Read Online Nerds Who Kill: A Paul Turner Mystery by Mark Richard Zubro - Free Book Online Page B

out of his way to praise her books. He may have genuinely liked them. I was never sure. Why do you ask? Does she have something to do with my husband being …?”
    She couldn’t finish the sentence.
    “No, ma’am,” Turner said, “she’s dead.”
    She gaped at them. She blew her nose again then burst out, “She was a hateful sow.”
    Turner and Fenwick had been detectives long enough to be able to conceal their intense interest.
    “You just said your husband got along with her,” Turner said.
    “He did. I didn’t. In the past few years, I’ve attended far more conventions than my husband. Devers was so sweet in public, but if you couldn’t do her any good, she had no use for you. She always had that smile, that simpering, never-ending smile. She was always mind-numbingly cheerful. And my husband believed that crap from her. I remember years ago, he’d listen to her for hours. Always encouraging her with that ‘how interesting, tell me more.’ That after-dinner-dessert get-together last night in her room was awful. I had to sit there and trade hypocritical smiles with that back-stabbing bitch. I shouldn’t be saying these things. I’m just so upset. I could believe that woman had something to do with Dennis’s death.”
    Turner was very aware that they did not know which person died first. Or if either one had had anything to do with the death of the other. Turner presumed there had to be some connection between the killings. He thought it most likely that there was one murderer, but he was not going to close his mind to any possibility at this point. He doubted that Muriam Devers could best someone in a fight and heft a sword at the same time. Although she could get behind someone, strangle them just past the point of unconsciousness, and then stab them. They’d have to check.
    “Did you see them together at this convention? Did they talk at the dinner Thursday or at last night’s get-together in her suite?”
    “I imagine they must have, but I didn’t actually see them together.”
    Turner asked, “If she never did anything bad to your husband, how was she a back-stabbing bitch?”
    “Dennis would not listen to me. He was such a sweet, dear man. He believed the best about everybody. He was friends with everyone. People begged him to review their books. We have stacks and stacks of them all over the house. We could barely donate them to libraries fast enough.” She used a tissue for a moment.
    Turner prompted, “And you felt differently.”
    “I’d heard things about her. I’m a writer, too. I knew Melissa Bentworth. She was Muriam’s first editor at Galactic Books. Melissa and I knew each other in college. We’ve stayed friends. She’s a good editor, smart, hard working. Always has solid comments to make about a writer’s books. Muriam Devers got her fired.”
    “How’d she do that?”
    “She lied. She made things up. She went to Melissa’s bosses behind her back.”
    “Why?” Turner asked.
    “I’ve never gotten the whole story. Melissa was never able to find out. Everything worked out for the best because Melissa founded her own small press. She’s had some remarkable successes, but it took her years of hard work. I’m one of her authors.”
    “You’ve had books published?” Fenwick asked.
    “My sixth came out last month. Melissa has been most kind to me over the years.”
    “Did Ms. Devers have any other enemies?” Turner asked.
    “You hunt around the fringes of the science fiction community, you are going to find people who hated her. They might be hard to find, but they’re there. She had a lot of power and clout. Nobody talked against that sweetness-and-light image, not publicly. You risked getting black-balled in this community.”
    “And she got away with this?” Turner asked.
    “You could never accuse her of anything specific. People rushed to her defense if you made the slightest negative comment. It was amazing how she got on all the talk shows when one of her