Lorna Barrett_Booktown Mystery 04 by Chapter;Hearse

Author:Chapter;Hearse
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: Women Booksellers, Tricia (Fictitious Character), Mystery & Detective, Fiction, Miles, Mystery Fiction, Women Sleuths, General
ISBN: 9780425236017
Publisher: Penguin
Published: 2010-08-03T05:00:00+00:00

FIFTEEN

Tricia put down her book after realizing she'd read the same page three or four times and none of it had registered. The evening's events had a stranglehold on her thoughts. Too wound up to sleep, she'd tried watching TV and reading, and had even contemplated baking, but couldn't seem to concentrate on anything. Meanwhile, the clock kept ticking.

It was ten thirty-six when the telephone rang, and Tricia eagerly picked up the receiver, hoping it would be Angelica. "Trish?" It was.

"Where are you tonight?"

"At this very moment, I'm sitting in my car in the municipal parking lot."

"Here in Stoneham? But I thought you were supposed to be in Portland, Maine, tonight."

"I was. But I figured I was only two hours from home-- and I want to sleep in my own bed tonight. I just picked up a pizza. Are you hungry?"

"Sure. Come on up."

Three minutes later, Angelica let herself into Tricia's loft apartment. "You're a sight for sore eyes," Tricia said and threw her arms around her sister--only slightly hampered by the pizza box between them.

"Whoa! That's an enthusiastic welcome. I may just go out and come back in." Angelica set the pizza box on the kitchen island and flopped onto a stool. Miss Marple jumped up and greeted her with a curious "Yow?"

Angelica addressed the cat, petting her on the head. "Yes, sweetie. I'm glad to see you, too." They'd made their peace last fall, and since then, Miss Marple seemed to enjoy Angelica's visits, although she knew better than to sit on her lap and shed cat hair.

Tricia got plates from the cupboard and snatched a spatula from the crock on the counter. "Want some wine with that?"

"I was hoping you'd ask."

Tricia snagged a couple of glasses and an unopened bottle of chardonnay from the refrigerator.

"I have a confession to make," Angelica said, and slipped off her shoes. "You weren't my first choice of companion."

"Bob?" Tricia asked.

"Yes. I stopped off at his house with my lovely Mario's pizza, and he turned me down flat," she said, aggrieved. "He said he'd taken his pain pills and was too sleepy for company. It hurt my feelings."

"I'd be more sympathetic toward Bob if he hadn't been so secretive since the night of the explosion," Tricia said, testing the warmth of the pizza and finding it lacking. "I'll just pop this into the oven for ten minutes, okay?"

"Oh, sure," Angelica agreed, grabbed the bottle, opened it, and poured them each a glass of wine.

Tricia turned on the oven, put the pizza--sans box--into it, and set the timer for ten minutes.

"I don't know what to make of Bob," Angelica said, and sipped her wine. "The truth is, he hasn't been all that chummy for the past month or two. I attributed it to stress. He took a hard hit during the real estate crisis. And Jim wasn't the only one of his tenants late with the rent, which has hampered his cash flow."

"And now?" Tricia asked.

"Now I'm not so sure. He's acting guilty--and that's something he's never done before.

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