Bitterroot Lake by Alicia Beckman (i read a book .TXT) 📕

three o’clock, the white envelope of seasoned fries at nine o’clock, and a small plastic cup of ice cream at twelve o’clock, the paper-wrapped wooden spoon on top, crosswise and perfectly straight. The burger Holly positioned in the center, the white paper wrapper held by a toothpick with a frilly plastic end that also held a radish. She pulled out the toothpick and the wrapper flapped open. The smell sent Sarah back in time to high school summers, taking orders at the Burger Depot window.

Holly raised the toothpick and opened her mouth, then stopped. “What?”

“You are so weird,” Sarah said.

“I’m a creature of habit.”

“Which is why we all knew you were going to do that the moment you sat down,” Janine said. “Do you rearrange the table when you go out to dinner?”

Holly glowered. Pulled the radish off the toothpick with her teeth, then set the pick on the bag-turned-place mat, behind the ice cream cup.

“If the Burger Depot’s open, summer’s not far behind,” Sarah said. “What did Leo say about the letter?”

“Not much.” Holly reached for her pop. “Our cousin’s gone closed-mouth on us.”

“They wouldn’t confirm whether they think Lucas sent the letter to Janine,” Nic said, “but the fact that Holly got one too makes it more probable than not. In my opinion, anyway. The trick will be to convince them that the letter didn’t have anything to do with his death.”

“You threaten somebody, in writing, and end up dead,” Sarah said. “It’s gotta be connected.”

“I didn’t kill him,” Janine said, her tone insistent.

“And I have an alibi,” Holly added.

“I know, I know.” Sarah raised her hands. “I’m not accusing either of you. It’s just—who? Why?”

“Who and why are inextricably linked,” Nic said. “And that’s what makes the letter interesting. But they’re looking at every possibility for the shooter. The ex-wife, opposing counsel, disgruntled clients. A burglar, though the secretary claims nothing is missing.”

Except the gun. “What about the former law partner?”

“Dan Fleming. We met on a case eons ago. I’m hoping to connect with him this week. Find out what happened to their partnership, see if he can shed any light on the case.”

The smells finally got to her and Sarah slid the burger and fries out of her bag. Offered the radish to Holly, who wrinkled her nose. Radish first, then pickle, then burger and fries. Certain things remained predictable. Sarah unwrapped her burger and took the first bite. It wouldn’t win culinary prizes, but it was exactly what she’d been craving.

“What am I going to do about my phone?” Janine said.

“Isn’t it fixed?” Sarah waved a hand in front of her mouth. “I’m sure he said two days.”

“When he thought all it needed was a new screen,” Janine replied. “Now he thinks it might need a different part, which will take at least three days to get here. If that’s what it needs.”

“Where’s it coming from? China?”

“Spokane. Same diff.”

Two hundred and fifty miles. And several thousand light years.

“No big deal,” Holly said. “Get a new one.”

“I bake cakes for a living. I can’t afford a new phone. Now with all this …” Janine threw up her hands.

All this? What did she mean? The letters, the murder? What did that have to do with buying a new phone, unless she expected to need every penny for a lawyer. Not Nic, who focused on family law and gay rights and Sarah wasn’t sure what else, but who would never ask an old friend to pay her. No, Janine feared needing money for a criminal defense lawyer.

She wouldn’t be charged with murder. She couldn’t be charged. “Janine, it’ll be okay. Not right away, but it will be okay.”

“Says you.” Janine’s curls swung in her face and she shoved them out of the way. “You and your perfect life.”

All the warmth went out of the sunshine. “You mean the life that just fell apart? When my husband died?”

“Sarah, I am so sorry,” Janine said, her voice breaking. “I didn’t mean that. It’s the stress talking. But at least you don’t have to worry about money.”

Small comfort at the moment. “I know. Thanks.”

“Cheer up, Janine,” Holly said. “None of our phones work out here.”

Janine stuck out her tongue.

“We got a booster for the cell signal,” Holly told Sarah. “The guy said it plugs into the jack for the landline. Easy as pie.”

“Assuming he knows which end is up,” Janine said.

“No help on the landline, though,” Holly continued. “Mom was on her way out, so I called the phone company, but they wouldn’t talk to me, since I’m not the account holder. At least the insurance agent was helpful. And Connor will swing by as soon as he gets a chance.”

“Pray it doesn’t rain before then.” Sarah glanced to the west, the sky clear and cloudless. But the weather changed quickly in the mountains. “Where was Mom going?”

“No idea.” Holly plucked a fry from the bag. “We walk in. She’s all friendly. I say I want to see what she’s working on—she must be deep into it if she’s not out here riding herd—and all of a sudden she’s got some place to be.”

“That is crazy.”

“Oh, by the way,” Nic said, “Leo was very interested when we showed him pictures of the roadside cross.”

Holly held out her phone, and Sarah took it, though she’d seen the memorial herself. Scrolled through the pictures rapidly. Stopped and swiped the other way. Tapped the screen, then spread two fingers to zoom in on the photo. Showed it to Janine. “That gold charm, with the basketball sitting on top of the letters UM. That wasn’t there yesterday, was it?”

Janine leaned in, frowning. “But who in Deer Park knew Michael Brown?”

“Good question, although there are plenty of college basketball fans up here, and he was a hot shot.”

“Twenty-five years ago. Who would remember him now?”

“I wondered if it was Lucas, but obviously not, if new things are being added to the shrine,” Sarah said. “We could share that photo on Insta or Facebook and see what