Read Online Dying for a Change by Kathleen Delaney - Free Book Online Page A

to the present. “Dan, listen.” I leaned over the table toward him, away from the loud hum of conversation. “When you came in the office, Tom and Ray were fighting.”
    “ I saw that.”
    “ Well, what you didn’t see, or hear, was they were accusing each other of Hank’s murder. You don’t think either of them could have done it, do you?”
    Instead of an answer, I got a question. “Why does Ray think Tom might have killed Hank?”
    “ Oh,” I said, feeling I’d let the cat out of the bag. Dan knew about the controversy between Hank and Ray, but he evidently didn’t know about Tom and Hank’s argument, and I didn’t want to be the one to tell him.
    “ Well?” He watched me expectantly. I didn’t have a choice, so I took a deep breath and started, but only got out one word.
    “ Here we are,” Ruthie sang. She set down huge bowls of soup giving off clouds of mouthwatering aroma, an overflowing basket of fresh, warm muffins, a dish of wrapped butter squares, and filled the coffee cups again. She pushed the cream toward Dan and paused, half filled coffee pot in one hand.
    “ You gettin’ anywhere findin’ out who killed Hank?”
    “ Now, Ruthie,” Dan picked up his spoon. “It’s early days. We’ll find him.”
    “ You better,” she said crisply. “Hank was a good man.’ She waved the coffee pot in the air. I ducked. She gave me a surprised look and trotted off.
    “ She never spills it.”
    “ There’s always a first time.” I reached for a muffin and buttered it, hoping Dan had forgotten I was to tell him about Tom.
    “ Go on, Ellie. Why would Tom Chambers want to kill Hank Sawyer?”
    I was trapped.
    “ Hank made a pass at Nicole and Tom told him to lay off.” I took a large mouthful of soup. Big mistake. It was still boiling. I grabbed for the water glass, swallowed quickly, and accepted the napkin Dan handed me to wipe my watery eyes.
    “ My, my. Sharon told me Hank had started in on Nicole, but I didn’t realize--you all right? Need another napkin?”
    I shook my head and very gingerly took a sip of soup.
    “ So,” Dan’s spoon hovered half way between his bowl and his mouth, “knowing Tom’s temper, he probably made quite a production out of telling Hank to lay off. And, knowing Hank, he probably ignored Tom. Or laughed. Right?”
    “ I don’t know. Sharon told me. I never saw any of it. I only met Hank once, last Saturday when he came in the office, looking for Sharon.”
    Dan sighed. “Hank was really pretty harmless, but he somehow felt obligated to try. I’m sure your turn would have come. You’re pretty. And shapely.”
    Dan was looking down at his soup, so he didn’t see my flush. How lucky I’d worn my new dress. It was kind to my waistline. And it was nice to get a compliment, even if it was an offhand one. Brian hadn’t given me one in years. But that brought another thought. Compliments. Dottie. Hank. No, that wasn’t possible.
    “ What?” Dan said. “You’re thinking something. What is it?”
    “ How do you know? You’re not a mind reader.”
    “ I don’t have to be. I can read your face. I always could.”
    “ That’s not true.” I replied with great dignity. “I’m not thinking anything.”
    “ It is too true, and you might as well tell me.” He sipped his soup.
    I put down my soupspoon and stared into the bowl. I was torn between not wanting to drag Dottie into this and the need to hear Dan say how silly it was to even think she could be implicated. “It’s really nothing. But what you said about Hank, and making passes … I was over at Aunt Mary’s and...”
    “ You sure are dragging this out.” Dan looked more curious by the minute. He finished his soup and started on his second muffin.
    And I’m just deeding that curiosity, I thought. “Pat Bennington was there. Do you know her?”
    Dan nodded. “I play poker with her husband, Carl. He’s a veterinarian.”
    “ Well, Pat said Hank had been seeing a lot of Dottie Fielding