A Whisker In The Dark

“I just came down to check out my table under the tent. Millie is obsessing about having a good presentation.”

Jen’s face turned serious and she reached out and patted my forearm, which I had rested on the counter. “I heard about the murder. Are you okay?”

“Sure. Never let a little thing like murder in my guesthouse get me down. I might be getting used to it.”

“Well, let’s hope it doesn’t become a common occurrence.” Jen’s concerned eyes turned inquisitive. “Any idea who did it?”

I glanced around to make sure we really were alone. The post office had a lot of nooks and crannies and you never knew where someone might be lurking around reading the magazines or fliers they’d gotten before tossing them in the recycling bins. No one was around. “I think it might be one of his siblings. Can you believe one of them tried to pin it on Flora?” I said.

“Flora? No way.” Her eyes narrowed. “Do you think that person was trying to divert suspicion away from themselves?”

“Possibly.” I picked a candy out of the bowl that sat on top of the counter. Hershey’s Kisses. If I had that on my counter the bowl would be empty in about five minutes. “What are people saying?”

Jen shot me a mischievous look. “First tell me what’s going on with you and Mike. I heard he was the one who discovered the body so that means he must have been at your place very early this morning.”

I rolled my eyes. My mother and Millie weren’t the only ones meddling in my non-existent love life. Jen had been wanting to see Mike and I get back together since I moved back to town. Not happening.

“Yes, he was there.” I let my voice trail off and gave her a coquettish look just to yank her chain. I almost felt bad at the hopeful gleam in her eye.

“I knew it! Did he stay over?”

I drew it out, popping another Hershey Kiss in my mouth and pretending to be too busy chewing to answer. Jen was practically jumping out of her black government-issued shoes with anticipation.

I swallowed and smiled. “Nah. He was just there to inspect the toolshed. That’s why he was down near the pond.”

“I heard it was in the pond. But you’re sure he didn’t fall in and drown on his own?”

“Nope. The back of his skull was crushed.”

I gave her the Reader’s Digest condensed version of finding the body and what had gone on this morning, with Seth interrogating people and how Paula had claimed to see Flora coming up the path from the pond.

“Flora? She wouldn’t harm a fly. She’s a great-grandmother, for crying out loud.”

“I know.” I pressed my lips together. Of course Flora wouldn’t kill anyone. She was loyal, trustworthy and a good worker. Okay, scratch that part about a good worker. She was loyal and trustworthy though. And I couldn’t picture her bashing someone over the head with a shovel, especially with those scrawny arms of hers. But still, something didn’t sit right. There were a few disturbing, unanswered questions when it came to Flora.

“She has been acting a little odd lately. Did you hear anything about her going on a trip?” I asked.

Jen shook her head. “But I wouldn’t necessarily hear about that.”

“True.” Not everyone gave Jen their itinerary, though most people going on a trip had their mail stopped. Flora lived in an apartment and would probably have a neighbor or her landlord collect it. So, unless Flora was going with someone who might create a scandal, the post-office grapevine would find her trip uninteresting.

“Do they have any other suspects?” Jen peeled a stamp off a stamp sheet and pressed it onto an envelope, then tossed the envelope into a mailbag.

“I’m not sure. Seth probably suspects me, though.”

Jen laughed. “What motive would you have?”

“None, but he was looking at me with suspicion. Remember he thought I killed the last person too.”

“Only because you own the guesthouse now and were out of town for a long time and he thought you killed the last victim because he was going to give the guesthouse a bad review. But it really does come down to motive, doesn’t it? I heard that Seth thought perhaps someone killed Bob to take the treasure away from him. Do you think he dug something up?” Jen asked.

“Did you hear anything about any treasure through the grapevine?” If someone had the treasure, chances were someone else knew about it and sooner or later that person would talk. I doubted there actually was any treasure though or that Bob had dug it up. If he had, wouldn’t the hole—or at least evidence of digging it—have still been there?

“You don’t really believe that whole treasure curse thing, do you?” Jen asked.

“No. You?”

“Nope. But some people do. I’ve heard a few people say that old Jedediah killed Bob to make good on his curse.”

“If that were the case, then Bob would still have had the treasure in his possession. Unless they think a ghost took it away.”

Jen laughed. “With some of the folks here, I wouldn’t be surprised.”

“No, I think this murder was done by someone on the earthly plane. Someone closer to the victim.”

“You mean like his family?”