into a seat, then left the room promising refreshment.
Comfortable in an overstuffed chair, Kate glanced around the small cottage and imagined herself swaddled in a tea cozy. Chintz covered the furniture, and cat figurines posed on small shelves and across the narrow windowsills. It completely clashed with the streamlined kitchen work area at the Nethercutt mansion. She wondered about the incongruity but didn't have much time to think further as Mrs. Baxter bustled in carrying a tray of cups and a tall stainless steel carafe. A rich coffee aroma filled the crowded room.
"I must apologize." Mrs. Baxter passed a sugar bowl and tongs. "Normally I would offer tea and scones, but…after…"
Kate's words rushed, "No, I should be the one apologizing, showing up here today of all days." She set the sugar bowl next to her cup and saucer, and then wrapped Mrs. Baxter's hand in her own. "I had such a horrible ordeal with the police yesterday, I think I needed to find someone who could help make some sense of it all. But like you, tea is anathema to me. When I couldn't sleep last night, I chose warm milk for the exact same reason you brought coffee. Oh, I'm rambling. I should never have come."
Mrs. Baxter used her free hand to pat Kate's. "Nonsense. You're entirely right to be here. How else to get to the bottom of this silliness? Hauling everyone into the station like common criminals! They fingerprinted me. Of course my fingerprints covered the house." The snowy head shook in indignation. Mrs. Baxter pulled free and took a tissue from her peacock-blue dress pocket.
"I didn't mind the printing," Kate said, savoring the unusually nutty flavor of the coffee's rich blend. "Like you, however, I did feel uneasy having to defend myself. I had no motive to kill Amelia."
The cook's mouth formed a straight line. "Isn't that the truth? Like the woman's heirs haven't been itching to grab their inheritances for years. And, of course, Sophia blamed Miss Amelia for Mr. Daniel's death."
"What?"
"Oh, yes." Mrs. Baxter added two sugar cubes to her own coffee and stirred. "For the past year, Mr. Daniel's heart condition had been worrying everyone. His poor doctor had a devil of a time trying to get his medicine stabilized. But Miss Amelia tired of our Vermont winter and decided it was imperative they go to Washington in time for the cherry blossoms and another few days to jaunt around Georgetown searching for new collectibles . Followed it all up with the silly homecoming party. Completely wore out the poor man's heart. He died the same night, as if…Well, I hate to mention anything that hints of gossip, but it was…" Mrs. Baxter motioned Kate closer, lowering her voice, "Almost as if Amelia had planned the whole thing as a kind of…a send-off."
While Mrs. Baxter's hesitant speech and affected actions suggested discomfort at the revelation, Kate couldn't miss the light that gleamed deep in the woman's eyes. Mrs. Baxter's bitter words echoed the comment Amelia made the day she died about widowhood versus divorce. Had Amelia said it more than the one time? The words had come right after Mrs. Baxter's departure for the store, but had the cook actually left? It would have been easy for her to stay out of sight in the hall and overhear the conversation. Did she really know something about Mr. Daniel's death that threw a shadow of suspicion on the murdered woman? "Did the doctor tell them not to go?"
"Not exactly." Mrs. Baxter took an exploratory sip of coffee. "But it's no secret whatever Miss Amelia wanted, Miss Amelia got."
"Did anyone in her family resent her for being controlling?"
"Resent her?" Mrs. Baxter laughed so hard she had to put down her cup. "They didn't resent her. They despised her."
"Everyone?"
"Except for Mr. Daniel." Mrs. Baxter took a ladyfinger from the cookie plate. "He adored Miss Amelia. Even after ten years of marriage, he wanted to do whatever made her happy. Infuriated his son and daughter. Would you like a cookie,
Comfortable in an overstuffed chair, Kate glanced around the small cottage and imagined herself swaddled in a tea cozy. Chintz covered the furniture, and cat figurines posed on small shelves and across the narrow windowsills. It completely clashed with the streamlined kitchen work area at the Nethercutt mansion. She wondered about the incongruity but didn't have much time to think further as Mrs. Baxter bustled in carrying a tray of cups and a tall stainless steel carafe. A rich coffee aroma filled the crowded room.
"I must apologize." Mrs. Baxter passed a sugar bowl and tongs. "Normally I would offer tea and scones, but…after…"
Kate's words rushed, "No, I should be the one apologizing, showing up here today of all days." She set the sugar bowl next to her cup and saucer, and then wrapped Mrs. Baxter's hand in her own. "I had such a horrible ordeal with the police yesterday, I think I needed to find someone who could help make some sense of it all. But like you, tea is anathema to me. When I couldn't sleep last night, I chose warm milk for the exact same reason you brought coffee. Oh, I'm rambling. I should never have come."
Mrs. Baxter used her free hand to pat Kate's. "Nonsense. You're entirely right to be here. How else to get to the bottom of this silliness? Hauling everyone into the station like common criminals! They fingerprinted me. Of course my fingerprints covered the house." The snowy head shook in indignation. Mrs. Baxter pulled free and took a tissue from her peacock-blue dress pocket.
"I didn't mind the printing," Kate said, savoring the unusually nutty flavor of the coffee's rich blend. "Like you, however, I did feel uneasy having to defend myself. I had no motive to kill Amelia."
The cook's mouth formed a straight line. "Isn't that the truth? Like the woman's heirs haven't been itching to grab their inheritances for years. And, of course, Sophia blamed Miss Amelia for Mr. Daniel's death."
"What?"
"Oh, yes." Mrs. Baxter added two sugar cubes to her own coffee and stirred. "For the past year, Mr. Daniel's heart condition had been worrying everyone. His poor doctor had a devil of a time trying to get his medicine stabilized. But Miss Amelia tired of our Vermont winter and decided it was imperative they go to Washington in time for the cherry blossoms and another few days to jaunt around Georgetown searching for new collectibles . Followed it all up with the silly homecoming party. Completely wore out the poor man's heart. He died the same night, as if…Well, I hate to mention anything that hints of gossip, but it was…" Mrs. Baxter motioned Kate closer, lowering her voice, "Almost as if Amelia had planned the whole thing as a kind of…a send-off."
While Mrs. Baxter's hesitant speech and affected actions suggested discomfort at the revelation, Kate couldn't miss the light that gleamed deep in the woman's eyes. Mrs. Baxter's bitter words echoed the comment Amelia made the day she died about widowhood versus divorce. Had Amelia said it more than the one time? The words had come right after Mrs. Baxter's departure for the store, but had the cook actually left? It would have been easy for her to stay out of sight in the hall and overhear the conversation. Did she really know something about Mr. Daniel's death that threw a shadow of suspicion on the murdered woman? "Did the doctor tell them not to go?"
"Not exactly." Mrs. Baxter took an exploratory sip of coffee. "But it's no secret whatever Miss Amelia wanted, Miss Amelia got."
"Did anyone in her family resent her for being controlling?"
"Resent her?" Mrs. Baxter laughed so hard she had to put down her cup. "They didn't resent her. They despised her."
"Everyone?"
"Except for Mr. Daniel." Mrs. Baxter took a ladyfinger from the cookie plate. "He adored Miss Amelia. Even after ten years of marriage, he wanted to do whatever made her happy. Infuriated his son and daughter. Would you like a cookie,
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