Chocolate Covered Murder by Leslie Meier Page B

I can commit to Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.”
    â€œThat gives me Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday,” said Lucy. “Not good, but better than every day.”
    â€œGood.” Frankie nodded. “I must run. I’ve got a couple who want to buy a house.”
    â€œGood for you!” exclaimed Lucy, who knew Frankie was a real estate agent. “Does this mean the market is turning around?”
    â€œI wish,” moaned Frankie. “They’re older, a retired couple, I think they have money. Very cultured, they talk about art and music. Awfully particular. I’ve showed them a lot of places already, but nothing has been quite right. They have excellent taste; they’re staying at the Queen Vic while they look.”
    Frankie started to go but Lucy caught her arm. “I have to write a story about an older couple who’ve made love last—do you think they’d be good subjects?”
    Frankie broke into a broad grin. “Absolutely!”
    â€œYou say they’re at the Queen Vic?”
    â€œYes. Roger and Helen Faircloth are their names. You can say I suggested them to you.”
    â€œThanks,” said Lucy, vowing to call them as soon as she got back to the office.
    The heavy blue tarp was still hanging in the doorway when she arrived, as Bill had set the door on sawhorses and was working away at it with a plane. Phyllis, who was bundled up in her winter coat, took the hot cup gratefully, and so did Bill.
    â€œI’m almost finished,” he said, taking a long swallow and setting his cup aside.
    â€œCan I help?’ asked Lucy.
    â€œNope,” he said, running the plane over the edge of the door a few more times and then rehanging it on its hinges. He pushed it shut, and the latch clicked easily. “All done.”
    â€œGood work,” said Lucy, seating herself at her desk and sipping her coffee. “What are you doing next?”
    Bill had settled in Ted’s chair, enjoying his coffee break. “I’m going to see about a job on Parallel Street, a bathroom remodel. What about you?”
    â€œI’ve got to set up some interviews,” said Lucy. “And I’ve got to pick up Sara and Renee.”
    Bill nodded and began packing up his tools.
    When he was gone, Lucy reached for the phone and called the Queen Victoria Inn. Helen Faircloth did indeed sound quite charming on the phone, but she and her husband were not available this afternoon or Friday since they would be house hunting. Lucy set up an appointment for Saturday afternoon, at the inn. Then she got to work on the birth announcements, one of the paper’s most popular features, noticing a decided uptick in the number of unmarried parents. She sent an e-mail to Ted, suggesting they do a feature story on the trend, and at five o’clock she left for the day, heading over to Fern’s Famous to pick up Sara and Renee.
    Parking in front of the fudge shop, she had a clear view through the plate glass windows. There was no sign of Sara or Renee, who she guessed must be busy in a back room, but she saw Lily, Max and Dora’s daughter, standing by the cash register, staring off into the distance. Then she turned and smiled and Lucy saw the girls, pulling on their jackets and coming toward the door, so she gave a quick honk to let them know she was waiting.
    â€œHow’d it go?” she asked, as they piled into the car.
    â€œWe got to make fudge,” said Sara. “It’s easy.”
    â€œWe can eat as much as we want,” said Renee.
    â€œBetter watch that,” advised Lucy. “It’s very fattening.” She pulled out into the road. “Did I see Lily working there?”
    â€œYeah,” said Sara.
    â€œI thought she was at college in Rhode Island,” said Lucy. “Did she come home because of her dad’s death?”
    â€œShe’s taking a semester off,” said Renee. “She wanted to go back, but her parents