Aaron said. “Rupert loves it that Harvey Beerbaum’s terrible.”
    “Now
you’re
saying I’m terrible?” Cora’s face reddened.
    Aaron Grant put up his hands. “I came here to talk virgins, not milkmaids. I just can’t seem to get a straight answer.”
    “When would they need me?” Sherry asked.
    “The schedule’s flexible. They can push the kids around to accommodate you. It’s just a question of saying yes.”
    “Then I guess I gotta.”
    “Good,” Aaron said, grinning. “I’ll tell Charlie, you can meet with him, work it out.”
    “Meet with him? Why do I have to meet with him?”
    “If you’ve never done it before, he has to show you how to pose and where to find your costume.