Pumpkin’d Up Murder: Borrowed Pages Cozy Mysteries, Book 8 by Benton Maggie

Author:Benton, Maggie
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Summer Prescott Books
Published: 2023-12-06T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER EIGHT

The birding group went their separate ways, with plans to mull things over and then reconvene later. Hazel and Harry had to get to their Red Herrings book club meetup, Betsy had to get back over to her craft shop, and Walter had an online client meeting, so needed to get over to his home office. Helen, Annie, and George, after checking on things in the library, headed over to Main Street to grab a bite to eat at Olive’s sandwich shop.

Olive’s boyfriend, local attorney Gideon Potter, was standing at the counter, chatting with Olive while she worked. When he saw the trio of friends he gave them a wave. They all exchanged greetings and commiserated over Foley’s death the night before.

“Poor Foley,” said Olive, slicing a loaf of whole grain bread. “He seemed to be the picture of health just a few days ago. He delivered my mail here at the shop.”

“I thought something must be wrong when he didn’t show up at court on Thursday,” said Gideon.

George looked up sharply. “He missed a court date?”

“What was he doing in court?” asked Annie.

“He and Carla are in the middle of the ugliest divorce I’ve ever encountered. Of course, I don’t represent either of them, or I couldn’t even tell you that much.”

“What time was he supposed to be there?” asked George, taking out his notebook.

“Noon,” said Gideon. “He didn’t call to cancel, either. The judge was not happy.”

“So that’s a point in Mrs. Gribbs’s favor?” asked Helen.

Gideon lifted and dropped his shoulders. “Could be. It’s a moot point now, of course.”

“So Mrs. Gribbs did show up at court?” George asked.

“Oh yeah. Right on time and smug as a bug.”

“She seemed genuinely upset last night when she saw Foley’s body,” said Annie.

Gideon gave a little snort. “I don’t think that’s possible. And now that Foley’s dead, seeing as the divorce never happened, she gets everything.”

Helen and Annie elbowed each other. Olive set three sandwich baskets on the counter, each brimming with homemade potato chips and the three thanked her and found a table near the door.

“Well if Mrs. Gribbs wasn’t the prime suspect before, she sure is now,” George said in a low voice.

Helen searched her memory. “I think I remember Doc saying that it looked like Foley had been dead for around twenty-four hours by the time we found him. So he was definitely still alive at noon on Thursday—he wouldn’t have died until that evening.”

“Plus, remember? Sherry said she saw him Thursday afternoon at the Banner House,” said Annie.

“That’s right. And she said he seemed a little stressed or worried,” said George, flipping through his notebook with one hand while he picked up his sandwich with the other. “Maybe he was stressed because of missing his court appointment.”

Mayor Watkins and Sally Ann breezed in and said hello. They walked to the counter, where Olive told them their to-go order was ready and rang it up.

Annie turned back to Helen and George. “Then again, Foley wasn’t too stressed to ask Sherry out to lunch.

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