Read Online Picture Them Dead by Brynn Bonner - Free Book Online

sundowner,” I said to Jack that night, sliding a wedge of pizza onto my plate.
    Esme had taken Claire Calvert out to supper and I’d been gazing into the fridge hoping dinner might materialize when Jack called to say he was on his way with pizza. I was happy we had the house to ourselves as I was recounting our visit to Lottie Walker. Esme hadn’t found the whole thing nearly as amusing as I had.
    â€œShe’s mostly lucid earlier in the day,” I explained. “But near nightfall, she gets befuddled and cranky. She’s got a thing for root beer, but their food services don’t have it, so one of the attendants brings her a few bottles now and then. She mistook Esme for her root beer supplier and when we didn’t have any contraband for her, the whole visit went straight downhill. The woman knows an impressive number of swear words.”
    â€œDid you find out anything useful?” Jack asked, picking off a piece of pineapple and throwing it onto a neighboring slice. I like pineapple on my pizza, he doesn’t. But he’d gotten it anyway. Sign.
    â€œNot really, but I’m going back, earlier in the day next time, and without Esme. I think this woman probably knows some good information. I just have to figure out how to get it from her.”
    â€œAnd are you sure you’re okay, from the other thing, I mean?”
    â€œYou mean finding a dead body first thing on a Carolina spring morning?” I asked, trying to sound nonchalant.
    â€œYeah, that,” Jack said, reaching over to rub my shoulder.
    â€œNo, I’m not okay. It was awful to see the way she died. I’ve been thinking about it all afternoon. And the fact that she was probably pretty close to my age and that we don’t even know who she is makes it even worse.”
    â€œI saw Emily at the pizza place. She’s already talking about organizing another vigil that will go on until the woman is identified. She’s on a Forgotten Man and Forgotten Woman theme now.”
    I groaned. “I know Emily means well. I know they all mean well, but I wish they’d have some consideration for their living neighbors, too. They really upset poor Claire Calvert last night. That’s why Esme’s taken her out tonight, to get her away from the people camping out next to her house.”
    â€œThey’re on her property, uninvited. She could call the cops,” Jack said. “I’m sure Jennifer would jump at the chance to clear them out.”
    â€œI think Jennifer would welcome an excuse to jail them all, but Claire doesn’t want to alienate anyone. And the vigil people aren’t the problem. It’s the fence-jumpers. I think it makes Claire feel vulnerable to be there alone with all those people around.”
    â€œEspecially now, I’d think,” Jack said, “what with Quentin being released from prison, although I don’t know if I quite understand that whole dynamic. Did you know she went to visit him regularly while he was in the pen?”
    â€œNo, I didn’t. Wow, you’d think she’d never want to set eyes on him again, wouldn’t you?”
    â€œI suspect that would be my reaction,” Jack said. “But she’s probably a more forgiving person than I am. I can tell you who is not happy about having him back in the community—Nash Simpson. Though I guess that’s understandable. If I have my facts straight about how that whole thing went down, Quentin came pretty close to killing Nash in that fight. Nash would like Quentin tarred, feathered, and run out of town on a rail, and I think there are a few people around who’d agree with him. People love Claire Calvert, and they were out for blood when that happened to her.”
    â€œDo you remember it? I mean, do you remember when it happened?” I asked.
    â€œYeah, don’t you?”
    â€œSome of it, but I was so absorbed in what was going on with me at that time, I