Read Online Tattered Legacy (A Nora Abbott Mystery) by Shannon Baker - Free Book Online

skirt and blouse in the deep reds, oranges, and golds of a desert. She appeared solid and strong under the rich fabric.
    She moved with purpose but didn’t hurry as she reached under the counter and pulled out a trash bag. She started at the refreshment table, tossing the disposable dishes into the bag.
    Nora felt she should say something. “Can I give you a hand cleaning up?”
    The woman didn’t look up. She wound the plastic table covering, careful to keep the crumbs from spilling out. “I can do it.”
    “You must be Marlene,” Nora said.
    The woman stopped moving. She raised her eyes to Nora. They were dark and full of suspicion. “That’s right.”
    Nora tried to look harmless. She didn’t know why Marlene should be worried. “I’m Nora Abbott. A friend of Lisa’s.”
    Marlene studied her. “The one who gave her the funding for the film.”
    Nora nodded. “She loved this bookstore. She told me she spent a lot of time here.”
    Marlene turned pale. A moment passed, and she started to breathe again. “I’m going to miss her.”
    She moved on to the next table. Nora met her there and picked up empty plates and cups. She stuffed them in Marlene’s trash bag. “She told me this place was her office away from home. She liked to come here when she felt stymied.”
    Marlene’s mask of control slipped. Her smile looked heavy, like sand after the tide. “She was so smart. So quick-witted. She had that sort of energy people envied.” Marlene stuffed the table covering into the bag. “You knew her a long time, didn’t you?”
    Nora nodded. “Since freshman year. Sometimes we wouldn’t see each other for a while, but every time we talked, it was like picking up the conversation mid-sentence.”
    Marlene nodded and tied the bag. “She was special.”
    Nora followed Marlene to the sales counter. “It was really great that we could work together on this film.”
    Marlene stared out the front window. “She was committed to it. Maybe more than she should have been.”
    “What do you mean?”
    Marlene turned her focus to Nora. It felt as though her dark gaze seeped inside of Nora, exploring her worthiness. After a moment she spoke slowly. “It caused problems between her and Rachel.”
    That landed heavy on Nora. “She didn’t say anything to me about it, but I had suspicions.”
    Marlene raised one eyebrow. “It’s hard to overcome your up-
bringing.”
    Lisa had said the same thing.
    Marlene moved out from behind the counter and flipped one of the tables over. Nora worked at folding up the table legs. “Because she’s from here?”
    Marlene hefted the table and set it against the wall. “Rachel loved Lisa. The Mormons aren’t so big on lesbians. Until Lisa showed up, no one knew Rachel was gay. But suddenly, here is Lisa with all these liberal notions of protecting land that’s been in their hands for generations, and she scoops up one of the local girls.”
    “People around here didn’t like Lisa, is that what you’re saying?”
    “No, what I’m saying is that people around here hated Lisa.”
    “But so many people came to the funeral.”
    Marlene smiled. “The people who loved Lisa aren’t locals. They’re the transplants, the newbies, the outsiders. They aren’t Mormon. They love this land just as an art aficionado loves Rembrandt. The old-time Mormons love it as a member of the family.”
    Nora gave Marlene a questioning look.
    “It’s this way: The environmentalists want to preserve it. Tread gently on the trails, gaze at the arches and hoodoos. Sit quietly and contemplate its beauty. The Mormons want to live on it, work it. Fight with it to give them sustenance, care for it so it stays healthy and productive. Do you see the difference?”
    Nora summed it up. “Conservationists want to put it in the parlor and cover it in plastic, and locals want to sit on it and watch TV?”
    Marlene laughed. It changed her whole appearance. She went from stern and formidable to friendly and