“If I had known someone was out to murder her, I would have tried to stop it,” she said.
Nan looked at her in surprise.
She shrugged. “She was a terrible person, sure, but I’m just trying to move on,” she said.
Nan nodded. “That’s because you’re nicer than I am,” she said. “Come on, dear.” She walked Doreen back to the patio and said, “Sit down. Sit down. I’ve got a lovely surprise for you.”
When Nan dashed back into her little kitchen, Doreen smiled, as she sat down at the patio table, and put Thaddeus on top. Mugs walked over to the side by Nan’s chair and plunked down on the patio. “Right. We need something a little less depressing and a little less sad right now,” she muttered. At that, Nan came back out, carrying a plate of little pastries. Doreen brightened. “Those look marvelous,” she said in delight. “Where did you get them?”
“I went down to that little bakery, Sandra’s, Sandrine’s, whatever it is,” she said. “It’s downtown off Dilworth. Some lovely little baking is offered there.”
“Nan, these must have been superexpensive.”
“And I really don’t care,” she said firmly. “Honestly I didn’t look at the price. I figured that, if I wanted to have a little pastry, these were about the right size, and this way I could have just one—or I could have two, if I wanted.”
Doreen laughed. “Well, you could definitely have one or two, when they’re not terribly big, like this,” she said.
“Exactly, so just enjoy them,” Nan said, with a smile. She pushed the plate a little farther toward Doreen. “And I bought two of everything. Now please take one, take one of each of them.”
And, with that, Doreen complied, wearing a big smile on her face. “I haven’t eaten breakfast,” she confessed. At that, the plate was immediately rescinded.
Nan looked at her in astonishment and then scolded her. “Well, you can’t have sugar if you haven’t eaten.” She stood, then disappeared into the kitchen with the plate.
Doreen stared sadly at the single piece she’d managed to pick off the plate. It was orange and round, and she had no idea what was in it, but it was brightly colored and made her smile. She sat here, with the tea getting cold, waiting for Nan to do whatever she thought she needed to do, worried that Doreen herself was woolgathering over the whole mess. Doreen hadn’t eaten well for the last few days, and maybe that was part of her problem. Still, she really did want to enjoy the pastries, but Nan was right. Doreen probably shouldn’t eat something like this on an empty stomach, already rolling with two cups of coffee.
Just then Nan returned, preceded by the smell of hot buttered toast. Doreen laughed when she saw it. “I haven’t had that in quite a while.”
“Well, you can have it now,” she said, “and I even brought out the cheese for good measure.”
With slices of cheese now atop the toast, Doreen quickly ate breakfast, happy to calm down the caffeine bubbling away inside her stomach. “I just didn’t feel like it this morning,” she said. “And then, after Mack’s visit, it was difficult.”
“Of course it was,” she said sympathetically, “but don’t you worry about that now.”
“Maybe.”
Nan poured the tea and said, “I sure hope this tea is still okay.”
“It should be,” Doreen said. “So did you have a chance to talk to anybody?”
“Absolutely. I talked to several of them. Nobody knew who she was, where she was, or that she was even in town,” Nan said, “but they’re all congratulating you on the result.”
At that, Doreen stared at her in shock. “Congratulating me? What result?”
“Oh, honey, it’s simple,” she said. “We know you didn’t kill her, and that’s great, but at least she’s gone now. Did you think of that?”
Doreen stopped, looked at her, and shook her head. “No,” she said, “I haven’t gotten around to thinking that way just yet.”
“Well, you would have gotten there eventually,” Nan said encouragingly.
“I wonder,” she muttered. “It seems like I’m not quite there.”
“Well, it’s been a rough morning. And honestly you’ve had a rough couple days. I gather that Isaac leaving was difficult for you.”
“It was. Thaddeus was pretty upset.”
“Of course he was. On the other hand, we do know that the boy and his mother will be in a much better situation.”
“I know,” she said. “It’s another one of those cases where it all turns out for the best, but, at the same time, there is some upset and loss to adjust to afterwards.”
“Of course,” Nan said, with a smile. “But it’s still good.”
“I think it’s just all coming down on top of me at once.”
“Yes, and that makes sense.”
“Not exactly something I want to deal with right now.”
“No, and we have much more important things to think of, and that’s your ex,” she said, “because this completely changes everything.”
“It changes nothing,” Doreen said, staring at her. “What are you talking about?”
“Well, with her out of the way,” Nan said, leaning forward, “you can get things straightened out with the settlement.”
“I don’t know how,” she said. “I signed everything away. Remember?”
“Oh, but then the lawyer, Mack’s brother, would get everything fixed, right?”
“Well, the courts will deal with that, and I don’t know that her demise will make that more or less likely,” she muttered. “Especially since I am apparently a suspect.”
At that, Nan sat back, disappointed. “I hadn’t considered that.”
“Well, I hadn’t really either,” she said. “I haven’t put any time or effort into this at all because, believe it or not, I’m still dealing with the news.”
“And that worries me too,” Nan said, studying her granddaughter carefully.
“Despite his obviously negative traits, I spent a lot of years with Mathew,” she said quietly. “So the idea that his legal lackey paramour has been murdered, and here in
