Murder a la Christie by Marilyn Levinson

Author:Marilyn Levinson
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: agatha christie, library mystery, whodunnit, bookclub murders, woman sleuth, allison brook, ellen byron
Publisher: Rowan Prose Publishing
Published: 2024-05-28T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

“You’re a thousand miles away,” Allistair said.

I shook off my morass of morbid thoughts and tried for a smile. “No, I’m not.”

Allistair neither spoke nor looked at me, but kept his gaze glued to the Jaguar’s windshield as we drove along Sound Avenue.

I reached for his hand. “I’m here beside you on this lovely June day.”

He moved his hand. “It’s not that lovely with you shutting me out.”

“You’re serious,” I said.

“I’m perturbed.”

I’d never seen Allistair perturbed before, and I didn’t like it. I tried to talk it away. “We’re driving out to the North Fork. We’ll have a great time.”

He turned to me. “You’re distant. Distracted. You might as well have stayed home.”

That did it! I forgot my social manners and went for the truth. “What do you expect? I’m upset because Anne’s dead. She was killed leaving my house. Excuse me,” I said sarcastically. “Sylvia’s house. I had to go to her funeral and offer empty condolences to her parents as they buried their only child.”

Allistair turned to me. “I’m sorry about Anne. She was a lovely young woman.”

“Who somebody killed. Donovan said there was a streak of paint along one side of her car, though he wouldn’t say what color.”

He took my hand. “Lexie, I’ve gotten the definite impression that you like me. Am I wrong?”

I squeezed his hand. “Of course I like you.” Why was this so difficult to admit?

“Then why are you acting like this?”

I laughed. “You mean like a man? Oops,” I amended when I caught the flash of displeasure in his eyes, “I mean, the way some men behave.”

He released my hand. “You’re right. Plenty of blokes come on strong, get the girl’s interest, then back off. But I believe in relationships. I’ve no idea where ours is headed, but I think it deserves a chance.”

I gave a little laugh. “Maybe I’m not ready for a relationship right now.”

He scowled. “Because your husband died burning down your house?”

“Hey, you stole my line,” I complained.

“That’s because it is a line, and has nothing to do with us.”

Allistair slowed down behind a truck. I tried to form my words as politely as I could. After all, I liked the guy and had no desire to drive him completely away.

“Look, Allistair—”

“Call me Al. That’s what my good friends call me.”

“Al?” I shot back. “Some of my friends call me Al.” I shook my head. “This is too weird.”

“Will you try it?”

“I will. Soon.”

“Okay.”

I took a deep breath. “Since I was thirteen, I’ve been gaga over some guy. This went on through high school, college, graduate school, and in between husbands. When I wasn’t writing papers or reading or studying for tests, my energies went into some guy. Getting him, keeping him happy, fighting, making up, worried he was angry at me, worried he liked someone better.”

I exhaled, pleased that Allistair had made no attempt to interrupt because he knew I wasn’t finished. “Now I’m at a point where I’m not hung up on some male. I’m

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