The Lavender House Murder (Virginia Kelly Mystery Book 2) by Nikki Baker

Author:Nikki Baker [Baker, Nikki]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, murder mystery, Lesbian, Provincetown (Mass.), Virginia Kelly
Publisher: ReQueered Tales
Published: 2020-08-18T05:00:00+00:00

XXIII

Loud Barb and her girlfriend had the room at the end of our hall by the stairs, the biggest room in the guest house. I thought their bed looked wider too. Barb was saying they’d made reservations nine months in advance because she was so particular about her accommodations, among other things. Her girlfriend nodded and looked around their room as pleased as if she’d invented it herself.

Loud Barb said, “Girls, you’re just in time. We’re just about ready to go to the beach.” She was wearing neon green surf shoes. An inflatable rubber raft was propped up beside the bed. On the wall hung a framed print of two cherub-faced little girls in pastel dresses on a divan with a litter of black puppies. Somehow I was not surprised.

“What I like best about this place is that the choice of furniture is so consistent.” Naomi leaned against the door frame and grinned. “It makes me just want to run right out and have my apartment redone.”

“Do you think so?” The lines in Barb’s forehead buckled up. “I like to think our room is different from all the others.”

I told her I thought Naomi meant the rooms were uniform in their individuality.

Naomi said, “That’s exactly what I mean.”

“She’s kidding you,” I said.

“Oh, well. That’s what I thought.” Loud Barb looked pleased again. “Do you like my water socks? I say for the beach, they’re the only way to go.”

“I’ll bet,” said Naomi.

The quiet woman nodded. “Barb says: ‘The right shoe for the right sport.’ ”

“Only way to go,” said Loud Barb.

I asked her what sport in particular her shoes were for and she looked back at me like there was air between her ears. “You got me there.” She slapped me hard on the back and then she slapped Naomi too. “You got me there. I guess you wouldn’t call beach-going a sport, would you? Would you call beach-going a sport, honey?” she asked her girlfriend who shook her head. “You got me there,” Loud Barb said again. “Anyway, we were on our way to the beach when the police showed up this morning and we haven’t got there yet. Otherwise we’d be gone by now. That Sheriff talked to us for nearly an hour.”

“That’s a while,” I said. “What did you have to say for an hour?” I sat on the edge of the bed near the raft. Their window looked out on the backyard and a quiet side street. Out there was Sam’s vegetable garden and a squad car parked behind the picket fence.

“Not much.” Loud Barb waved her hand. “Come on and make yourself at home.” She beat on the top of the bed and waved her hand again at Naomi to sit. Naomi didn’t and Barb went on, “I told the police I didn’t know Joan except from breakfast. And Jane told him that business about the ghost.”

The quiet woman was saying she had judged the cop to be a very nice man. He’d said he

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