knocked on the door.
Darcy was surprised when Blake opened the door. She hadn’t seen him all morning and had just assumed he’d gone to work. Now she had to think fast. She needed a reason for being here. “Uh, hi Blake. I was just passing by and…”
She trailed off, the half-formed excuse dying on her tongue. She took a better look at Blake. His face was terribly flushed and he looked feverish. He tried to speak but went into a bad coughing fit. She took a step back on the porch, realizing how sick he was. He looked awful.
“Oh, Darcy. What are you…are you…” he had to stop as another coughing fit racked him. Darcy hoped that she wouldn’t get infected with whatever it was that he had. “Sorry, Darcy. Can’t stay and talk.” Cough, cough. “Listen, as long as you’re here, Pete is in the other room. Maybe you can cheer him up a bit? He is having a hard time over Anna’s death.” Cough, hack, cough.
Pete came into the entryway at that moment. “Blake, get back into bed. I can take care of Darcy.”
They watched as Blake shuffled away towards his bedroom. Pete closed the door behind her and Darcy followed him into the living room. “Would you like some tea?” he offered.
“Oh yes please, that would be lovely.” She was relieved not to have to explain herself now. She was here to check on Pete. It was the neighborly thing to do. That was all.
It didn’t take any time at all for Pete to start talking about Anna and how close they once were. “You know I never stopped loving her. She always laughed and shrugged me off when I tried to tell her, but that didn’t change my feelings for her.”
He looked so sad that Darcy just couldn’t see him as Anna’s killer. “It’s a terrible thing, Pete. I miss her too.”
“I know. It was worse for you, Darcy. You had to find her. I can’t…I can’t imagine.”
“Yes, that was hard. I didn’t see you at the festival that night, Pete. Where were you?” There. That was subtle, wasn’t it?
She hadn’t been prepared for him to start crying. “I was here, taking care of Blake. He’s had this flu for weeks now. I must look like a wreck. I’m so sorry for crying Darcy. I’ve been so depressed since hearing the news about Anna that I haven’t been able to sleep. I can’t eat. I cry at every little thing. I even had my doctor write me an emergency prescription for a sleep aid.” He held up the package that she had seen Doctor Sandal give him. “I really need to get some sleep.”
Darcy felt horrible that she had ever suspected Pete. He wasn’t the one to do this horrible thing. Now that she’d talked to him face to face, she was sure of it. She stayed with him for a while, comforting him as best she could, and then left him alone. She was frustrated that she was back to square one.
Chapter Eleven
The next day didn’t get any better.
In the book store, the bell over the door jingled and in walked the last man on Earth that Darcy wanted to see. Jeff smiled in that arrogant way he had and sauntered up to the counter. Sue rolled her eyes before going off into the back. She had her own opinion of Darcy’s ex-husband. It more or less mirrored Darcy’s own opinion.
“Jeff, I’m so not in the mood for you today. Just go.” She hoped that would be the end of it. It wasn’t.
He held up his hands, palms facing out to her. “I come in peace.”
Darcy didn’t believe him and folded her arms across her chest. “Then what do you want?”
“You’re being awfully tough on someone who is here to help. I have news about Anna. I was going to tell the police but then I changed my mind. I figured, why not tell you first?”
Darcy stood up straighter and let her arms fall to her sides. She did not trust him, but Jeff had gotten her interest. He’d always known how to do that. “Well, keep talking.”
His smile got wider. “On the night Anna was killed I saw her at the festival. She seemed really upset. She seemed to be talking to
Darcy was surprised when Blake opened the door. She hadn’t seen him all morning and had just assumed he’d gone to work. Now she had to think fast. She needed a reason for being here. “Uh, hi Blake. I was just passing by and…”
She trailed off, the half-formed excuse dying on her tongue. She took a better look at Blake. His face was terribly flushed and he looked feverish. He tried to speak but went into a bad coughing fit. She took a step back on the porch, realizing how sick he was. He looked awful.
“Oh, Darcy. What are you…are you…” he had to stop as another coughing fit racked him. Darcy hoped that she wouldn’t get infected with whatever it was that he had. “Sorry, Darcy. Can’t stay and talk.” Cough, cough. “Listen, as long as you’re here, Pete is in the other room. Maybe you can cheer him up a bit? He is having a hard time over Anna’s death.” Cough, hack, cough.
Pete came into the entryway at that moment. “Blake, get back into bed. I can take care of Darcy.”
They watched as Blake shuffled away towards his bedroom. Pete closed the door behind her and Darcy followed him into the living room. “Would you like some tea?” he offered.
“Oh yes please, that would be lovely.” She was relieved not to have to explain herself now. She was here to check on Pete. It was the neighborly thing to do. That was all.
It didn’t take any time at all for Pete to start talking about Anna and how close they once were. “You know I never stopped loving her. She always laughed and shrugged me off when I tried to tell her, but that didn’t change my feelings for her.”
He looked so sad that Darcy just couldn’t see him as Anna’s killer. “It’s a terrible thing, Pete. I miss her too.”
“I know. It was worse for you, Darcy. You had to find her. I can’t…I can’t imagine.”
“Yes, that was hard. I didn’t see you at the festival that night, Pete. Where were you?” There. That was subtle, wasn’t it?
She hadn’t been prepared for him to start crying. “I was here, taking care of Blake. He’s had this flu for weeks now. I must look like a wreck. I’m so sorry for crying Darcy. I’ve been so depressed since hearing the news about Anna that I haven’t been able to sleep. I can’t eat. I cry at every little thing. I even had my doctor write me an emergency prescription for a sleep aid.” He held up the package that she had seen Doctor Sandal give him. “I really need to get some sleep.”
Darcy felt horrible that she had ever suspected Pete. He wasn’t the one to do this horrible thing. Now that she’d talked to him face to face, she was sure of it. She stayed with him for a while, comforting him as best she could, and then left him alone. She was frustrated that she was back to square one.
Chapter Eleven
The next day didn’t get any better.
In the book store, the bell over the door jingled and in walked the last man on Earth that Darcy wanted to see. Jeff smiled in that arrogant way he had and sauntered up to the counter. Sue rolled her eyes before going off into the back. She had her own opinion of Darcy’s ex-husband. It more or less mirrored Darcy’s own opinion.
“Jeff, I’m so not in the mood for you today. Just go.” She hoped that would be the end of it. It wasn’t.
He held up his hands, palms facing out to her. “I come in peace.”
Darcy didn’t believe him and folded her arms across her chest. “Then what do you want?”
“You’re being awfully tough on someone who is here to help. I have news about Anna. I was going to tell the police but then I changed my mind. I figured, why not tell you first?”
Darcy stood up straighter and let her arms fall to her sides. She did not trust him, but Jeff had gotten her interest. He’d always known how to do that. “Well, keep talking.”
His smile got wider. “On the night Anna was killed I saw her at the festival. She seemed really upset. She seemed to be talking to
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