Death Rings a Bell by Linda Hope Lee

Author:Linda Hope Lee [Lee, Linda Hope]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: amateur sleuth; cozy mystery; university setting; bell tower
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Published: 2022-06-22T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fourteen

At her condo, Nina carried the box of Gwyn’s books to the living room, placing it beside the sofa. She wanted to give the books a closer look and, of course, examine the papers in the taped envelope. First, though, she needed a break. Kicking off her shoes, she stretched out on the sofa, resting an arm over her closed eyes. She’d barely drifted off when her phone chimed. Sitting up, she saw, not surprisingly, the caller was Stephen. She quickly connected their video chat.

“How was your visit with Cassandra?” he asked.

“Good. I feel I know her better now. I brought home books from Gwyn’s collection and other stuff to go through.” She gestured toward the box at her feet. “What about you?”

Stephen held up his notebook. “I have info to share about Alexander Brightly.”

“Ah, you checked him out.”

He nodded. “As promised.”

“We’ll have a lot to talk about tomorrow night.” The prospect of being together brought a smile to her lips.

“Looking forward to being with you.” One eyebrow peaked. “Oh, what about dinner?”

She’d been so busy with Lit Fest she hadn’t given thought to the menu. “I’ll fix something. Maybe not as elaborate as your meals, but…”

He held up a hand. “Hey, I love your cooking. Have I ever complained?”

She tilted back her head and laughed. “No, you’re too polite.”

“The most important thing is our being together.”

When the call ended, Nina stared at the empty screen, already missing him. They could be together every night, as he frequently reminded her. But they’d known each other just a little over a year. To her, their relationship had progressed quite a bit, with already spending the weekends together. After enduring two previously failed relationships, she didn’t want this one to end badly, too.

She made a toasted cheese sandwich and a cup of tea and sat at the kitchen table where windows overlooked the condo village’s spacious courtyard, with paths winding through the gardens. She liked living here, enjoying the coziness of her home, the friendly neighbors, and the hilltop location. But she liked Stephen’s home, too. She was comfortable there, as well. She heaved a sigh. Such a problem. Would she ever solve this relationship dilemma?

Finished with her supper and cleaning up the kitchen, she returned to the living room. Time to direct her energies to the mystery. From the box of books, she took Gwyn’s Save envelope and sat again on the sofa. “Here’s hoping,” she whispered as she tore the tape from the flap. Reaching inside, she pulled out a handful of papers, with some stapled together and others paper-clipped. A sticky note affixed to the top page immediately caught her attention: Talk to them about this!

Further examination revealed the papers were photocopies of stories for the short story writing class Gwyn taught at Caldonia U. When Nina saw Portia Quinlan’s name as the author, she gave a start. Alexander Brightly’s Portia? Then she recalled Alexander mentioning he and Portia both were Gwyn’s students. The stories had all been awarded A or A+ grades, along with glowing praise.

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