Read Online Murder on Parade by Melanie Jackson - Free Book Online

should know.
    I explained about Herb Dillon and she got the file, thoughtfully turning the document to the right page, and then left to go make coffee. I read through the legalese Dave had drawn up when Herb made his sister the loan on the tree farm. As I had expected, the loan was forgiven at his death. Herb hadn’t been a nice man but at least he believed in carrying rancor—or avariciousness—to the grave but no further.
    Since Linda and her husband had signed it, they had to know about this clause too. And even if Herb hadn’t told his wife, her best friend had probably explained things to her.
    Sighing, I closed the file. I didn’t want to know incriminating things about either woman.
    I thanked Mary, took a coffee to go, and then went back to the station. The chief wasn’t happy to see me so soon since it could only be bad news, but he nodded thoughtfully as I explained what I had learned.
    Feeling I had done my duty for the day and suddenly becoming aware that I was ravenous, I placed a call to Alex and asked if he wanted to meet me at the pizza parlor. He had also been engrossed in work and not eaten, so we agreed to meet and stuff ourselves on calzone.  I had leftovers at home but I was tired of my own cooking.

Chapter 10

    The snowman in Laurie Dillon’s yard made me sad. Not that Herb would be needing his scarf, hat and mittens, but it disturbed me to see the dead man’s frozen things just standing there. And if the cold effigy bothered me, what must Mrs. Dillon feel?
    Perhaps nothing, or she would have taken it down.
    Or could she feel that it would be disrespectful? Death made people think strange things.
    “Damn.” Should I offer to take down the snowman for her? No—no, I would not get involved. But my mom could. She and Laurie were in the same garden club—and I could explain to Mom about how I was concerned with her friend’s mental state and Mom and Aunt Dot could rush right over and be nosy for me while they were there.
    I turned to ask Blue for her opinion but she wasn’t there. Frowning, I turned on my cell.
    It’s probably just my perception, filtered through my mother’s conversation, but it seemed like the garden club really liked funerals. Certainly they are always the first to arrive with casseroles for the grieving. And they do make really nice floral tributes for the memorials.
    Mom assured me that she and Aunt Dot would be over to visit Laurie that afternoon, and wasn’t I thoughtful to have considered their friend. Mom prefers to put the best possible light on my motives when I am being nosy. I explained about the snowman and how I thought they needed to feel her out about this strange memento mori wearing her husband’s clothes. I would have preferred to do it myself but Mom and Aunt Dot would actually be better at reading their friend than I would be, so I decided to get their report before storming those ramparts. I’ve questioned wronged widows before and it isn’t pleasant.
    Since it wasn’t too much off my route and the road was open, I decided to swing by the tree farm and see if they were having any after Christmas sales on greenery. I wanted some fresh greens for the new year. This wasn’t a spurious excuse. I actually do like to keep my decorations up until after Twelfth Night. Because I am lazy and also because I just like them.
    Linda wasn’t there, since she was offering aid and comfort to her sister-in-law, but Tom Borders was huddled in his shack, sitting almost on top of a space heater. Tom is usually a nice man, but he smelled like he had been drinking beer for breakfast. For a guy who had just been freed of a burdensome debt, he didn’t look very happy.
    He did give me some holly and spruce boughs though when I asked for them, and said all the right things when I offered condolences on his brother-in-law’s passing.
    “Chloe…” Tom hesitated as he arranged the greenery on the seat of my vehicle. I couldn’t tell if he was tentative because he was