Dying to Get Her Man by Judy Fitzwater

Author:Judy Fitzwater [Fitzwater, Judy]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Judy Fitzwater
Published: 2012-02-07T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter 16

"You called Ruth Hovey and you asked her what?" Teri demanded. "Can't I even let you go to the bathroom by yourself without getting into trouble?"

Jennifer pulled her little car out of the parking lot of the Bob Evans' Restaurant. They had been fed—pancakes for Jennifer and sausage gravy over biscuits for Teri—and pumped full of coffee.

"I asked her if she knows who Richard Hovey was waiting for the night he died," Jennifer repeated, heading east.

"I bet that ticked her off. What did she say?"

"I didn't mean to upset her. She said she wants to meet with me right away. Then she hung up."

"Do you suppose she knows about the rose petals?"

"Of course she knows. She probably had to arrange to have the house cleaned after his death. I'm sure his children are his heirs."

"And that one little question was enough to get her to agree to see you?"

Jennifer braked at a stop sign and shot Teri a sidelong glance. Then she turned left and headed out of town. "If she doesn't know the answer, I'm sure she's curious as hell."

"And thinks you do know. But you don't. You only suspect it was Suzanne. But what if it was Kelli? Or some other woman? What if it was her? What are you going to say when she asks you?"

"What I always do?"

"Right. You're going to wing it. And get yourself into even more trouble."

Teri pointed at a sign reading HOVEY'S HERMITAGE, and Jennifer headed the little car up the long driveway.

"Hermitage does not have a friendly connotation," Teri pointed out.

"Right, but we're here at Ruth's invitation, remember?" She parked on the side of the huge white house with dark green shutters. She had barely pulled on the parking break when a large man, who seemed to come out of nowhere, rapped on her window. Both Jennifer and Teri jumped.

"What do you want?" he asked. Two-hundred pounds easy. Maybe closer to three. And not a hair or a hat on his shaved head.

She rolled down the glass. "Jennifer Marsh. Mrs. Hovey is expecting me."

The man took in her VW Bug and grunted, a bit like a disgruntled watchdog. The two women opened their doors and got out, but the man shook his head at Teri. "Only Marsh. Miz Hovey didn't say nothin' to me about nobody else."

Teri nodded at Jennifer. "That's okay. You go ahead. I'll be just fine. Out here in the cold. With more company than I've ever wanted."

The man pointed toward the front of the house, and Jennifer followed a slate footpath around to a large, covered porch and an imposing, solid wood door with narrow, curtained windows running up and down each side of it. She pulled off her hat, stuffed it in her pocket, and quickly fluffed her hair. Then she rang the doorbell.

The curtains fluttered and then a woman with dark hair twisted into a bun opened the door. She appeared to be in her early forties and was dressed in an expensive angora turtleneck sweater and wool slacks.

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