Murder at Big Wolf by Thea Cambert

Author:Thea Cambert [Cambert, Thea]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Summer Prescott Books
Published: 2022-03-07T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 9

Esme and Ethan made their way along the trail behind Stewart and Lilly, who were having a quiet conversation with Charlotte and Jacob about Lilly’s many wonderful memories of Lyle. Now and then, Lilly would begin to cry, and the others would offer what comfort they could.

Esme tugged Ethan’s arm, pulling him a little further behind the group. “Why would Lilly lie about having been to Piney Woods before?”

“I’ve been running over that again and again in my mind, and I can’t think of a single good reason. And that, coupled with the timing of her quick exit shortly before we found the body, and the fact that she’d stashed her car at the far edge of the parking lot near those bushes doesn’t inspire a lot of confidence in her.”

Esme looked ahead just as Stewart put a supportive arm around Lilly and Charlotte patted her on the back. “But she really does look genuinely heartbroken about Lyle being gone.”

When they arrived at the place where Lyle had died, they stood quietly for a few moments, just outside the yellow police tape which flapped a bit every time a spring breeze swept through the woods. The clouds shifted now and then, bringing golden dappled sunlight to the ground, highlighting the many tender shoots of plants that were starting to poke their heads out of the soil.

After a few minutes of silence, Stewart turned to Lilly. “You look pale,” he said. “Are you okay?”

Lilly nodded, sniffling a bit. “So, this is where it happened, then,” she said in a quavering voice. Her eyes scanned the ground. “Where was he when you found him?”

Stewart pointed to a spot near the other side of the roped off area. “Right over there.”

Lilly walked over, but when the others moved to follow, she stopped. “I’ll just take a few moments alone, if I may.”

“Of course!” everyone said quickly. They all wandered a few yards away and stood to the other side of an obliging clump of silverberry, which offered a small measure of privacy for Lilly.

“We’ll be right over here if you need us,” Stewart called.

Esme sidled up to him and whispered, “So this is Lilly’s first time at Piney Woods, you said?”

“That’s right. Poor thing.”

“Don’t you find it hard to believe that she would want to marry Lyle Larkin?” asked Ethan.

“Well . . . yes,” Stewart admitted. “I mean, I don’t know Lilly all that well, but she seems like a reasonable, attractive, nice person. And Lyle was . . .”

“I know,” said Esme. “Did you notice she’s not wearing an engagement ring? I wonder why.”

“Maybe they were newly engaged, and Lyle hadn’t bought her one yet,” said Ethan. “From what I hear over at the Chronicle, he’s as tight with his money as Scrooge himself.” He chuckled softly. “A couple members of the staff were taking up a collection for one of the reporters whose house was recently damaged by a bad fire. I happened to be at the office dropping off a batch of photos.

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