The Clam Artist (A Seasoned Sleuth Cozy Mystery Book 9) by Gretchen Allen

Author:Gretchen Allen [Allen, Gretchen]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Summer Prescott Books
Published: 2023-10-29T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SIX

“He just walked right by your house?” Kelly gasped when Loretta met her twenty minutes later. “All out in the open and everything?”

Loretta guided Kelly to their regular table near the window after they ordered at the counter. “He acted like there was nothing in the world around him but whatever was right in front of him.” Loretta sensed Kelly’s confusion and shook her head. “I guess you’d have had to be there to see what I mean, but I know my door creaked when I opened it the second time. You’d think that he’d get used to people gawking at him, but he acted like nothing in the world was going on around him. That doesn’t seem like the same thing to me.”

“I have to say, I can see why,” Kelly said. She stirred her coffee with her spoon. “I mean, this poor man has entire groups of people dedicated to watching him wherever he goes, not to mention his old fans. I can only imagine how much simpler life has to be for him after learning to tune things out.”

“I guess you’re right,” Loretta said. She picked up a scone and bit into the end. “But I do think it’s strange.”

“I know you went back online and looked at The Archie Chasers website last night, didn’t you?” Kelly asked.

Loretta nodded and smiled. “Of course I did,” she said. “Although, I can’t say my return to the website provided any fruitful information.”

“Yeah, for calling themselves internet sleuths they really spend a lot of time nailing down the details, don’t they?”

“You noticed that too?” Loretta asked. “The only interesting thing I found was more claims about there being a woman spotted through the window of his home.”

“I saw that, but Pauline said there is no woman.”

“You spoke to Pauline about this?” Loretta set her coffee mug down on the table in front of her.

Kelly shook her head. “You should know better than that. No, Pauline stopped by my house with that dog of hers just as I was leaving to meet you. All she could talk about was the rumor that there was some woman inside his house.”

“I wonder where she heard about it?”

“Where do you think?” Kelly laughed. “The Breezy Lake rumor mill, hard at work.”

“I suppose you’re right. The rumor mill here has a life of its own.”

“According to the rumors, there is no mystery woman,” Kelly continued. “She was eager to tell me that the prevailing assumption is that one of the female residents has taken up with Mr. McPherson, but she refuses to believe it.”

“A resident from Breezy Lake?”

“Yes, and all the ladies are now trying to figure out who was there,” Kelly said. “Distrust is at an all-time high around the lake. Pauline can’t manage to handle herself about any of it. It was almost as though she didn’t believe it was true, but was also desperate to know which woman had gotten her claws into Archibald.”

“Oh, good grief,” Loretta said. “That’s just what Harold needs.

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