Sealed with a Kill by Lucy Lawrence Page A

seat across from her while Ella sat on her right.
    “Now, we got this from a very reliable source,” Marie said.
    “Polly Evans, the cashier at the grocery store, heard it from Bonnie Jeffries at the post office,” Ella said.
    “Who heard it from Tyler Markham, who works in the accounting department at Lester and Morse,” Marie added.
    “There has been talk at the company that Lester wanted out,” Ella concluded.
    Brenna waited, but they said nothing further. “That’s it?”
    “I think that’s a lot,” Ella huffed.
    “Absolutely,” Marie said. “If Harvey Lester wanted out, and Rupert Morse couldn’t afford to buy him out, then maybe Rupert got desperate.”
    “And murdered him,” Ella said.
    “Or hired someone to murder him,” Marie said.
    “You should ask that boyfriend of yours, the mobster,” Ella said. “Maybe he knows the triggerman.”
    Brenna had to fight to keep her eyes from rolling back into her head. “He’s not my boyfriend and he doesn’t know any triggermen.”
    The twins gave her the same dubious look.
    “Well, at least I don’t think he knows any,” she said.
    The door opened and Brenna put on her greet-the-customer face, but it slipped away when she took in a pale, red-eyed Tenley.
    The twins hopped up from their seats.
    “I’ll make some tea,” Ella said.
    “I’ll get some cookies,” Marie offered.
    In a rare showing of compassion and tact, they left Brenna alone with Tenley to comfort her. Brenna had no doubt that they had their ears pressed to the door, but still she appreciated that they’d vacated the area.
    “Are you okay?” she asked as Tenley collapsed into one of the chairs at the table.
    “Let’s just say that today has not been one of my best,” she said. “Uncle Harvey is dead, they’ve taken my father in for questioning, and I . . .”
    Tenley’s voice broke and Brenna draped her arm around her shoulders. She wondered what Tenley had been about to say but she didn’t want to grill her.
    “Is your mom with him?” Brenna asked.
    “Yes, Tricia Morse is trying to work her charm on Chief Barker. It’s not really taking,” Tenley said. “My sister Carrie is with them.”
    “She’s the oldest, the bossy one, right?” Brenna asked. Tenley gave her a small smile.
    “Yeah, she was telling my father not to lawyer up. Apparently, she watches a lot of court TV and feels that she is adequate legal counsel at this juncture.”
    Brenna felt her lips twitch. She tried to swallow it, truly she did, but the laugh escaped and she was powerless to stop it. Tenley took one look at her and a chuckle erupted from her as well.
    It was probably part hysterics from finding a body on Brenna’s part and part hysterics at having the body belong to a longtime family friend on Tenley’s part, but whatever the reason, they laughed until the Porter sisters reappeared with tea and cookies and gave them reproachful stares.
    “Sorry,” Tenley snorted. “I’m just a teeny bit hysterical.”
    “Well, I should think so,” Ella said. “A Morse, a member of Morse Point’s founding family, suspected of murder, well, it’s unconscionable.”
    Tenley abruptly sobered up. “My father didn’t murder anyone. I’ve heard the rumors that Uncle Harvey wanted out, but you know my father. He’s the straightest arrow I’ve ever known. He and Uncle Harvey would have worked something out. I’m sure of it.”
    Marie and Ella were silent. Brenna didn’t know what to say. In the past few months, two people that she never would have thought were capable of murder had done just that. She was beginning to think you never really knew what a person was capable of when they became desperate.
    As if their silence condemned her father, Tenley turned pleading eyes to Brenna. “You’ll help me, won’t you?”
    “Of course,” Brenna said. “I’ll do anything to help. I can watch the shop while you and your family get through this, and I can bake you up some comfort food. I’m known