Read Online A Murderer Among Us by Marilyn Levinson - Free Book Online

clubhouse. No one had much to add to what she already knew. The only interesting piece of information came from a widow named Audrey Fuller, whose husband, Frank, had died the previous May.
    “He loved to birdwatch, Frank did. All spring and summer. He kept an accurate record of every bird he saw. Wrote it down in his diary.”
    Lydia was about to cut the conversation short, then was glad she hadn’t when Audrey added, “That morning he went to his favorite spot—the arboretum across Bellewood Road. You know where it is?”
    Lydia nodded. The older woman’s eyes filled with tears.
    “The police said he must have fallen and hit his head on a rock, but I don’t believe that for a minute.” Audrey shook her head. “Not my Frank. He was always cautious where he stepped.”
    Frank had a digital camera, one she’d given him for his last birthday. He loved taking photos and always carried it with him. Audrey was certain he’d brought the camera with him the day he died, though it wasn’t on his person and never turned up. The police didn’t think this was important. They told her someone must have stolen the camera, or Frank must have lost it.
    Interesting, Lydia thought, but not relevant to Claire’s death. Much as she disliked the idea, it was time to call on both Claire’s husband and best friend, Viv Maguire. She’d do that tomorrow.
    She woke up after ten on Wednesday morning, discouraged and grumpy. Swimming laps would be just the thing to get her motor running properly again. The indoor pool was a godsend, she thought as she brushed her teeth. Except for the two men who swam every morning from seven-thirty till eight-fifteen, hardly anyone used it, so often she had the pool to herself. No need to watch out for wild elbows or splashing as other swimmers passed by. Most residents loved the card room, but the pool was her haven.
    She nodded to the few people she met in the clubhouse, and made her way down the steps to the women’s changing room. She took off her outer clothing, grabbed a towel and entered the pool.
    The water, several degrees cooler than tepid, always shocked her system. But she was willing to endure the brief unpleasantness for the wonderful benefits that followed. Once her body adjusted to the water temperature, Lydia floated on her back and let herself drift. Her mind emptied of all thought, her body released every tension. If heaven actually exists, being there must feel like this, she thought. Relaxed now, she began her crawl across the length of the pool.
    She managed to complete eight laps before her arms grew tired and she switched to the side stroke. She could continue for hours, she decided, if she were ever tossed off a ship and had to remain afloat. This and other inane thoughts flittered through her mind as she turned from the deep end of the pool.
    The sound came from behind—a mechanical type of noise, as if an awning were being raised or lowered. She glanced over her shoulder and saw that the pool cover—she hadn’t even known there was one—was moving toward her. Terror rose in her throat. She jerked forward, arms and legs flailing, so that she was splashing instead of making headway. Water entered her mouth, went down her trachea. She coughed.
    Mustn’t panic! She began swimming in earnest, kicking as hard as she could. The noise grew louder as the metal cover inched closer to her. It was six inches above the water line. Once it covered the pool, she wouldn’t be able to breathe. How on earth…?
    Don’t think. Concentrate! Swim fast. Faster! The steps were before her. Awkwardly, she scrambled to her feet and up the first step as the metal pushed against her hips. She took the second step, then the third, finally standing on the rim of the pool as the cover slammed shut behind her.
    “I’m safe,” she murmured, sinking into the nearest chair. She wrapped herself in her towel, attempting to soothe the tremors that racked her body. It was minutes before she could walk.