Read Online Lyndsey Cole - Lily Bloom 02 - Queen of Poison by Lyndsey Cole - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Lyndsey Cole
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subsided to deep sobs. Daisy and Marigold followed Iris to the hospital.
Jennifer stroked Katie’s head. “You’ll be okay. What happened?”
Sob. Sob. Hiccup. “I fell off the big rock.”
Iris pulled into the emergency drop off area. “Here we are. Take Katie in and I’ll park.”
Jennifer carried Katie inside while Iris pulled her car into the parking lot. Lily saw Ruth Walsh walking through the parking lot. “Stop here. Let me out. I want to talk to Ruth.”
Lily jumped out of the car and called, “Ruth. Ruth.”
Ruth turned toward Lily but kept on walking.
Lily ran to catch up. “Can I talk to you for a minute?”
Ruth had her hand on her car door. “What do you want?”
“I was hoping we could talk about the museum. You must know more than anyone else.”
“Know what?” she asked with disgust.
“Well, how it’s run. Who Marion was leaving it all too?”
Ruth opened her door. “What is it to you?”
“Listen Ruth. I don’t know why you dislike me so much. I’m just trying to figure out what happened to Marion and Elizabeth. And the way you have been acting, lots of people think you had something to do with it.”
This got Ruth’s attention. She turned with her mouth open and her eyes wide. “Me? Are you serious?”
Lily nodded her head.
“That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard. I’ve dedicated my life to that museum and to Marion Barry. She was like a mother to me. I would never harm a hair on her head.” Tears were streaming down her cheeks.
Lily patted her shoulder. “I’m sorry. How about we find someplace quiet to talk a little more?”
Ruth blew her nose and wiped the tears from her face. “Okay.”
Lily led Ruth to a small outside garden with benches. “How is this?”
Ruth sat on a bench next to a small gurgling pool. Goldfish swam around and a couple of frogs sat on rocks at the edge of the water. She looked at Lily. “I don’t know why I was so mean to you after Marion died. I think I was in shock and a little jealous that you were there for her and I wasn’t.”
Lily sat down next to Ruth. “Did you know that Marion was murdered? It wasn’t natural causes like Evelyn told everyone at the meeting.”
Ruth turned white as a sheet. “Murder? Why would anyone murder that dear old lady?”
“That’s what I’m trying to figure out. Someone made me look guilty and someone has been trying to make you look guilty. And now someone tried to run you off the road? Can you think of any reason for all this?”
Ruth scraped the toe of her shoe in the dirt under the bench. “Her will.” Lily waited and Ruth continued. “Marion was going to make an announcement at the opening. Elizabeth and I were the only ones who knew ahead of time.” Ruth looked at Lily. “I was her personal secretary for the last twenty years and she always confided in me.”
“What was the announcement?”
Ruth looked at the goldfish swimming in the pond. “She had decided to change her will and donate the Misty Valley Museum to the town of Misty Valley with a trust fund for the overhead expenses. She thought it would be nice to announce it at the opening with so many of the town people in attendance.”
“Who was getting the museum before the change?”
Ruth sounded disgusted. “Evelyn of course. She was never interested in the museum like Marion was. The museum was like a child to Marion. She put all her love and energy into it.” Ruth looked over at Lily. “I understood that, but Evelyn just saw it as a way to get rich. Her and her greedy kids.”
“Was the will already changed before the opening?”
“I don’t know if she had signed it. I think she wanted to discuss it with Evelyn first. I tried to tell her that was a bad idea but she had her mind made up. She could be very stubborn at times.”
Silence hung between them for a few minutes. Lily walked around the garden. “Ruth? Why did you throw away that flower arrangement and gloves after the board of
Jennifer stroked Katie’s head. “You’ll be okay. What happened?”
Sob. Sob. Hiccup. “I fell off the big rock.”
Iris pulled into the emergency drop off area. “Here we are. Take Katie in and I’ll park.”
Jennifer carried Katie inside while Iris pulled her car into the parking lot. Lily saw Ruth Walsh walking through the parking lot. “Stop here. Let me out. I want to talk to Ruth.”
Lily jumped out of the car and called, “Ruth. Ruth.”
Ruth turned toward Lily but kept on walking.
Lily ran to catch up. “Can I talk to you for a minute?”
Ruth had her hand on her car door. “What do you want?”
“I was hoping we could talk about the museum. You must know more than anyone else.”
“Know what?” she asked with disgust.
“Well, how it’s run. Who Marion was leaving it all too?”
Ruth opened her door. “What is it to you?”
“Listen Ruth. I don’t know why you dislike me so much. I’m just trying to figure out what happened to Marion and Elizabeth. And the way you have been acting, lots of people think you had something to do with it.”
This got Ruth’s attention. She turned with her mouth open and her eyes wide. “Me? Are you serious?”
Lily nodded her head.
“That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard. I’ve dedicated my life to that museum and to Marion Barry. She was like a mother to me. I would never harm a hair on her head.” Tears were streaming down her cheeks.
Lily patted her shoulder. “I’m sorry. How about we find someplace quiet to talk a little more?”
Ruth blew her nose and wiped the tears from her face. “Okay.”
Lily led Ruth to a small outside garden with benches. “How is this?”
Ruth sat on a bench next to a small gurgling pool. Goldfish swam around and a couple of frogs sat on rocks at the edge of the water. She looked at Lily. “I don’t know why I was so mean to you after Marion died. I think I was in shock and a little jealous that you were there for her and I wasn’t.”
Lily sat down next to Ruth. “Did you know that Marion was murdered? It wasn’t natural causes like Evelyn told everyone at the meeting.”
Ruth turned white as a sheet. “Murder? Why would anyone murder that dear old lady?”
“That’s what I’m trying to figure out. Someone made me look guilty and someone has been trying to make you look guilty. And now someone tried to run you off the road? Can you think of any reason for all this?”
Ruth scraped the toe of her shoe in the dirt under the bench. “Her will.” Lily waited and Ruth continued. “Marion was going to make an announcement at the opening. Elizabeth and I were the only ones who knew ahead of time.” Ruth looked at Lily. “I was her personal secretary for the last twenty years and she always confided in me.”
“What was the announcement?”
Ruth looked at the goldfish swimming in the pond. “She had decided to change her will and donate the Misty Valley Museum to the town of Misty Valley with a trust fund for the overhead expenses. She thought it would be nice to announce it at the opening with so many of the town people in attendance.”
“Who was getting the museum before the change?”
Ruth sounded disgusted. “Evelyn of course. She was never interested in the museum like Marion was. The museum was like a child to Marion. She put all her love and energy into it.” Ruth looked over at Lily. “I understood that, but Evelyn just saw it as a way to get rich. Her and her greedy kids.”
“Was the will already changed before the opening?”
“I don’t know if she had signed it. I think she wanted to discuss it with Evelyn first. I tried to tell her that was a bad idea but she had her mind made up. She could be very stubborn at times.”
Silence hung between them for a few minutes. Lily walked around the garden. “Ruth? Why did you throw away that flower arrangement and gloves after the board of
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