Read Online Red Delicious Death by Sheila Connolly - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Sheila Connolly
Tags: cozy
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goats. Yeah, I know, I really need to name you two. But I wanted to get to know you first, okay?”
She looked around her. This pen couldn’t be too different from Jake Kellogg’s pigpen, could it? She tried to imagine a body toppling into it. No doubt, her goats would’ve come over to check out any interesting addition to their space. What would pigs do? She had no idea.
Shaking her head, she bade good-bye to her goats and retrieved her paintbrush. How many more windows were there?
7
Bree came in the back door as Meg was trying to figure out how to combine the ingredients in her refrigerator into something resembling dinner. Too bad the restaurant wasn’t open yet. Would it ever be now, with Sam’s death hanging over it?
“Something moving in there?” Bree asked.
“No, I was just looking for inspiration. Did you hear about . . . ?” Meg wasn’t sure what to say about Sam’s death. She still harbored the hope that it had been some kind of sad accident. Sam had tripped and hit his head on a really hard pig? Stupid, Meg, stupid.
“Hear what?” Bree was rummaging in a cupboard looking for a snack.
“Sam Anderson was found dead in a pig wallow.”
Bree shut the cabinet door and turned to face Meg, leaning against the counter. “No kidding? That’s terrible. He was a nice guy. What happened?”
“I don’t know yet. Apparently he was found facedown in the mud, and the police asked Brian to identify the body. Nicky called me, and Seth and I went over to the restaurant to comfort her, but nobody knew anything yet. They were there with Art, waiting for the state police and the ME when we left.”
“Not that Marcus creep again?”
“Probably. I don’t like him either, but he’s what we’ve got. And he’s not stupid, even if he is a jerk,” Meg admitted. She’d had more experience in the past than she’d wanted with the unpleasant Detective Marcus.
“Are the cops thinking accident?”
Meg shrugged. “I don’t know. We can ask Art, once the state guys finish. And before you ask, the pigs didn’t do it.”
“Of course they didn’t. Pigs don’t kill people.”
“Maybe he committed suicide by mud? Sorry, that seems kind of flippant.”
“Don’t worry about it—making jokes is one way of dealing with bad stuff. But suicide? I don’t think so. Sam seemed like a real happy guy. Loved his job, really got excited about food, you know?” Bree said.
“That was my impression, too, although I didn’t spend much time with him. Had he made any friends in town?”
“Can’t say. Those three were so wrapped up in fixing up the restaurant, I don’t think they had a lot of time to get out and meet people. Although I think I saw him in Northampton once or twice.”
“Checking out the competition?”
“Maybe.” Bree gave Meg a sidelong glance. “You do know he was gay?”
Meg stared at her. “No, I did not. It never occurred to me, but it’s none of my business. Are you sure?”
“No, but I got that vibe, and then Michael and I saw him going into a couple of places in Northampton that lean that way.”
“You think that’s what he was doing in Northampton? Cruising, or whatever you call it?” Meg asked.
“Well, I’d guess the pickings are pretty slim in Granford. But Northampton—there’s something for everyone there. Think the cops know?”
Meg shrugged helplessly. “They just found the body—I don’t think they’ve investigated his personal life yet. But I suppose it could have something to do with his death, if he got involved with the wrong person. Nicky and Brian would probably know.”
Bree agreed. “It would be kind of strange if they didn’t. They all seemed pretty tight. I don’t know how well it would have gone over in Granford, though.”
“Do you have a problem with the people of Granford?”
“No. I haven’t met many of them. But this is Hicksville, right? Everybody’s been here since day one, and they’ve married a lot of cousins. The smart ones
She looked around her. This pen couldn’t be too different from Jake Kellogg’s pigpen, could it? She tried to imagine a body toppling into it. No doubt, her goats would’ve come over to check out any interesting addition to their space. What would pigs do? She had no idea.
Shaking her head, she bade good-bye to her goats and retrieved her paintbrush. How many more windows were there?
7
Bree came in the back door as Meg was trying to figure out how to combine the ingredients in her refrigerator into something resembling dinner. Too bad the restaurant wasn’t open yet. Would it ever be now, with Sam’s death hanging over it?
“Something moving in there?” Bree asked.
“No, I was just looking for inspiration. Did you hear about . . . ?” Meg wasn’t sure what to say about Sam’s death. She still harbored the hope that it had been some kind of sad accident. Sam had tripped and hit his head on a really hard pig? Stupid, Meg, stupid.
“Hear what?” Bree was rummaging in a cupboard looking for a snack.
“Sam Anderson was found dead in a pig wallow.”
Bree shut the cabinet door and turned to face Meg, leaning against the counter. “No kidding? That’s terrible. He was a nice guy. What happened?”
“I don’t know yet. Apparently he was found facedown in the mud, and the police asked Brian to identify the body. Nicky called me, and Seth and I went over to the restaurant to comfort her, but nobody knew anything yet. They were there with Art, waiting for the state police and the ME when we left.”
“Not that Marcus creep again?”
“Probably. I don’t like him either, but he’s what we’ve got. And he’s not stupid, even if he is a jerk,” Meg admitted. She’d had more experience in the past than she’d wanted with the unpleasant Detective Marcus.
“Are the cops thinking accident?”
Meg shrugged. “I don’t know. We can ask Art, once the state guys finish. And before you ask, the pigs didn’t do it.”
“Of course they didn’t. Pigs don’t kill people.”
“Maybe he committed suicide by mud? Sorry, that seems kind of flippant.”
“Don’t worry about it—making jokes is one way of dealing with bad stuff. But suicide? I don’t think so. Sam seemed like a real happy guy. Loved his job, really got excited about food, you know?” Bree said.
“That was my impression, too, although I didn’t spend much time with him. Had he made any friends in town?”
“Can’t say. Those three were so wrapped up in fixing up the restaurant, I don’t think they had a lot of time to get out and meet people. Although I think I saw him in Northampton once or twice.”
“Checking out the competition?”
“Maybe.” Bree gave Meg a sidelong glance. “You do know he was gay?”
Meg stared at her. “No, I did not. It never occurred to me, but it’s none of my business. Are you sure?”
“No, but I got that vibe, and then Michael and I saw him going into a couple of places in Northampton that lean that way.”
“You think that’s what he was doing in Northampton? Cruising, or whatever you call it?” Meg asked.
“Well, I’d guess the pickings are pretty slim in Granford. But Northampton—there’s something for everyone there. Think the cops know?”
Meg shrugged helplessly. “They just found the body—I don’t think they’ve investigated his personal life yet. But I suppose it could have something to do with his death, if he got involved with the wrong person. Nicky and Brian would probably know.”
Bree agreed. “It would be kind of strange if they didn’t. They all seemed pretty tight. I don’t know how well it would have gone over in Granford, though.”
“Do you have a problem with the people of Granford?”
“No. I haven’t met many of them. But this is Hicksville, right? Everybody’s been here since day one, and they’ve married a lot of cousins. The smart ones
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