Free Fruit of All Evil by Paige Shelton Page B

good. No one saw, so if I don’t act guilty, no one will know what I’ve been up to .
    While trying to look casual, I hurried to the back room where the cells were located. I was greeted by one lone prisoner—Linda. This was worse than if she’d been in the interrogation room!
    â€œBecca?” she said from her seat as I stood in the doorway.
    â€œOh, Linda, they arrested you?” I asked as I walked toward her. She was in the same cell that my friend Abner had been in six months earlier. I was beginning to wonder if it was used exclusively for Bailey’s vendors.
    â€œNo, of course not. They separated us when we got here, that’s all. This is where they put me.” She stood and walked out of the cell. “The most comfortable seat was in there.”
    â€œOh, Linda, how are you?” I hugged her, relieved that she was still a free woman.
    â€œI’m okay. Terrible dinner party, though, huh?” She gave a strained smile.
    â€œI’m so sorry about Madeline.”
    â€œMe, too. Really. Though she was a tough cookie, she was Drew’s mother and my future mother-in-law. And what a horrible way for anyone to go. It’s hard for me to believe that anyone deserves that.”
    â€œHow’s Drew?” I asked.
    â€œI think he’s okay. He seems to be handling things all right. It’s in his makeup to be the ‘strong one.’ He’ll probably have some sort of delayed reaction, but we’ll see.” She smiled again, but her eyes were watery and sad. I felt terrible for her. “But to be honest with you, Becca, I just don’t know. Drew and his mother haven’t had much of a relationship over the last ten years or so—I know this is upsetting to him, but whether he’ll be sad she’s gone or sad he didn’t get the relationship where he wanted it to be, I don’t know. I don’t want to burden you with all that now.” She paused and looked over my shoulder. “What are you doing in here?”
    â€œI had to use the bathroom,” I lied. I wanted her to burden me with more, but now probably wasn’t the time.
    Linda nodded. “I bet Sam won’t be pleased you stopped by to say hi to me. You’d better get back.”
    â€œProbably. But are you okay, really?”
    â€œI’m fine. Shook up, but fine. Oh, Becca, of course we’re postponing the wedding until Drew gets back from active duty,” she said.
    Just that morning, I’d wished for some sort of miracle to get me out of being in the wedding, but now my heart sank. This wasn’t the type of miracle I was shooting for, and even though Madeline being killed should trump wedding plans, I knew postponing the event would break Linda’s heart. On the other hand, if his phone call was any indication that Drew was involved in the murder, Linda shouldn’t ever marry him. I wasn’t ready to jump to those conclusions, though.
    â€œLinda, I’m so sorry. He still has to go— on his mission or active duty or whatever . . . ?” I whispered.
    â€œYes. We were only able to talk before the police arrived, but it was the first thing he wanted to tell me—that he was going to have to go, no matter what. Drew is committed to what he does. I think the only way he could be stopped would be if he was arrested for the murder, but that’s not a possibility. He’ll do what he thinks is the right thing to do.”
    â€œOh,” I said, because I wasn’t sure what else to say. Had Linda wondered the same things I was now wondering? How could Drew possibly handle leaving at this time? Was the fact that he was leaving just good timing? Was he headed out of town, probably to another country, just in time to pull off a murder, ditch his bride, and disappear beyond potential prosecution? I hated thinking these sorts of things about Drew Forsyth, but I couldn’t ignore obvious possibilities. I wondered if Sam