Читать книгу Escape Claws - Linda Reilly - Страница 13

Chapter 5

The coffee shop chatter ceased abruptly, as if a magician had waved a wand over the room and flash-frozen everyone’s tongues. All eyes, including Lara’s, followed the curvaceous brunette who weaved across the dining room, her stiletto heels clicking, her faux-leopard jacket perfectly complemented by a black velvet beret.

Lara couldn’t help gawking, especially since the woman seemed to be moving in their direction. With the woman’s approach came a swirl of floral perfume, a scent that hovered over their table and settled there in a potent cloud.

Mary leaped out of her chair. “Aunt Josette, you’re here!” She stumbled toward the newcomer, nearly falling over the leg of Chris’s chair, and threw her arms around her. Another cascade of tears began flowing from Mary’s eyes.

“Mary, darling,” the woman cooed, returning the hug. She patted Mary on the back as if she were a fussy toddler. “There, there, darling. It’ll all be okay. I promise. Everything will work out just fine.”

Mary cried for at least a minute, then sucked in one last sniffle. She stepped back and swiped the heels of her hands over her runaway tears. “But Uncle Theo is dead, Aunt Josette, and someone killed him. You’re…you’re not really glad about that, are you?” She said that with all the innocence of a newborn, as if she couldn’t conceive of anyone disliking her uncle.

Looking somewhat embarrassed, the woman pushed a stray lock of dark hair away from Mary’s forehead. “No, of course not. I’m sorry I came off sounding so harsh about Theo. I keep forgetting he was your mom’s only brother.”

“That’s okay. Aunt Josette, this is Lara,” Mary said. “She’s Fran Clarkson’s niece. You remember Fran, right?”

Josette’s mascaraed eyes widened. “Oh my, of course I do. Lara, I am so very pleased to meet you.” She held out a smooth hand tipped with gorgeously manicured nails.

Lara pumped it briefly with her own unadorned hand, blinking at the baseball-sized diamond glittering from Josette’s right middle finger. “Same here,” she said.

“How is Fran these days?” Josette inquired, her voice laced with pity. “Does she still have all those, you know—”

“Cats?” Lara finished for her. “She has several, and they’re all doing fine. Everything is under control, in fact.” She had no intention of fueling any gossip about her aunt’s overflowing feline community. Besides, things were already better. Lara intended to see that they stayed that way.

“Well, that’s good,” Josette said, sounding unconvinced. She turned to Chris, greeting him with an airy kiss that didn’t quite make contact, then pressed a hand to Lara’s shoulder. “By the way, I can’t imagine what you must be thinking of me, Lara. I didn’t really mean that I was glad Theo was dead. Naturally, I’d never wish murder on anyone, but…well, you see, Theo and I didn’t exactly have an amicable divorce.”

And probably not an amicable marriage, Lara thought. She wondered how long Josette had been married to Barnes. Long enough to make her do a mental happy dance over his demise, that much was obvious.

“I understand your feelings,” Lara said, though she thought the woman was a bit crass for broadcasting them to everyone.

“Now dry your tears and come with me, Mary,” Josette said crisply. “I insist on taking you shopping. You’ll want something chic to wear to your uncle’s funeral, won’t you?”

Mary stared at her aunt through red-rimmed eyes. “I haven’t really thought about it, Aunt Josette. I don’t think I need to look chic, do I? I mean, I’m sure I have a navy dress—”

“Mary, I insist,” Josette said, taking her niece’s hand in her own. “If nothing else, it will take your mind off Theo.”

“Honey, maybe it would help if you went out shopping with Josette for a while,” Chris said. “Clear your head a little.”

“But I have to be at work by two!”

“Can’t you get time off?” Josette crinkled her tiny nose over a sharply drawn frown. “You certainly have good reason.”

“I know, but we’re super short-staffed this week. I’d hate to let my boss down. She’s been so good to me. Besides, I’ll need time off for the funeral, so I should really go to work today.”

Josette hesitated, then released a sigh. “All right. Then we’ll just go window-shopping for a bit, okay?” She chucked her niece under the chin, a gesture that made Lara cringe. Did she always treat Mary like a child?

With a nod, Mary relented. “Okay, but only for a little while.”

The pair made their farewells and headed for the exit. Josette led the way, high heels reverberating off the linoleum, while Mary shuffled dolefully behind her. Lara took that as her cue to make a hasty departure.

“I’m afraid I need to go as well,” Lara said, gathering up her tote. “I want to pick up a few groceries for my aunt. My rental car is back at the house.” Still blocked by a state police car? she wondered.

Chris looked relieved. He pulled a twenty from his wallet, dropped it on the table, and rose from his chair. “That’s for all of us, okay?” His laugh sounded nervous. “I’d appreciate it if you’d call me when you find out anything new, Lara.”

Lara nodded, doubtful she’d be able to supply him with the kind of juicy tidbits he was angling for. “Thanks, Chris. I don’t think the police will share with me, but I’ll definitely keep you in mind.”

The clot of people who’d filled the coffee shop earlier had loosened. Daisy was taking orders and delivering meals, but she didn’t look quite as frazzled as she had when Lara first came in.

Lara went over to the counter to let Sherry know she was leaving. She found her friend expertly stacking bacon, lettuce, turkey, and tomato slices into a hearty club. Lara leaned over the counter and gave her Chris’s twenty, explaining that he’d offered to pay.

“Not necessary, but I’ll take it,” Sherry said. “I’ll make sure his next meal here is on the house. Hey, you have to come back later, okay? We never got a chance to dish!”

“I know, and I’ll try. I want to get as much done for Aunt Fran as I can. This little matter with…you-know-who hasn’t helped things any.”

Sherry gave a nod of acknowledgment. “I hear you, girl. When do you have to go back to Boston?” she asked glumly.

Lara didn’t know how to answer that. “I guess that remains to be seen. The police kind of hinted that they don’t want me to leave town—”

“Seriously?” Sherry’s eyes widened. “I read somewhere that, technically, the cops can’t do that.”

Lara shrugged. “I guess I’m a person of interest, as they say on TV. But, like I said, it was only a suggestion.” She said it with far more nonchalance than she felt. In reality, it was terrifying to be a suspect in a murder.

If that’s what she was.

“Ridiculous,” Sherry sputtered. “Never mind. Come back when you get a chance, okay? Even if it’s only for a few minutes.”

Lara promised she’d do her best.