Creeps Suzette by Mary Daheim

Author:Mary Daheim [Mary Daheim]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780061736933
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2007-03-24T16:00:00+00:00

TWELVE

THE RAIN WAS slanting down against the old wavery glass in the guest suite windows. Judith sat on a Regency bench and stared outside. She could see two uniformed deputies wearing dark slickers and heading in the direction of the garage.

“We’re not doing our job,” Judith stated, turning away from the window. “We hardly see Mrs. Burgess, and we haven’t any idea if she was the intended victim, let alone who killed Dr. Moss. There has to be a connection of some kind between his death and the attempts on Leota’s life, either by accident or design.” She sighed in frustration. “I’m more confused than when we got here.”

“That makes two of us,” Renie said, tossing aside the magazine she’d been perusing on the settee. “What did you think of Moody?”

“He’s either lying about who he saw or didn’t see, or he sits in that gatehouse and gets drunk. Both, maybe. Those ‘bennies’ he mentioned are probably bribes,” Judith declared. “Think about it—you live in Sunset Cliffs, and your every move is monitored. These people don’t lead blameless lives. If you’ve got a vice, especially if it’s sex, you don’t want anyone to know all your comings and goings.”

“This whole place gets more prisonlike all the time,” Renie said.

“You bet it does,” Judith responded, getting up from the bench. “I honestly don’t know why people would want to live here. Oh, it has privacy, it has snob appeal, and it’s a beautiful setting, but I’d go nuts.”

“It’s not normal,” Renie agreed. “It reminds me of a big castle, where you have to pull up the drawbridge.”

“And what’s up with Dorothy Burgess?” Judith asked. “What was she talking about when she said she was leaving here forever?”

“Leaving here means leaving Wayne, wouldn’t you guess?” Renie also stood up and went over to the fireplace. “It’s cold, since the wind’s come up again. I wonder if we could get somebody to build us a fire?”

“Like Kenyon? It’ll be summer before he can do it. Besides,” Judith added, going to the door, “we need to do our own interviewing. I still want to get Edna alone.”

“Call for her,” Renie said, pointing to the speaking tube by the bedroom door. “Tea would be nice, especially with some lovely finger sandwiches.”

Judith sniffed the air. “This place doesn’t smell like a pool hall anymore. You haven’t had a cigarette since we got back here twenty minutes ago. How come?”

“I thought about what you said,” Renie replied. “I’m fond of food. When my eggnog diet failed me at Christmas a couple of years ago and I gained a few pounds, I started smoking instead of eating so much. I lost the weight, but now I keep losing it. Instead of being just right, I’ve gotten too thin. As of now, I’m a pig again.”

“Hooray!” Judith cried, rushing over to give Renie a hug. “I thought there was less of you, but I hated to mention it.”

“I know, I know,” Renie said, hugging Judith back. “It’s always galled you because I don’t have to watch my weight.

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