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

I think you just have to try hard enough,” the young woman said earnestly. “Life is what you make it.” And, with that, she tossed off a beaming smile, as if she’d given a kernel of absolute wisdom that Doreen needed to snatch up and to utilize. “Anyway, if you want to order something, just let me know.”

“Thanks,” she said. “I was just hoping you might have remembered something.”

“Outside of the fact that he was male, and, oh, she did mention something about that truck of his. About she didn’t know why he didn’t get a new one.”

“Oh, so he was driving a truck then?” Doreen said.

“Yeah, she said something about it being lifted, like it was a truck for a young man. It sounded like something he’d had for a long time, but then she didn’t say any more. And, of course, I mean, it’s not like I understood very much about who or what she was talking about, since I didn’t know the man.”

“Right,” she said. “That’s good though, thank you.”

And, with that, Doreen walked out of the restaurant. As soon as she got into her vehicle, the animals crowded against her. “I know. I didn’t let you go in there with me. I should have though, shouldn’t I? Maybe it would have loosened her tongue a little more.” But honestly she didn’t think the waitress knew anything else. As Doreen sat here, wondering what to do next, she decided she needed to tell Mack. It wasn’t much information, but it was a little bit, and it could be important.

When he answered the phone, she said, “I just talked to that same waitress, by the way, and she and another waitress signed the will.”

“Really?” he asked in surprise.

“Yeah.” And she explained the little bit she’d learned. “Robin was waiting for some guy driving a truck he’d had forever, and it was lifted. Like a young man’s truck, with the suggestion that perhaps he was beyond the appropriate age to be driving it.”

“Interesting, but she couldn’t give you anything else?”

“No, although I’m tempted to go back inside and ask her again.”

“Maybe not now,” he said. “Just leave it, and we’ll see if something jogs her memory.”

“And what? Then you’ll ask her later?”

“Well, that would be the proper way to do things,” he said in a dry tone.

“Maybe,” she said. “I still haven’t made it to where she was killed.”

“Well, it’s not like you’re expecting to see anything there, are you? It’s just a spot, a location. Her vehicle isn’t there anymore. No evidence is.”

“I know,” she said. “I just, well, it was somebody I knew, and I feel odd about the whole thing.”

“Well, go ahead then,” he said. “Just stay out of trouble.”

“Wasn’t planning on getting into any,” she said cheerfully. “Besides, I have the animals with me.”

“Well, it’s not like they’ll save you every time,” he muttered.

“But you have to admit they do a great job when they are busy saving me,” she said, chuckling.

“Fine, they’ve been a huge help, but you can’t count on them all the time. And look at what happened to Thaddeus last time.”

“I know,” she said, with a groan. “Give him a few inches, and that bird will hang himself.”

Chapter 23

Tuesday, Noonish …

With that, Doreen turned on the car and headed back to the coffee shop. There she got out and wandered around the spot, where Robin may have been killed, then her body moved to the Kelowna sign. Her killer probably wanted her found fast. There was a sadness in Doreen’s soul, as she thought about such a young life snuffed out like that. “It really does make you realize there is absolutely no way to know when it’s our time.”

Somebody behind her said, “Who are you talking to?”

She turned to look at the stranger. “Me,” she said, staring at him. Something was almost familiar about him. She frowned, studying the man in a black three-piece suit. “Do I know you?”

He gave her a quirky smile. “I wondered if you remembered me. I was sitting inside, having coffee, and was quite surprised to see you pull up.”

She shook her head. “Where do I know you from?”

He laughed. “From a time that I’m sure you’re obviously happy to be gone from.”

She stopped and stared. “Rex?”

He nodded. “Absolutely,” he said. “I’m surprised you even remember me.”

“Well, it’s hard not to,” she said. “You lived in the house with me, more or less.”

“And yet you didn’t see me right off.”

She studied him for a long moment and then said, “You shaved your beard.”

He laughed. “I did, indeed.”

“Well,” she said, “it certainly changed your look. You’ve also let your hair grow long.” She couldn’t quite understand why he’d shave, then let his hair grow. Seemed more likely for him to trim both or to let both grow. She frowned again.

“Just a different look,” he said easily.

“Are you still working for my ex?”

“Yes,” he said, “at least for the moment.”

“Well, you didn’t ever look like you wanted to leave.”

“Did you notice?”

She winced at that. “I’ll admit that I was fairly oblivious to a lot that went on around me,” she said, “but I would like to think that I know various people who worked there at the time.”

“I’m sure you do,” he said easily, “but part of the whole image is also that you wouldn’t be affected by it. We were always told to stay away from you and to keep you in utter quiet. After all, you’re of a delicate temperament.”

She stared at him. “I’m of a what?”

He chuckled. “I never quite understood that reasoning myself. But I figured it was just Mathew’s way of making sure the staff didn’t talk to you.”

“Well, secrecy was always his big thing,” she muttered, staring off in the distance. Had Mathew really said that about her being delicate? “It’s pretty insulting to find out delicate was in his vocabulary when talking about me.”

“Well, I wouldn’t worry about it,” Rex said. “I don’t know if you’ve figured