Sequestered with the Murderers by Dr. Tanner (books for 8th graders TXT) 📕

I are coming to town in two weeks on Saturday 29th to celebrate my birthday. My friends and I want to celebrate at your place. Do you have space for ten people?”

“I always have space for you and your friends.”

“I don’t want anything special, just the Saturday night special.” I knew that tidbit of information wouldn’t fly with Aunt Clove. She was going to create an incredible banquet meal whether Aunt Grace wanted it or not.

“Do you want Aunt Clove to make you a birthday cake?”

“If it is her pineapple cake, then yes.”

“I’ll ask her to bake one special for your table. Who all is coming?”

“Murieljoy will be there. You remember, she lost her husband two years ago. She has a boyfriend now. This will be my first time meeting him. Two of my alumni sisters and their spouses are coming, and I have asked your mother and father to join us.”

“I haven’t seen Murieljoy in ages. It will be so good to see her.” Murieljoy was Aunt Grace’s best friend since they were teenagers.

“She hasn’t quite recovered from the loss of her husband. Other than that, she is the same fun-loving Murieljoy.”

“I can’t wait to see you, Shep, and your friends. Before I forget, Aunt Clove sends you a hello.”

“Give her my love, and I hope to see her when we get there.”

“I’ll tell her. We’ll both be here for your celebration. I am so excited. I haven’t seen you since Christmas.”

“I’ve been trying to get you and Gam to come for a visit one weekend. Greensboro is a beautiful city.”

“And we will. I promise.”

“I’m staying with Murieljoy for a couple of days, so let’s plan to meet one evening.”

“Okay, it’s a date. What time will you be here on Saturday?”

“We will arrive at six. And tell Clove not to make a fuss. We’ll eat whatever she has prepared as the special.” There was no need for me to relay this message to Aunt Clove. She loved showcasing her cooking skills to members of our family that couldn’t cook. I shouldn’t say Aunt Grace couldn’t cook; she took no interest in it. She was a successful businesswoman her entire work career and hired cooks to do the cooking for her.

“I look forward to seeing you, Aunt Grace.”

“Me too. I’ve got to run. See you soon.”

“I love you, Vett.”

“I love you, too, Aunt Grace.”

This was a happy unexpected turn of events. My Aunt Grace was one of my favorite people, and I enjoyed seeing her. She and Shep traveled a lot and had so many stories to tell. My spirits lifted in anticipation of her visit.

The need for a banquet room had shown itself again. Gone would be the need to push tables into a corner for a private event. Word about Aunt Clove’s delicious food had gotten around, which is what I wanted. The reservations for special events had increased. I wanted that, too. All of this means growth. It was up to me to find the time to do something about it before service began to suffer.

I sent an e-mail to Aunt Clove with all the details concerning Aunt Grace’s visit so she could add the reservation to her events calendar.

I then looked at the pile of mail on my desk and wondered what I should tackle first—the 500 or so e-mails waiting for me or the stack of mail. Since I could see the tall luminous stack of mail, I decided on the mail. If there were something important in the e-mails that needed my immediate attention, surely I would get a phone call, I surmised. I looked at the phone, and there were fifty-nine messages. Well, I probably did get a phone call about something important.

“I’ll tackle the phone calls next,” I said out loud.

I worked until closing. It felt good to have touched base with the lives of Aunt Clove and Aunt Grace. I was inspired by them. Not everything is about murder, mayhem, and unsolved cases.

CHAPTER 25

I woke up Wednesday morning with Gwen’s suicide and the people who committed suicide that Gam told me about on my mind. It seems like all these people committed suicide because they couldn’t cope with something. So what is it that Gwen couldn’t handle? On the trip to Serenity, I had a revelation that Gwen was involved in Duffy’s murder. This was constantly on my mind. I knew this was my inner voice making me deal with the issue. This constant presence of the issue was not going to go away until I did.

I walked into my kitchen, poured a glass of water, sat at the table, and then figuratively put on my thinking cap. Deep reflecting and concentrating most assuredly would provide an answer, I surmised. I began by remembering that Gwen and Carolyn sat on the bus together, shared a room together, and ate their meals together. Dimma and I did the same thing. So what did that tell me? Nothing, except that they knew each other well enough to be willing to share a room for a few days on a trip from home. They were best friends. They knew just about everything about each other. Best friends understand when you’re upset, and best friends don’t hide their true feeling from one another.

“Carolyn knows why Gwen committed suicide. That’s why she is not returning my phone call. I ask too many questions for her liking,” I said out loud. “That means Carolyn is in on Duffy’s murder too. But why?”

She knows why Gwen committed suicide. Best friends have a second sense about what is going on in each other’s lives. Dimma and I can sense when something is wrong by our facial expressions and body language, even when we are trying to hide it.

Yes, Carolyn knew Gwen was suicidal. Did she try to stop it? I need more information. Detective Rivers might have some answers. I decided to call her as soon as I arrived at work. I showered, dressed, and