Reserved for Murder by Victoria Gilbert

Author:Victoria Gilbert [Gilbert, Victoria]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Crooked Lane Books

Chapter Fifteen

I hurried down Ann Street toward Chapters, skirting the clusters of tourists at the intersection of Turner Street. All I wanted was to reach the safety of my home, and perhaps grab a glass of wine. Sure, it was barely noon, but after the encounter with Tony I felt I’d earned a drink with lunch.

But as I approached Chapters, I noticed a man striding away from Ellen’s house. The sun glinting off his curly hair told me this was Gavin, and when he made a sharp turn at the corner, I decided to follow him. He was headed in a direction that could easily take him to the Sandburg sisters’ home, and I wanted to be able to alert Ellen if it looked like he was planning to visit them on his own.

I forced myself to walk slowly, not wanting to catch up with him or alert him to my presence. In fact, I lingered at the corner, peering down the street from that vantage point rather than moving closer.

Gavin halted in front of Bernadette and Ophelia’s bungalow. Noticing that he seemed focused on their home, I crept closer, making my way to the home next to theirs before sliding in behind a large azalea bush.

Bernadette answered the door, meeting Gavin on the front porch. From my vantage point, I could only faintly hear Gavin introduce himself and ask to speak with Ophelia.

But Bernadette’s booming reply was loud enough for me to hear every word. “I’m sorry, Ophelia isn’t here,” she said. “There’s a garden talk over in Swansboro today, and there’s nothing she likes better, regardless of the heat and humidity.” Bernadette’s voice sharpened as she added, “I’d have thought Ellen would’ve told you that, since she’s part of the garden club too.”

Gavin said something that sounded like, “Thanks, I’ll tell Ellen and we’ll catch her later, then,” before he turned and strode off the porch and out of the yard.

I stayed frozen in place until he marched by, only moving when he turned onto Ann Street. Then I scrambled after him, having decided that I could easily claim to have walked up from the waterfront if he questioned my sudden appearance behind him.

But when I turned the corner, he’d already crossed the street to reach a white compact car. I paused, realizing I’d seen that vehicle parked on the other side of the street and paid little attention to it, thinking it belonged to one of our neighbors’ guests.

Obviously, it’s a rental that Gavin’s been using instead, I thought, as he jumped in the car and backed it up just enough to turn around in the quiet street. He drove off at some speed, toward the main part of town.

I suspected he was headed for Turner Street, which would lead him out of town and onto the road that connected with the bridge over to Morehead City. And then on to Swansboro? I questioned, picking up my pace. Reaching Ellen’s house, I bounded up the porch steps and jabbed my finger against her doorbell.

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