Part 20 (1/2)
”They do play with feet all day. Thankfully, everything was pretty quiet when I left. The guests were in the tearoom, playing cards and quilting. Here's hoping it stays that way.” Julie raised her coffee cup and they drank to that.
”Have you heard anything from the police? Do they have any idea who might have wanted Alice dead?”
”No.” Julie sighed. ”They've talked to each guest at various points throughout the weekend-discreetly, in person, and by phone. But to my knowledge, they have no solid leads.”
”I'm sorry to hear that.” Daniel paused. ”And what about you?”
”What about me?”
He c.o.c.ked a brow. ”Don't play coy. I know you've been doing some investigating of your own.”
She pursed her lips but didn't deny it.
”Do you have any leads?” he pressed.
”Nothing concrete. Only what Carrie told me she saw the night the lights went out. If only she'd gotten a good look at the person holding the book. I'm certain that's our murderer-one of them, at least. There could be two people working together for all I know.”
”I don't like this,” Daniel said, the worry evident in his eyes.
”That makes two of us,” Julie said. ”Nine o'clock tonight can't come soon enough.”
He lifted his cup in salute. ”To nine.”
She raised her mug to clink with his, but before she could complete the action, a movement across the street caught her attention. Sadie.
”So that's where she disappeared to,” she muttered to herself, watching her walk down the sidewalk.
”Who?” Daniel started to turn, but Julie ducked down, pulling Daniel sideways and underneath the table with her.
”Shhh,” she said.
”You mind telling me what's going on?” he asked, his nose inches from hers.
”Sadie Davidson is over there, across the street.” Julie watched as Sadie glanced nervously from one side to the other and then looked behind her as if she were being followed. She carried her big white handbag looped over one arm as she hustled down the sidewalk, neatly darting through the milling tourists. The woman suddenly appeared very spry for her age.
”I thought you said everyone was in the tearoom,” Daniel said.
”I did,” she hissed in return. ”I meant everyone except for Sadie. And Gregory.”
”And why are we under the table?” Daniel contorted his head around to peer at the older woman. ”And it better be a good reason because this is killing my back.”
”Because I don't want her to see me here.”
”Why not?” He pulled against her hold. ”You do live here after all.”
”Because we're going to follow her.”
”That's an interesting notion.” He pulled harder and broke free of her grasp so he could sit up straight in his seat. They'd garnered more than a few curious looks from the folks around them. ”Why are we going to follow her?”
”Because she's acting weird.” Julie sat up in her seat.
”So are you.”
”I wasn't the one who left my self-proclaimed 'bestie' all alone at the hospital in a strange town after she nearly died.” Julie grabbed the menu off the table and held it front of her face with one hand as she gathered her purse. ”Are you with me or not, Franklin?”
Daniel sighed, but his eyes sparkled with the light of rekindled adventure. ”How could I possibly resist?”
They walked together down the street, doing their best to stay out of Sadie's peripheral vision while not losing sight of her. It helped that the older woman was on the opposite side of the street, but Julie wasn't taking any chances.
”Something weird is going on with her,” Julie said. ”Why else would she leave Joyce at the hospital?”
”Maybe to enjoy the rest of her vacation.”
”Really?” She cast an annoyed glance at Daniel.
”Just a guess,” he replied.
”The two women seemed closer than that.” Julie glanced across the street again, but Sadie was nowhere to be seen. ”We've lost her!”
They stopped and scanned the entire street. As usual, there were a lot of people milling about the town, tourists and locals alike.
”There she is.” Daniel pointed just ahead of them.
As Sadie crossed the street and came toward them, Julie grabbed Daniel's s.h.i.+rt and dragged him into the alcove of a nearby store entrance.
Sadie's sweet-sounding voice drifted their way as she hurried past their hiding spot, her phone to her ear. ”...missing ... must have a master plan ... now I'm getting worried. ...”
”Did you hear that?” Julie said. ”I can't believe she's involved in any of this!”
”Bits and pieces-don't jump to conclusions.” Daniel fixed a stern look on her. ”She could've been talking about anything. That short conversation doesn't prove her guilt.”
”Yeah-and I'm the tooth fairy. Do you think she spotted us?”
”No.”
Julie peered around Daniel just in time to see Sadie dart into the hardware store. ”Not guilty, huh? What would Sadie possibly need from the hardware store during her vacation?”
Daniel shrugged. ”Maybe she's getting a new lock for her suitcase.”
”Or buying more tools to put in her handbag so she can pretend to be afraid.”
”What?”
Julie explained how everyone had started carrying around some form of makes.h.i.+ft weapon.
”Did you tell the detective about that?” Daniel asked.
”Detective Frost! Oh, gosh,” Julie said, fis.h.i.+ng her phone out of her purse. ”I completely forgot to tell him that we found the journal.”
”How could you forget to tell him something like that?”