Murder the Tey Way: A Golden Age of Mystery Book Club Mystery (The Golden Age of Mystery Book Club Mysteries 2) by Marilyn Levinson
Authors: Marilyn Levinson
Ads: Link
Lion’s Head Inn the second Saturday night in December. Joy has a big one coming up December fifteenth.”
I counted on my fingers. “She’ll be thirty-five.”
“Right. She tells me she’s turning into an old hag, though I swear she looks as good as when we met. Still, every morning she checks her eyes for crow’s feet and other signs of aging.”
“What should I say?” I asked dryly.
Mike chuckled. “Come on, sweetie. You know you look great.”
Sweetie! “You mean, for my age?”
“Hey, Lex, I thought we were friends. What’s with the attitude?”
“Did you call someone last night and whisper into the phone?”
He thought a bit. “I called my sister. Started telling her about the surprise party, when Joy came into the room.”
“Joy thinks you’re having an affair.”
“You’re putting me on, right?”
“No.”
“That’s crazy, Lexie. Why would I have an affair?”
Because that’s what men do , I thought, then reconsidered. Mike wasn’t most men. Joy and his kids came first. “I believe you. The problem is, you have to convince Joy that you’re not.”
“I refuse to tell her about the party,” he insisted. “It’s gotta be a surprise.”
“She’s furious, Mike. You’d better come up with something.”
“I’ll work on it,” he said and hung up.
CHAPTER SIX
A fierce wind was gusting when I turned down Magnolia Lane late Friday afternoon. I had an armful of papers to grade that would keep me busy most of the weekend. I’d stopped at the supermarket for Puss’s food, but they were out of the only flavor he’d eat. I had to go to two pet stores before I managed to buy a carton of his turkey meals. I hoped the company wasn’t planning to stop making that particular formula. If they did, I’d have a starving feline on my hands.
“Lexie!”
I slammed on the brakes, barely managing to avoid hitting Felicity as she dashed in front of my car to reach me.
I rolled down the window. “Careful, Felicity! I nearly mowed you down!” Again , I thought, but didn’t have the heart to say aloud.
She flashed me a nervous smile. “You’d never do that.”
“Not on purpose , but what if I couldn’t stop in time?”
“Sorry.” She leaned on the frame of the rolled-down window. In a frantic whisper, she asked, “Lexie, what was Leo doing in your backyard yesterday morning?”
“Leo? Oh, you mean Len.”
She nodded. Even in the poor light I could make out her strained expression.
“I’ve no idea what he was doing there. Did you know him?”
“Yes. He came to our house to fix the furnace.”
“He fixed things for me, too.”
“But he liked me! ”
For a moment I feared the poor creature was deranged. Tears filled her eyes. Regardless of what went on inside her head, her emotions were real.
Then it hit me. “Felicity, had you arranged to see Len er-Leo Wednesday night?”
The tears spilled down her cheeks. “We had a date, but Corinne said I had to go to the meeting. I didn’t want her to find out about Leo and me, so I went.”
“Do you think he looked in on our meeting hoping to catch your attention?”
She nodded again. “He asked me to meet him instead of going to the meeting because he had to tell me something important. I said I would.” She glanced around, worried someone might hear us. “But Corinne was in one of her moods. When that happens, there’s no talking to her. And I couldn’t call Leo. Not with Corinne in the house.”
“Why not, Felicity? Why not tell Corinne you had a date with your boyfriend?”
Felicity reared back, as if I’d dangled a snake in her face.
“Corinne says I’m too fragile to have a boyfriend. I’d be devastated if we broke up, and then…” she gulped, “and then I’d end up going back to the hospital.”
“You were in the hospital?”
“Yes, but I’m fine now. Only Corinne worries. She’d be angry if she found out about Leo.” She gripped my hand so hard, it hurt. “You won’t tell
I counted on my fingers. “She’ll be thirty-five.”
“Right. She tells me she’s turning into an old hag, though I swear she looks as good as when we met. Still, every morning she checks her eyes for crow’s feet and other signs of aging.”
“What should I say?” I asked dryly.
Mike chuckled. “Come on, sweetie. You know you look great.”
Sweetie! “You mean, for my age?”
“Hey, Lex, I thought we were friends. What’s with the attitude?”
“Did you call someone last night and whisper into the phone?”
He thought a bit. “I called my sister. Started telling her about the surprise party, when Joy came into the room.”
“Joy thinks you’re having an affair.”
“You’re putting me on, right?”
“No.”
“That’s crazy, Lexie. Why would I have an affair?”
Because that’s what men do , I thought, then reconsidered. Mike wasn’t most men. Joy and his kids came first. “I believe you. The problem is, you have to convince Joy that you’re not.”
“I refuse to tell her about the party,” he insisted. “It’s gotta be a surprise.”
“She’s furious, Mike. You’d better come up with something.”
“I’ll work on it,” he said and hung up.
CHAPTER SIX
A fierce wind was gusting when I turned down Magnolia Lane late Friday afternoon. I had an armful of papers to grade that would keep me busy most of the weekend. I’d stopped at the supermarket for Puss’s food, but they were out of the only flavor he’d eat. I had to go to two pet stores before I managed to buy a carton of his turkey meals. I hoped the company wasn’t planning to stop making that particular formula. If they did, I’d have a starving feline on my hands.
“Lexie!”
I slammed on the brakes, barely managing to avoid hitting Felicity as she dashed in front of my car to reach me.
I rolled down the window. “Careful, Felicity! I nearly mowed you down!” Again , I thought, but didn’t have the heart to say aloud.
She flashed me a nervous smile. “You’d never do that.”
“Not on purpose , but what if I couldn’t stop in time?”
“Sorry.” She leaned on the frame of the rolled-down window. In a frantic whisper, she asked, “Lexie, what was Leo doing in your backyard yesterday morning?”
“Leo? Oh, you mean Len.”
She nodded. Even in the poor light I could make out her strained expression.
“I’ve no idea what he was doing there. Did you know him?”
“Yes. He came to our house to fix the furnace.”
“He fixed things for me, too.”
“But he liked me! ”
For a moment I feared the poor creature was deranged. Tears filled her eyes. Regardless of what went on inside her head, her emotions were real.
Then it hit me. “Felicity, had you arranged to see Len er-Leo Wednesday night?”
The tears spilled down her cheeks. “We had a date, but Corinne said I had to go to the meeting. I didn’t want her to find out about Leo and me, so I went.”
“Do you think he looked in on our meeting hoping to catch your attention?”
She nodded again. “He asked me to meet him instead of going to the meeting because he had to tell me something important. I said I would.” She glanced around, worried someone might hear us. “But Corinne was in one of her moods. When that happens, there’s no talking to her. And I couldn’t call Leo. Not with Corinne in the house.”
“Why not, Felicity? Why not tell Corinne you had a date with your boyfriend?”
Felicity reared back, as if I’d dangled a snake in her face.
“Corinne says I’m too fragile to have a boyfriend. I’d be devastated if we broke up, and then…” she gulped, “and then I’d end up going back to the hospital.”
“You were in the hospital?”
“Yes, but I’m fine now. Only Corinne worries. She’d be angry if she found out about Leo.” She gripped my hand so hard, it hurt. “You won’t tell
Similar Books
