Murder in the Marigolds by Dale Mayer (best young adult book series .txt) 📕

said hotly. “And that just means they aren’t getting treats when they get home, since they just stole mine.” Then she stood and called the animals over. “Now it’s time to go home, you two.” With the croissant gone now, both of them were happy enough to oblige.

Chapter 22

With the last croissant in her hand, Doreen marched the critters back home, still miffed that they took the last bite of her croissant and beat her to the one that had hit Nan’s patio. Doreen knew that she couldn’t really blame them. As much as she had enjoyed the pastries, they obviously had too. Still, it would be nice to have had it for herself when she got home. At least she still had one. Mugs pranced at her side, obviously feeling pretty cheeky and happy with himself.

“Yeah, you should be,” she muttered. “You got something that was intended for me.” And then she shrugged and let it go. After all, she’d been the one who had dropped it, and, even if it had been hers, she would have shared anyway.

“Now,” she said, “what will we do?”

She wished she knew exactly where Robin had died, though it wouldn’t help her much. Still, even just seeing the scene would help set it in her mind. She pulled out her phone and sent Mack a text.

Instead of texting back, he called. “Why?”

“I figured you found her at the Welcome sign, in the marigolds, where the murderer left her body, but I just wondered where she really died,” she said. “I know it doesn’t mean anything. It would just help me to understand, if I could see the crime scene, where she really died.”

He hemmed and hawed and then finally said, “Her blood was found in the back of where the little coffee shop is.”

She thought about it. “Oh, okay, I know that one,” she muttered. “Was her vehicle there?”

“Yes, the blood starts right there at the vehicle,” he said. “As if she were either getting in or getting out, something along that line. Waiting for the forensics still.”

“Do they always take this long?” she complained.

“No, they often take much longer,” he said, chuckling, “as you well know.”

“I know,” she said, “but whatever. Maybe I’ll take a drive down there.”

“Maybe you should,” he said. “If you think of anything or see anything, let me know.”

“Will do,” she muttered, then ended the call. She looked at the animals and said, “It’s too far to walk.”

Immediately Mugs woofed, and she figured that meant he’d like to go for a car ride. “I will start sounding like a batty old lady if I keep interpreting what it is that you’re barking. You probably just want to go home and have the rest of my croissant,” she muttered.

When they made it home, she put the croissant on the counter and walked through to the front yard where she got into her vehicle, letting all the animals climb in with her. Once everybody was packed up and loaded, she drove down to the coffee shop where Robin had been last seen. At least there or at the restaurant. Then Doreen thought about the witnesses to Robin’s will. With that thought, Doreen quickly changed direction, heading to the Chinese food restaurant, where Doreen had gotten Robin’s briefcase from. The same waitress was there, and she recognized Doreen.

“Oh, hi,” she said. “Is everything okay?”

“It is,” she said, “absolutely. I just had another question for you,”

Immediately the waitress frowned.

“It’s okay,” Doreen said. “I handed the briefcase and everything over to the cops.”

Relief washed over the woman’s face. “Ever since I gave it to you,” she said, “I’ve been feeling terrible, realizing it should have just gone to the authorities.”

“In this case, it went to the cops anyway,” she said. “I work closely with Mack, the detective.”

The waitress nodded enthusiastically. “I have seen the coverage of you two, so I was hoping it was okay.”

Doreen wanted to ask more about that but stayed quiet for a moment. “Did you have anything else to do with Robin? Did by chance you sign something?”

“Well, yeah, me and Mendy, the other waitress, we were witnesses to Robin’s signature.”

“Do you know what it was for?”

“She said that she had just rewritten her will and needed to have two witnesses sign it. She was such a nice lady, and it was obvious she was so young and wouldn’t die. We didn’t know any different, and how horrible is that?” she said, with sudden insight. “She must have had some inkling that she would die,” she cried out.

“Well, I think that’s probably quite true. But she was also a lawyer and was well-known for keeping her wills straight. I suspect she changed it on a regular basis.” Doreen didn’t know that for sure, but it made sense, given the woman that she knew. “I think this was probably just another iteration of it. Too bad we don’t know who she met afterward.”

“Right,” the waitress said. “She seemed quite miffed that he didn’t show up.”

“Well, that often happens, depending on how far away they were coming from. It could have been quite a drive.”

“The traffic can be really rough at times too,” the waitress said, nodding. “She did say he had a long drive, so I think you’re quite right there.”

“Well, that makes sense too. So she said it was a man?”

“Oh, it was a man,” she said, “and she seemed quite excited about seeing him. I really hope they connected first. I’d like to think that she at least died happy.”

The waitress didn’t seem to clue into the fact that whoever Robin had met was quite likely the murderer, so Doreen just nodded and said, “Isn’t that the truth? None of us want to think about our death, but it would be nice to think we would at least be happy prior to it.”

“Exactly,” the waitress said, with a bright, cheerful smile.

“Like a big fairy tale.”

“Well, it should be, but I’m not sure it is.