A Body at Book Club (Myrtle Clover Mysteries) by Elizabeth Spann Craig Page A

I could do with my yard.”
    “What’s your situation?”
    “Erma Sherman and her crabgrass. I’m in the trenches, fighting a war with crabgrass, and can’t devote any of my time to frippery like impatiens or gardenias,” said Myrtle.
    “But you weren’t at that meeting,” said Miles. “So you don’t know exactly what took place.”
    “No, I’ll have to ask people about it. You see, there were a couple of meetings that I missed. One was the regular meeting with the speaker from the extension office. The other was the annual luncheon. So the murderer could have found out about Destroying Angel mushrooms at the meeting and then had the opportunity to poison Naomi with them at the luncheon. And it makes me very irritated that I didn’t make it to either one,” said Myrtle, now feeling grouchy.
    Miles took a sip of his coffee. “Lena Fowler wouldn’t have been at that garden club meeting though, right? She’d mentioned being out of town.”
    “She did,” said Myrtle. “But she also told us that she was familiar with Destroying Angel mushrooms because of her research into poisons that affect family pets. Remember? So this is something she could have come up with on her own without having attended garden club.”
    “Doesn’t that seem like a coincidence though?” asked Miles. “That she would happen on that very method of poisoning Naomi, right after the garden club meeting that mentioned it?”
    “That’s what makes it the perfect poison, though. By using Destroying Angel mushrooms, Lena could make it appear as though the garden club members might be responsible…and, conveniently, she was out of town for that meeting,” said Myrtle. “Maybe she even heard a garden club member chatting about the meeting at her clinic and realized that would be the best way to finally get rid of Naomi. Or maybe she read the minutes from the last meeting—they’re always listed online.”
    “She certainly still seemed to carry a grudge,” said Miles thoughtfully. “It’s something to consider, for sure. Do you think Red has already heard that that was a topic at the meeting?”
    “I hope not. That gives me some time to question some of those women before he catches on. As far as he knows, I’m just trying to interact with them because of garden club business.” She finished her coffee and pushed it away so that she could lean her elbows on the table. “Could you drive me somewhere tomorrow?”
    Miles was cautious. “Where?”
    “Just somewhere too far for me to drive. I have an errand,” said Myrtle carelessly. Miles wouldn’t want to drive her if he knew where she was going.
    “You’re not going to that psychic’s house, are you?” he asked suspiciously.
    Myrtle blinked at him. “Are you psychic yourself? Maybe it runs in the family.” She hid a smile. Miles had been shocked to discover that the local psychic Wanda and her brother Crazy Dan were cousins of his. Shocked and discouraged.
    “Why do you want to go see that old charlatan?” asked Miles with a groan. “She spends her days cheating the gullible out of their hard-earned cash.”
    “You’re simply still reeling from the fact that you’re cousins,” said Myrtle with a sniff. “If you don’t want to go over there, just let me borrow the car. Wanda may be rough around the edges, but she has great insight and intuition.” She gave a little shiver. Sometimes Wanda was spookily on target.
    “Rough around the edges? Wanda is rough all over. I think you’re fascinated with her because she keeps giving you these dire prophesies. You’re like a deer in the headlights,” said Miles.
    “Like I said, if you don’t want to go, just let me borrow your Volvo. Come on, Miles—what are friends for?” She gave him a pleading look.
    “All right,” said Miles in a grouchy tone. “I suppose we can go tomorrow afternoon. I’m going to bring my hand sanitizer, though. Crazy Dan and Wanda’s home could use some spring-cleaning. Summer, fall,