“That’s what I’m here for, to find comfort and learn practical skills to get by in life.” Meg paused when she felt her mom squeeze her hand tightly. She must have sounded snarky. “It’s nice to see you. Thank you for offering to officiate at the wedding.”
As they walked into the chapel, her mom leaned closer. “Did you have to be so direct?”
“Mom, I was telling her what she wanted to hear. I am over Romain, and I would never go back.” She scooted into their regular pew and then turned toward her mom. “A statement maybe you need to hear, as well.”
A hand squeezed her shoulder, and she looked up into the face of Agnes Murphey. Great. “Good morning, Mrs. Murphey.”
“Now, Meg, you’re an adult. Please call me Agnes.” The woman smiled, and Meg noticed her hat was off-center on her head. “I wanted to thank you for returning my wedding gift. Although I would have been fine if you’d kept it. You should get something out of this disaster your horrible fiancé created. Women always have to clean up men’s messes. Anyway, if you ever want to chat, you know where I live.”
Meg turned back to face front and saw her mom staring at Agnes’s back as she left to go sit by her husband. She whispered to her mom, “That was unexpected.”
“I can’t believe she was supportive. She’s always snarky at the book club about everyone.” Her mom turned back to face forward and took Meg’s hand. “If you’re sure about Romain, then I’ll stop bringing him up.”
As the service progressed, Meg was able to breathe around her mom for the first time in a long time. She’d finally accepted Meg’s situation. She’d call it her decision, but Romain had made the choice. As Mrs. Murphey had said, now she had to clean up the mess.
After service, Meg and her mother made their way out into the warming day. “Your aunt is having brunch over at her house. Troy probably won’t be there, what with the investigation.”
After they got into the car and turned on the air-conditioning, they had to wait for traffic to clear for their turn to get out of the parking lot. Mom turned the radio down. “Do you want the name of a good therapist? There’s one in Poulsbo.”
Meg rolled her shoulders. Sunday with the family might not be the most relaxing way to spend a day. “Mom, I’m doing fine. I’m getting a handle on working the two jobs. I’m making plans to go back and finish my degree. I don’t need a therapist. Natasha is here if I want to talk.”
“Natasha’s a sweet girl, but she’s not trained in seeing depression or anxiety.” She pulled a card out of the cup holder. “Here’s the woman’s information. She has an opening next week. I can drive you if you want.”
Meg took the card and put it in her purse. “No, thanks, but I’ll keep this in case, and thank you for caring about me.”
“You’re my baby girl.” She waited for a couple to cross the road before turning toward Aunt Melody’s house. “I was listening to this podcast about divorce on Monday at the shop . . .”
Meg tuned out and thought about the rest of the day. She’d change and take Watson for a walk, then put him in the backyard so she could see him from Aunt Melody’s window. She had to work at three, so she could use that as an excuse to leave brunch early, unless Uncle Troy was there. Maybe he’d answer some questions about Meade’s death. There was something else she said she was going to do. What was it?
“Are you going to sit there all day?”
Meg looked up and realized they were parked at Aunt Melody’s. “Sorry. I was thinking about my day.”
“I knew you weren’t listening to me. Why listen to your mother?” Mom shook her head and got out of the car. “Anyway, if you need me, you know where I am. Come inside. Melody texted that the food’s on the table. Troy is actually here but needs to get back to the station.”
Meg hurried and changed, but as she was waiting for Watson to do his business, she saw papers in the front seat of Uncle Troy’s official vehicle. She moved a little closer and tried to read what was lying there. It was a coroner’s report, and she read the name Robert Meade III. She stepped closer, then leaned inside the window so she could read the medical jargon.Fifty-five-year-old male, five feet seven and two hundred thirty pounds. The body was found . . .
“Anything interesting?” Uncle Troy had come out of the house without Meg noticing and now stood next to her and his Jeep.
“I’m waiting for Watson,” she replied as she jumped away from the door, hitting her head on the top of the window opening. “Ouch!”
Watson was sitting next to her, watching the two of them talk. Okay, so that white lie didn’t work. She changed the subject, asking, “Leaving so soon? I thought we were having Sunday brunch together.”
“Almost a nice save.” He stepped around her and opened the door. “I’ve got to report to the district attorney tomorrow, and I’m still going through the evidence. On a non-case-related subject, I don’t want you to worry about the apartment. You needed to come home. I never liked the guy. He wasn’t good enough for you. Anyone could see that.”
“I needed to hear that.” She hugged him. Turning the subject back to the investigation, she asked, “You know I’m working for Lilly Aster, right? Any chance I’m going to keep my job?”
“I knew you were snooping.” He chuckled as he blocked her view of the papers on the passenger seat. “You always did have a nose for investigation. I remember when you and your friends used to try to find missing dogs in the area. Didn’t you earn enough for a summer camp one year?”
“We did. We’re good at finding clues.” She fiddled with the handle on Watson’s leash. “I know it’s not the same, but I don’t think Ms. Aster killed that man. He wasn’t a nice man. There had to be others that he cheated, too.”
“You think he cheated Ms. Aster? Why?” Now her uncle was all cop, and he was using his investigation voice. “Meg?”
Great. Now, instead of turning her uncle on to other suspects, she’d turned the spotlight on Lilly. Not what she’d wanted. She told him about what she’d heard on the ferry and informed him that she’d relayed the conversation to Lilly.
He stared at her, waiting for anything else she needed to tell him.
“That’s it. Except Natasha said Lilly’s ex-husband has been on the island a lot with his new girlfriend. He has her camp out at the bakery while he goes to talk to Lilly.” Meg knew that this information also didn’t clear Lilly of killing Meade. But if she hadn’t killed her ex for being a jerk, why would she kill her agent?
