Jingle Bells and Wedding Spells by Stephanie Damore

Author:Stephanie Damore [Damore, Stephanie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Pink Sapphire Press

Chapter 13

Vance’s plan to accompany me to Dolores’s changed. Deputy Jones called on our way out of the hospital to say the sheriff planned to formally question Diane again.

"What in the world for? Her husband was almost killed last night. Now is not the time," Vance had replied.

The deputy agreed with him, hence the phone call. Vance turned around and went back into the hospital. He wasn't about to let the sheriff ambush Diane now.

That was how I found myself fifteen minutes later parking on the road in front of Dolores's house solo. I gave the scarecrow the side eye and a wide berth as I kept to the far end of the walkway and jogged up the steps to the front porch. I knocked on the metal storm door and was instantly greeted by a round of yaps from the front window. I took a step back and peeked inside. A yorkie stood on the back of the couch, barking at me for all he was worth.

"You be quiet, Sargent. We have ourselves a visitor,” Dolores’s voice came from inside. “Angelica Nightingale. Well, this is a surprise.”

"I wondered if you had a few minutes to chat?"

"Oh, you know me. I always have a few minutes to chat. Come on in." The older woman opened her front door the rest of the way. Sargent, the Yorkie, growled at me and gave a couple of added yaps for good measure. "You cut that out right now," Dolores told her fearless companion as she led me through the front living room and into her kitchen.

"I was just going to put on some tea. Would you like some?"

"Sure, that would be great." I wasn't much of a tea drinker, but I found that it helped always to accept whatever hospitality someone extended you. It went a long way in opening up the lines of communication.

"What can I do for you? Did you want to volunteer for the bazaar?" Dolores asked.

"The Christmas bazaar?"

"You know, the one that's at the high school every year? I’m chairing it this year."

"No, I know all about the bazaar. But that's not why I’m here. I was wondering if you knew anything about the journalist who passed away in town Friday night, Mr. David Haggerty? I'm trying to piece together his last twenty-four hours, and I was told you saw him late that evening.”

Dolores took a steadying breath. "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that you heard about that. David always had a way of getting under my skin."

"You knew him?"

"I did. Let me get that tea."

I waited patiently while Dolores poured the boiling water from the kettle into the teapot and brought the entire set to the kitchen table. "Now then, where were we?"

"You knew David Haggerty," I started for her.

“Right.” Dolores closed her eyes. When she opened them, she said, "David Haggerty was my nephew."

“Your nephew? I didn't realize he had any family in town. I'm so sorry for your loss."

"It's quite all right. We weren’t close. Not anymore.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.