Rest in Peace Read Online Free PDF Page A

there.
    But I was pretty sure someone had killed Clyde. For all I knew, it could have been Laura and her daughter. Although, I had no idea what their motive would be.
    I arrived at the lodge to find no one there except Mabel. She was dusting the mantel in the great room. I stood and looked at the picture of my third-great-grandfather, Franklin Storm, who’d come to this country as an indentured servant.
    Mabel started as she turned and saw me standing in the doorway.
    “Mercy, I didn’t hear you come in. You should have said something.”
    “Sorry, I was deep in thought, I guess.” I grinned, and she grinned back.
    “Where is everyone?”
    “Every last one of them went to the senior center, and they’re all staying there for lunch.”
    “Oh, then you don’t need to bother to cook. I’ll just grab a sandwich and eat at my desk.”
    I started to leave, then turned back. “Mabel! Why are you cleaning? You don’t have to do that.”
    “Go on about your business,” she said, shaking the feather duster my way. “It won’t hurt you to take a little help, and it won’t hurt me to do it. You can’t take care of this big place by yourself.”
    “Okay, in that case, thanks. I can, without a doubt, use the help.” The only housekeeping staff I had at the moment was a teenage girl who helped out on Saturdays. I’d been planning to put an ad in the paper but hadn’t gotten around to it yet.
    Sandwich in hand, I sat at my desk and picked up the account book. I stared at it a moment, then laid it aside and opened the drawer where I kept writing materials.
    It was time to organize my thoughts, and for me, that meant starting a list.
    Clyde Foster: Victim of accident or murder?
    Clues:
    1. Whatzit’s frantic cries of “No, no, get out.”
    2. Fragment of paper with letters
n-n-e-l.
    3. Suspicion of Clyde’s illegal activities
.
    Possible Suspects:
    1. Laura Baker (But why would she question the accident theory if she’d killed him?)
    2. Christiana Baker?
    I read the list over. This was pathetic, I had no evidence whatsoever. Only a hunch and a big imagination. I tossed the notebook and pen into the drawer and went to work on the accounts. By the time the seniors came home at three o’clock, I’d made a pretty good dent in the paperwork.
    “Victoria! Where are you?” A moment later, Miss Georgina burst into the room, followed closely by Miss Jane and Miss Aggie.
    “Aggie was right, Victoria.” Miss Jane’s eyes sparkled with excitement. “Clyde was murdered.”
    “It seems that way,” Miss Georgina added.
    “Yes,” said Miss Aggie. “And it’s a good thing we searched the shop when we did, because Bob has declared it a crime scene.”

    I wasn’t surprised when Sheriff Turner called and asked me to come to his office. I ran upstairs to grab a sweater, as the temperature had started dropping again around noon.
    When I got to the van, I found Miss Aggie in the front passenger seat, and the rest of the seniors occupied thesecond and third seats. I knew from their determined faces it wouldn’t do any good to protest. They weren’t about to miss whatever might happen. I was relieved to notice that Miss Aggie seemed to have conquered her fears. At least she hadn’t made any immediate plans to leave.
    Tom Lewis gave us a sour look as we crowded through the door.
    “The sheriff only needs Victoria. The rest of you might as well go home because you’re not going back there.”
    His voice revealed his doubt that anyone would pay attention to him.
    “Would you please tell Bob we’re here, Tom?” Miss Evalina gave the deputy a pointed look.
    “Okay, fine.” He threw his arms up and headed back to Sheriff Turner’s office.
    The front door opened, and Benjamin walked in.
    “Mabel told me what’s going on. Thought I’d join you.”
    Martin cackled. “Yeah, like he’s gonna let a reporter in there.”
    “Ben, you shouldn’t have come!” Miss Aggie snapped. “Now they probably won’t let anyone in