try to drill her about the day Monica had died. This would be my best chance, before the rest of the club finally turned up. "Were you and Monica close?"
"Why do you want to know that?" She snapped.
"I'm just sorry about your loss, that's all. I was wondering if you and she were particularly close. I know you were with her when it happened."
"Ha. Not out of choice."
"No?"
"I had to meet with her that morning, to discuss a serious matter with her. It wasn't entirely a social occasion."
"What did you have to discuss with her?"
"I don't see that's any of your business."
Ryan approaching us interrupted our conversation. "Amber," he said brightly. "Two times in two days." He grinned. "Seems like you can't keep away from the place. Things must be pretty quiet down at the bank if you can spend this much time sitting around drinking coffee."
I could tell he was only teasing, even flirting, but I didn't like to be reminded of how much idle time I had. Especially knowing how busy his establishment was. "It's actually quite busy down at the bank, but I'm very high ranking. So I can come and go as I please." I was hoping that would shut him up.
"Well that's good. Can I get you anything? Ice cream, perhaps? We're still in the middle of that heat wave."
"I don't want any ice cream." I really hadn't meant to snap, but both Ryan and Beverly raised their eyebrows at my tone.
"Okay, alright, chill out." He put his hands up. "It wasn't my ice cream that killed that women, remember."
I turned around so that my back was to him and crossed my arms.
"I'll take that as a no then."
I waited until he had walked back to his counter before I turned back to Beverly. "He's so pushy."
"Is he?" Beverly looked over her shoulder at him. "I mean, he's a little...vigilant, I guess. Always fussing over customers. Especially Monica."
"Especially Monica." I sat up and lowered my voice. "What do you mean especially Monica?"
"Oh I don't know." She waved her hand as though she meant for me to drop it, but I wasn't about to.
"No, what did you mean by that?"
"It's just that on the day she died, he was paying extra close attention to her order." She shot me a look. "I mean, he did serve her the drink she ordered, right before she died."
"So you think that maybe it wasn't the ice cream that did it after all?"
"Well it was definitely one of the two." Her tone was forceful. "Either Ryan poisoned her drink, or the owner of the ice cream shop poisoned her ice cream."
I sat back and took a good look at Beverly. "Or..." I started to say. "Someone else…someone, who, say, held a grudge against her, poisoned her, and now they are trying to find someone else to blame."
Her eyes grew wide and I could have sworn I saw the colour entirely fade from her face. "Just what the hell are you getting at?" Her eyes darted around as she examined my face. "Who are you, exactly?"
"I'm a bank manager."
"Why are you asking all these questions about Monica."
"Why are you so defensive every time I ask a question about Monica? Makes me think you have something to hide?"
She reached over to her grab her sunglasses. I noticed her hands shake as she struggled to set them straight on her nose. "I don't have to listen to this." She stood up to leave.
"Just walking out on the meeting, again, are you?" I stood up as well, so that the two of us were face to face. "Maybe you really shouldn't be president."
She took a step backwards. "What does that mean?"
"It means. I know that Monica was threatening to take over as club president. That's why you offed her, isn't it? You couldn't stand anyone else being in charge of your precious little club. So you poisoned her. And now you're trying to blame the murder on an innocent ice cream shop owner!" I couldn't help but yell the last part, but I got caught up in the emotion.
Beverly looked around and her lip began to tremble. She buried her head in her hands as she began to sob. "I never meant - I never meant for it to kill her! I
"Why do you want to know that?" She snapped.
"I'm just sorry about your loss, that's all. I was wondering if you and she were particularly close. I know you were with her when it happened."
"Ha. Not out of choice."
"No?"
"I had to meet with her that morning, to discuss a serious matter with her. It wasn't entirely a social occasion."
"What did you have to discuss with her?"
"I don't see that's any of your business."
Ryan approaching us interrupted our conversation. "Amber," he said brightly. "Two times in two days." He grinned. "Seems like you can't keep away from the place. Things must be pretty quiet down at the bank if you can spend this much time sitting around drinking coffee."
I could tell he was only teasing, even flirting, but I didn't like to be reminded of how much idle time I had. Especially knowing how busy his establishment was. "It's actually quite busy down at the bank, but I'm very high ranking. So I can come and go as I please." I was hoping that would shut him up.
"Well that's good. Can I get you anything? Ice cream, perhaps? We're still in the middle of that heat wave."
"I don't want any ice cream." I really hadn't meant to snap, but both Ryan and Beverly raised their eyebrows at my tone.
"Okay, alright, chill out." He put his hands up. "It wasn't my ice cream that killed that women, remember."
I turned around so that my back was to him and crossed my arms.
"I'll take that as a no then."
I waited until he had walked back to his counter before I turned back to Beverly. "He's so pushy."
"Is he?" Beverly looked over her shoulder at him. "I mean, he's a little...vigilant, I guess. Always fussing over customers. Especially Monica."
"Especially Monica." I sat up and lowered my voice. "What do you mean especially Monica?"
"Oh I don't know." She waved her hand as though she meant for me to drop it, but I wasn't about to.
"No, what did you mean by that?"
"It's just that on the day she died, he was paying extra close attention to her order." She shot me a look. "I mean, he did serve her the drink she ordered, right before she died."
"So you think that maybe it wasn't the ice cream that did it after all?"
"Well it was definitely one of the two." Her tone was forceful. "Either Ryan poisoned her drink, or the owner of the ice cream shop poisoned her ice cream."
I sat back and took a good look at Beverly. "Or..." I started to say. "Someone else…someone, who, say, held a grudge against her, poisoned her, and now they are trying to find someone else to blame."
Her eyes grew wide and I could have sworn I saw the colour entirely fade from her face. "Just what the hell are you getting at?" Her eyes darted around as she examined my face. "Who are you, exactly?"
"I'm a bank manager."
"Why are you asking all these questions about Monica."
"Why are you so defensive every time I ask a question about Monica? Makes me think you have something to hide?"
She reached over to her grab her sunglasses. I noticed her hands shake as she struggled to set them straight on her nose. "I don't have to listen to this." She stood up to leave.
"Just walking out on the meeting, again, are you?" I stood up as well, so that the two of us were face to face. "Maybe you really shouldn't be president."
She took a step backwards. "What does that mean?"
"It means. I know that Monica was threatening to take over as club president. That's why you offed her, isn't it? You couldn't stand anyone else being in charge of your precious little club. So you poisoned her. And now you're trying to blame the murder on an innocent ice cream shop owner!" I couldn't help but yell the last part, but I got caught up in the emotion.
Beverly looked around and her lip began to tremble. She buried her head in her hands as she began to sob. "I never meant - I never meant for it to kill her! I
Similar Books
