I groaned. “How can you eat?”

  “Let’s walk over to Delightful Bites. You’ll feel better with fresh air.”

  I donned my coat, and we strolled to the restaurant. The day had turned gray and dank. “I just can’t believe it.”

  “Why don’t you have a seat, and I’ll order something for you?” I took a coffee mug and filled my cup. Rob joined me a few minutes later. “Feeling better?”

  “A little.”

  “I ordered you a cup of soup and a half an egg salad sandwich. I know how much you like their egg salad.”

  I gave him a half smile. “Thanks. I’m still not sure how much I’m going to be able to eat.”

  Patty walked in the door. I waved her over. “Sit with us. We’ll move to a bigger table.” I picked up my coffee and moved to a four-top. Rob joined me. “I guess I should have asked if it was okay for Patty to join us.”

  “It’s fine.”

  Patty sat down with her coffee. “Did you hear about Tom?”

  “It’s so sad.”

  “I have a turkey tetrazzini casserole in my freezer. Do you want to take it over to Melanie with me tonight?”

  “Yes. I have frozen homemade rolls. We can bring those too.” Our food arrived. “What did you hear?”

  “I heard he might have committed suicide. It’s so strange. He was such a positive person.”

  “I think he was murdered. If it turns out to be suicide, I’ll be surprised. Plus, I’ll feel even worse about Melanie. It’s bad enough when someone dies, but suicide?” I shuddered.

  Rob rubbed my back. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. We don’t know that it was suicide.”

  ✽ ✽ ✽

  Melanie’s mother, Pam, opened the door and ushered us in. “Melanie’s resting right now.” She took the casserole and rolls. “It’s so kind of you to bring these. Would you like to sit?” She gestured to the living room. “Let me put these in the kitchen.”

  Barbara Ziebold was in the living room. She waved as we came in. “Would you like tea?” We nodded, and she poured two more cups. “It’s so sad about Tom. He was such a nice guy.”

  Patty took a cup from her. “Thanks. Were you able to see Melanie?”

  “I arrived only a few minutes before you.”

  Pam rejoined us. “It’s so lovely that you ladies stopped by. I know Melanie will appreciate it.”

  I leaned forward. “How is she doing?”

  Pam shook her head. “Not well, I’m afraid. It’s been such a shock for her.” She lowered her voice, “And suicide. It’s so awful.”

  Barbara touched Pam’s arm. “Now, Pam, we don’t know that it was suicide.”

  Pam’s eyes narrowed. “What else could it be? There was a ladder there. He used his own leashes. What kind of man leaves his wife and child behind?” Her eyes teared. “His parents will be here tomorrow. I’m not sure what to say to them.”

  I turned to Barbara. “Does Jay know when the medical examiner will release her findings?”

  She shook her head. “He knows better than to push for a date. She can get a bit ornery.” Barbara patted Pam’s hand. “Hopefully it will be soon.”

  Melanie drifted down the stairs. Pam leapt from the sofa. “Honey, you shouldn’t be out of bed.”

  “I heard voices.”

  I stood. “Melanie, we’re so sorry for your loss.”

  Her eyes didn’t quite focus. “It’s so kind of you to stop by.” She jerked, as she realized Barbara and Patty were there too. She gestured vaguely with her arm. “And, the rest of you—” Her voice trailed off.

  Pam took her arm, and led her back upstairs.

  Patty said, “Wow. She seems really out of it.” Barbara and I exchanged glances.

  Pam returned and sighed as she sat. “She was hysterical when the police told her, so her doctor gave her a shot of something. You’ll have to excuse her. As you can tell, she’s in a fog.”

  Barbara touched her arm. “How’s JJ taking it? My son Bobby wanted to come with me, but I thought it was too soon.”

  “He’s upstairs. When I last checked, he was playing a video game. Hopefully that will take his mind off things.”

  I sipped my tea. “Do you know when the wake will be?”

  She shook her head. “The police haven’t said when they will release the body.”

  Patty elbowed me and stood. “Please let us know if there is anything else we can do. We’d love to help.”

  I rose. “Anything at all.”

  We walked silently back to Patty’s house. As we turned down her path, I muttered, “How awful for JJ. He’s only 17. I’m glad he has good friends to see him through.”

  Patty opened the door. “Glass of wine?”

  “I thought you’d never ask.” The house seemed silent. “Where is everyone?”

  “Probably watching a movie in the den. If we’re quiet, maybe they won’t know I’m back.”

  I punched her shoulder. “Do you know how bad that sounds?”

  She poured two glasses of wine. “I love my brood, but sometimes mama needs grown-up time.” She clinked her glass with mine.

  “To grown-up time.”

  “Amen.”

  We sat at the counter. “Do you think it’s odd that two people in town have been strangled in the last month?”

  She grimaced. “When you put it that way, it does sound strange. And scary.”

  “Let’s not forget that both of them served in Desert Storm. They knew each other.”

  Patty tapped my arm. “Stop it. Are you trying to say that there’s a Desert Storm serial killer?”

  “I don’t know that I would go so far as to say a serial killer, but this seems to be a big coincidence.” I drummed my fingers on the quartz countertop. “You know how I feel about coincidences.”

  “Mom’s home!” What seemed like a thousand small feet pattered into the kitchen.

  Patty’s youngest climbed up on her lap. “I missed you, Mommy.”

  She kissed his forehead. “I missed you too, sweetheart.” She mouthed, “Later,” to me.

  Chapter 14

  John Little seemed to be aimlessly pushing his cart at the grocery store the next day. He looked shell-shocked. I stopped him as he wandered by. “John?”

  “Oh, Merry. I didn’t see you there.”

  “Are you okay?”

  He tried to nod, but failed. “I guess I’m not.”

  I touched his arm. “Losing Tom is tough.”

  He sighed. “I knew him for thirty-seven years. We served together. We were like brothers. I can’t understand why he would kill himself. I talked to him just the other day. We had plans to go to the Blues, Brews, and Stews Winterfest this weekend. I always looked forward to that.” His whole body seemed to sag. “I thought he did too.”

  “Have the police ruled that it was a suicide?”

  “What else could it be? I heard there was a ladder and everything.” He ducked his chin.

  “Did he seem depressed to you lately?”

  “He seemed normal. I can’t believe it. First Jean was killed, and now Tom is dead. It’s almost like there is a curse on us.” He shook his head and walked away mumbling.

  I stared after him. A hand clasped my shoulder, and I jumped.

  Drew scolded. “Merry, you’re so twitchy.”

  I glared at him. “You scared me.”

  “Whatever. I owed you that for telling Jenny we were moving.”

  “She saw us talking; I had to tell her something.”

  “You’re right. She’s a smart girl. I would have told her too.”

  I put my hand on my hip. “Have you and Arianna made a decision?”

  “Nope. Not yet. We’ll keep you posted though.” He chuckled as he strode away.

  I felt my face flush. That man.

  Another hand clasped my shoulder. I swatted it away. Rob’s eyes widened. I sighed as I hugged him. “Sorry, I just had a run in with Drew.”

  He kissed the top of my head. “Apology accepted. Have they made a decision?”

  “He’s going to draw it out as long as possible just to drive me nuts.” I glared at the grocery cart.

  He inspected it. “Dinner in tonight?”

  “Yes. Scallops were on sale, and the broccoli looked good too. How about that sautéed with garlic and butter?”

  “Sounds scrumptious. I’ll wander over to the baking aisle and pick out a dessert. Meet you back at your place in twenty?”

  I gave him a peck on the cheek. “Sounds great.”

  The broccoli was rinsed, and the wine poured when Rob walked in the back door. “Better mood?”

  I kissed him. “Somewhat. Before Drew surprised me, I had a grueling conversation with John Little.”

  “What did John have to say?”

  “He feels the cadre who served in Desert Storm is cursed.”

  “It does seem suspicious that two of them have died recently. And both from strangulation.”

  “That’s what I told Patty. I think we need to find out more.”

  “What would you suggest?”

  I heated the pan for the scallops. “We should find out more about Karen Vassal and her relationship with Pete.”

  “What about Scott?”

  I put a tablespoon of oil in the hot pan and dropped in the scallops. “What about him?”

  “I don’t think he’s telling us everything. He should be on our contact list too.”

  Flipping over the scallops, I gave Rob a long look. “Any other loose ends right now?”

  “Probably, but why don’t we start there?”

  I put the broccoli in a serving dish and loaded the scallops onto a plate. “Would you mind texting Jenny and telling her we’re ready?”

  ✽ ✽ ✽

  Karen Vassal owned a bookstore. I smiled. I love books. Time to do some shopping. I picked up my phone and pressed speed dial for Patty.

  “What?”

  “Is that any way to answer the phone?”

  “It’s perfectly acceptable when you’ve had the morning I’ve had.”

  “What happened?”

  “I won’t bore you with all the details. Suffice it to say that it involved spilled milk, yelling, and two changes of clothing.”

  “Sorry you had such a stressful morning, but do you want to go book shopping with me tomorrow? I heard about a new place in Washington Township that sounds good. It’s called The Pearl Within. I’ll even treat you to lunch afterward.”

  “What’s wrong with the bookstore here?”

  “The Pearl Within is owned by Karen Vassal, Pete Vassal’s wife.”

  “Desert Storm Pete? The guy who cheated on his cancer-stricken wife?”

  “The same.”

  She sighed. “I should have known there was more to this than just a trip to a new store. What are we trying to find out?”

  “Anything we can. Pick you up at ten.”

  A light snow was falling when I woke the next morning. The flakes seemed to float in the air. I asked Alexa for the weather forecast, and she opined that, after a brief squall, it would be sunny the rest of the day.

  The cats were fed, and I turned the coffee maker on. While it brewed, I checked Facebook. There were quite a few tributes to Tom. I poured myself coffee and sat at the counter to read them.

  “Such a great guy.” “A real family man.” “Kind to animals.” He really was a good guy. I blew on my coffee and took a sip. “I know what he did. Guess who’s next.” My mug landed with a bang. Whoa? What? Who posted that? I scrolled up, and the post disappeared. What happened? It was just there—I scrolled all the way up and all the way down. I didn’t see it. Did I imagine it? A shiver rolled down my spine.

  I pulled into Patty’s drive. She ran out and hopped in the car. “Thank goodness you were on time. Step on it.”

  My eyebrow rose.

  “I’m running away from home.”

  “Anything in particular?”

  “Syrup and sticky hands.”

  “Yuck.” I backed out of the drive. “The strangest thing happened. I was on Facebook reading all the nice tributes to Tom and there was one that read, ‘I know what he did. Guess who’s next.’”

  “Who wrote it?”

  “That’s what’s so maddening. I was scrolling up to see who posted it, and the post just disappeared.”

  She poked my arm. “Are you sure you didn’t imagine it?”

  “I don’t think so. Maybe Rob can figure it out.” I parallel parked a few spots away from the building.

  Patty clapped. “I’m impressed you can still do that.”

  I grinned. We sauntered to the store. It had an old fashioned sign hanging from a long black peg above the door. It was a carved rendering of a book opening with a shimmering pearl peeking out. “Nice sign.”

  “I like the name too.” She opened the door. A bell rang somewhere farther in the shop.

  A voice called out, “Good morning. I’ll be with you in just a minute.”

  Patty went left, and I went right, perusing the selections. The store was really quaint. There was a small gathering spot near the window that included four burgundy leather club chairs as well as a small round table in the middle. I pushed my hand against the upholstery. Feels cushy. Must be comfortable. A good book and a cup of coffee, and I’d be set.

  “Are you finding what you were looking for?” I turned to find Karen Vassal towering over me, the top of her head tilted slightly to the right.

  Wow. She’s even larger in person. She must be six foot three.

  She cleared her throat.

  “I’m sorry for staring. It’s just that you’re so tall.”

  She sighed. “It’s okay, I’m used to it. I used to play pro-ball.”

  “I wish I were taller.”

  “Trust me, you wouldn’t on a plane. Was there something I could help you find?”

  “It’s such a pretty store. This is my first time in.”

  “It’s a small shop, but let me give you the quick tour.” She strode over to the area I had just been admiring. “This section is for folks who appreciate curling up with a good book.”

  “The chairs look really comfy.”

  “They are. Feel free to try one out later.” She escorted me to the rear of the shop. A small selection of coffee urns lined a breakfront. Mugs emblazoned with the store’s logo hung from pegs. “This is our coffee station. Would you like some?”

  “Yes.” I poured myself a cup.

  “The mystery section is over here.” Patty sat at the end of the row of books in a dark green wing chair. She seemed mesmerized by what she was reading. Karen glanced at her as we ambled by. “Children’s books and non-fiction are up the spiral staircase, travel’s down that corridor there, and cooking is up by the registers.”

  “It seems like you have all the bases covered.”

  “I try to stock a variety.” She held out her hand. “Karen Vassal.”

  I shook it. “Merry March.”

  “Are you from town? I don’t remember seeing you before.”

  “It’s our first time here. My friend and I are from Hopeful. I saw a flyer for your shop, and I liked the name. I’m always looking to discover new bookstores.”

  “My husband’s a veteran. His favorite watering hole is in Hopeful.” She shrugged. “Playing pool and listening to war stories isn’t really my thing, so I let him go solo.”

  “You look really fit.”

  “Thanks. I’m a cancer survivor. When I was going through chemo, I made a vow to get back in shape. I bulked up and started lifting weights again.” She displayed her impressive right bicep and laughed. “I’m sorry. I know I shouldn’t do that, but it’s so much fun.”

  “If I had those guns, I’d be showing them off too.”

  “I suppose I should get back to work. Let me know if you have any questions or need a suggestion on a good book.” She strode to the back of the store.

  I wandered across the store to Patty. She was ensconced on the same chair. The only difference was that she had apparently settled in farther, and both legs were now over one of the chair arms. I swatted one of her feet.

  “Ow. What did you do that for?”

  “Are you enjoying yourself?”

  “ Comfy chair, a good book, what’s not to like?”

  I gestured with my eyes toward the back of the store.

  “Are we tag teaming?”

  “I didn’t get a lot from her, and you are known for your charm.”

  She groaned, got to her feet, and placed her book on the chair seat. “I feel flattered, but you should know I plan to come back to this seat later.”

  I lifted the book and plopped down on the recently vacated chair. Opening the book, I started to read. I heard the rise and fall of voices in the next aisle as they drew closer.

  Patty asked, “How long have you been married?”

  “Fifteen years. My husband was such a blessing when I was diagnosed. He took excellent care of me. I don’t know what I would have done without him.”

  “He sounds like a good man.”

  “He is.” There was a pause. “I know this is going to sound weird but it’s almost like our marriage was at its best when he was taking care of me. He became more distant when I went into remission.” She gave a short laugh. “I don’t know why I’m telling you all this.”

  I silently moved the chair a little, and then stretched my head back. Patty reached up to touch Karen’s shoulder. “It’s okay. Sometimes we just need to talk.”

  “I feel guilty wanting more. He was so good to take care of me when I was sick. We seemed so in tune. Now it’s like we’re on different stations.” She sighed. “It was getting worse, and then, a few weeks ago, there seemed to be a turning point. He started to stay home more.” She reshelved one of the books in her hand with a thud. “I’d do anything to save my marriage. Anything.” She took a deep breath. “I don’t know how we got off on that tangent. The book I was talking to you about is right here.” She plucked a book from the shelf and handed it to Patty. “Let me know if you have any other questions.”

  We took our purchases to the register. While Karen checked us out, I pointed to an old photo near the register. It looked like it was a prom picture of a much younger Karen with her date. He was scrawny and had an unfortunate case of acne. I lifted the photo. “Is this from your prom?”

 

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