Familiars and French Roast by Jinty James

Author:Jinty James [James, Jinty]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2018-02-10T05:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 5

Suzanne sank onto a kitchen stool. “My suspect list was on my phone.” She paled. “What if someone – the murderer – reads it? They’ll know we suspect them!”

“But right now we suspect everyone,” Maddie replied. “Everybody’s name is on the list.”

“True.” Suzanne cheered up a little. “It’s not as if I wrote Autumn is the killer. Or Brenda is the killer.”

“I think we should search for it,” Maddie said.

“Mrrow!” Trixie seemed to agree.

“I’ll have to go the bathroom first.” Suzanne rose.

“I’ll go, too.”

Each of them searched the downstairs bathroom, but Suzanne’s phone wasn’t there.

“Maybe it’s in the great room,” Maddie suggested.

“It’s possible.” Suzanne shrugged. “I was having so much fun striking that triangle and making musical sounds that I didn’t pay attention to much else.”

“I noticed.” Maddie giggled.

“Mrrow!”

They trooped into the great room. Autumn was packing up the silver triangles and Edith, Brenda, and Linda were chatting amongst themselves.

“I’d suggest a walk now, ladies.” Autumn looked out of the window. It was still raining. “But I think it might be too dangerous.”

“I hope it’s not raining tomorrow,” Edith murmured. “I don’t want to have to drive all the way to Edmonds in weather like this.”

“Me either,” Linda replied. Then she stared at Edith. “You don’t live in Edmonds do you?”

“Yes.” Edith nodded. “Do you?”

“No, in Mount Vernon. It’s fifty miles further on.”

“I know where it is.” Edith’s expression sagged. “That’s where my grandmother came from.”

“What was her name?” Linda asked.

“Edith – like mine,” the girl replied.

The sixty-something woman stared at her. “Edith. Not Edith Lilly?”

“Yes. That was her maiden name.” Edith looked puzzled at the query. “Why?”

“Nothing.” Linda shook her head and turned away abruptly.

Maddie and Suzanne exchanged a look. What was that all about?

“Has anyone seen Suzanne’s phone?” Maddie remembered why they’d returned to the great room.

“No, dear.” Autumn shook her head.

“No,” Edith murmured.

“Sorry,” Brenda said. “I hope you find it. I don’t know how I’d manage without mine.”

“Exactly,” Suzanne said ruefully.

Linda’s back was to everyone and she didn’t answer.

Maddie and Suzanne raised their eyebrows at each other but didn’t try to engage the older woman.

Autumn burrowed in her capacious jute bag and brought out some journals covered with wildflowers.

“I thought writing our feelings down would be one of the best ways to extract any negativity we’re feeling right now.” She handed everyone a slim hardcovered book and a pink pen.

Linda took the journal, sat down on the sofa, and started writing, her pen stabbing the pages as she wrote.

“Maybe I should check on Jenna,” the group leader fretted. “She may want to talk to let her feelings out, or write them down.” Autumn’s gaze flickered over the journal in her lap.

“Would you like us to go up to her?” Suzanne asked.

“Thank you, Suzanne, but I think I should go.” Autumn smiled.

Maddie sat on the sofa, Trixie hopping up beside her. She turned in a circle and then made herself comfortable, her fur touching Maddie’s thigh. She peered at the journal, as if expecting Maddie to open it.

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