Read Online Arsenic with Austen by Katherine Bolger Hyde - Free Book Online Page A

“Right. Catch up with you later, then.” He reached down and took her hand. “Em—we really do have to talk.”
    â€œI know. But maybe we’d better wait till you’re off duty.” She eased her hand from his grasp before his touch could make her change her mind. “You don’t need to walk me back. I’ll just go straight to the clinic from here.”
    She headed north, then glanced back. Luke was still looking after her, his gray eyes as fathomless as the sea.
    *   *   *
    The clinic proved to be almost as well disguised as the sheriff’s office, but the sign was a little more obvious. Emily entered an empty waiting room with an odd assortment of dilapidated chairs lining the two outside walls. No receptionist here, either. Tillamook County must be full of young women sitting at home doing their nails, dreaming of sitting in an office doing their nails, but unable to find anyone to employ them.
    A door stood open at one end. Emily was reluctant to approach it; doctors’ offices seemed more sacrosanct than accountants’. “Hello?” she called instead.
    â€œBe with you in a minute,” an alto voice answered. Perhaps there was a receptionist or assistant after all.
    In less than a minute a short, squarely built woman in her late thirties appeared in the doorway. Her mousy hair was cropped short above the collar of her white coat, which was draped with a stethoscope and covered a T-shirt and jeans. She looked Emily over with a puzzled expression. “Don’t think I’ve seen you before. Early for tourists, isn’t it?”
    â€œI’m not exactly a tourist. I’m Emily Cavanaugh. Heir to most of Beatrice Runcible’s estate.”
    The woman’s wide-set eyes flared for a fraction of a second, then her blunt features contracted to resemble a bulldog’s. “That trust for a new clinic is absolutely sound. No lawyer’s going to shake it.”
    Emily took a step backward. The woman’s eyes had betrayed her—her belligerence was a cover-up for fear. But what did she have to be afraid of?
    â€œI assure you, the thought never crossed my mind. What Beatrice left me is more than I ever dreamed of; I’m not looking for more.” The woman’s scowl faded, but her eyes remained wary. “Are you Doctor Griffiths?”
    â€œSam.” She strode forward and shook Emily’s hand with a grip worthy of a man. “What can I do for you then? You look healthy enough.”
    â€œI’m fine, thanks. I wanted to talk to you about my aunt’s death.”
    Sam dropped her eyes and brushed past Emily to the counter where a receptionist ought to be. “Busy now. Come back later.”
    Emily cast a pointed glance around the waiting room. “I don’t see any patients.”
    â€œPaperwork. No help, as you see.”
    â€œSurely you can spare five minutes to tell me why you were so sure my aunt died of natural causes.”
    Sam fumbled with papers behind the counter, eyes down. “No reason to think otherwise.”
    â€œThat’s not what Lieutenant Richards said. He said the symptoms were consistent with poisoning.”
    Sam gave a scornful puh . “Oh, and a badge-wearing cat-rescuer knows more about symptoms than I do? He just wants a murder to solve. Got a hammer, every problem’s a nail.”
    Emily’s hackles rose. She put on her best dealing-with-a-difficult-student voice. “That is not a fair thing to say about Lieutenant Richards. He’s not the type to go looking for trouble if it isn’t there.”
    Sam looked up at her. “What do you know about it? You’ve been in town what, five minutes?”
    â€œI used to be here a lot, years ago. Luke and I are old—friends.”
    Sam glared at her, then her face cleared and she leaned her hands on the desk. “Look. Sorry if I offended you. But there was nothing wrong about