“Want a Scape!”
When the mischievous creature was finally cornered by Bryce and Vincente close to the pig enclosure, Leon turned to see what Flora thought of the show. To his surprise, she was standing slightly to one side. Two women had approached her, and she had turned away to listen to what they were saying. From the look on her face, it wasn’t good.
He moved quickly to her side, catching the tail end of the women’s comments.
“...not wanted here.”
“...suggest you just pack up and get out of our town.”
Leon knew the women by sight. They were both Alan Grayson’s patients and he searched the recesses of his memory to put names to their faces. Aline Stibbe and Dolores Moon. The Stillwater rumor machine wasn’t all bad. Often, if word got out that someone was struggling, or there was a problem, the scandal spreaders were the first to mobilize and offer their help. Not these two. They represented all that was bad about the town gossips.
Leon remembered when he had been down on his luck. Aline and Dolores had delighted in telling malicious tales about him. They had never let a little thing like the truth stand in the way of a good story.
“What’s going on here?” Leon asked.
Dolores had the grace to look sheepish, but Aline folded her arms across her chest. “We’re just saying to her face what other people are thinking.”
Out of the corner of his eye, Leon noticed Beth taking the twins by the hand and leading them away. He would thank her later for her thoughtfulness. Deliberately, he placed an arm around Flora’s shoulders.
“And how do you know what other people are thinking, Aline?” He was pleased with the way he kept his voice calm. It was a long way from what he was feeling.
Her smile was triumphant. “The ‘Doctor Death’ page says it all.”
“That page is the subject of a police investigation. I’d be very careful how you engage with that. And if you have any information about it, Chief Delaney will be very keen to talk to you.”
“I sure will.” Leon hadn’t realized that Laurie had approached them, but she drew closer now. “Particularly as I’m investigating that page, and the messages in it, as harassment. I’d like you ladies to stop by my office on Monday and discuss that further.”
“Oh, no.” Aline shook her head vehemently. “That’s okay, Chief Delaney. It was a misunderstanding.”
“The only misunderstanding here is if you thought I was issuing an invitation.” Laurie looked from one to the other. “I will see you both Monday. Let’s say ten a.m., shall we?”
Leon waited until the two women had sidled away before he checked on Flora. Although she was pale, she gave him a weak smile. “I guess I was expecting it.”
“You should have called me over as soon as they approached you,” he said.
“They did it quite skillfully, almost like they had something friendly to say. By the time they turned nasty, I didn’t want to draw attention to what was going on in case the boys noticed.” She leaned her head against his shoulder. “I’m okay. Really. What about Eve? Did she survive the goat-scapade?”
“She’s gone. She wasn’t injured, but she didn’t want to risk a repeat performance,” Steffi said as she joined them. “All goats are crazy but that one takes it to a new level.” She turned to Flora. “Eve said she’ll see you Monday. And Beth has taken Lia and your boys to ride on the ponies.”
“What do you want to do?” Leon asked. “You’ve had a shock. Do you want to get a hot drink?”
“No.” Flora’s voice was firm. “We brought the boys here to enjoy a day out. That’s what I want to do.”
“I’m glad to hear that,” Steffi said. “Because you may need to start with some explanations. They seem to think they will be taking all these animals home.”
A few hours later, Flora and Leon accepted Steffi’s invitation to join the Delaney family for dinner. They gathered in the large, cozy farmhouse kitchen, where Bryce served up delicious chili while Steffi organized drinks.
Flora watched the twins playing with Vincente and Beth’s daughter, Lia. Although she was almost a year younger than Stevie and Frankie, there was no question about who was in charge. The little girl gave the boys her orders and they obeyed without question.
“I need to take her home with me,” Flora said to Leon.
“Just copy her style,” Leon suggested. “If they don’t do what you want, stamp your foot and threaten to throw your toys at them.”
In this company, she felt some of her troubles ebbing away. It was as if the house, and its occupants, offered a place of safety. The care Bryce and Steffi gave to the animals in the sanctuary spilled over into their approach to guests. Flora felt comfortable with these people. This was the atmosphere she had hoped to find when she made the move to Stillwater.
Laurie joined them. “I won’t discuss the investigation if you don’t want me to.”
Leon looked at Flora. “It’s your choice.”
“I guess we need to hear what’s happening.” Flora was resigned. This wasn’t going away until the killer was caught.
Laurie’s ever-present notebook was in her hand and she flipped through it. “We found Jennifer Webster’s car. It was hidden in the trees near Wilderness Lake. Forensics are still working on it, but from the amount of blood we found, I’m confident she was killed in the vehicle.”
“Do you have any idea what happened?” Leon asked.
“I’m speculating here,” Laurie said. “But, based on what I know, for some reason, Jennifer allowed someone else to get into her car while she was on her lunch break. That person persuaded, or possibly forced, her to drive to a quiet location. At that point, he stabbed and killed Jennifer. The murderer then moved the body to the trunk and drove the
