Free Shadows on a Cape Cod Wedding by Lea Wait

feeling Gussie was thinking “safety in numbers.”
    By the end of the meal both the bride and groom were a lot more relaxed. “Sorry you had to see that little scene, Maggie,” Gussie admitted. “This getting married has been a true test of love. It’s been something new almost every day since Lily found out about the wedding.”
    “She wants to help. She really does,” agreed Jim. “But her system is to push everything one hundred miles further than anyone wants. I’ll call her this afternoon and make nice, and tell her she’s over the top about the church, but offer her the compromise about the bows. I’m sure she’ll retreat. Bows on the pews were probably what she wanted in the first place.”
    “Dealing with her sounds exhausting!” said Maggie. “How did you manage to grow up sane?”
    “I moved to the Cape as soon as I was old enough to get on a bus,” Jim grinned. “Or something like that.”
    “I’m trying hard,” Gussie added. “But I may really explode before the wedding if she comes up with any more of her brilliant ideas. You have no idea how glad I am you convinced her to stay in Atlanta until just before the wedding, Jim. If she were here I think I’d be ready to jump off a cliff by now.”
    “I’ll try to keep her busy and under control when she arrives. Not to worry.”
    “Jim, what happened with Diana this morning?” Maggie asked. “Is she going to be all right? Do you think she needs a lawyer?”
    “I’m not sure. But she did need someone to talk with. I’m now on record as representing her, and I told her not to answer any questions beyond what the police know already. I don’t think that’s a problem; she clammed up right after she got in my car. Her father’s murder scared her. She wouldn’t talk about their life in Colorado.”
    “Are you going to follow up with her?” asked Gussie.
    “Not unless she asks me to do something specific, or I hear from Ike that she’s part of his investigation. At the moment I think he’s focusing on what Dan Jeffrey was doing here in Winslow, not on what he did when he was Roger Hopkins in Colorado. I’m not sure Ike even knows about that part of the man’s life yet. We have so much to do with the house and the wedding, Gussie, I don’t have time to take on a young woman who needs a surrogate family right now.”
    Maggie was silent for a moment. “I’m worried about her. Maybe it’s because I spend so much time with students her age. If you can spare me—” she looked over at Gussie, who clearly wasn’t thrilled with what she was saying—“I know, I just got here, but I’d like to check up on her, and maybe get her out of that house a few times while the police are investigating. She said she’d like to help with the wedding. Maybe she could help us with the move, too. Could we offer to pay her a little?”
    “Maggie, why is it you’re always getting involved with young people in trouble of some sort?” Gussie sighed. “But we could use some young muscles at the house. And I have a feeling Cordelia wouldn’t mind if we borrowed Diana. Jim, would that be a problem for any legal reason?”
    He shrugged. “None I can think of. If she can help you out, and it keeps her busy, sure, why not? We can pay her a few dollars. That’ll make it look as though we aren’t looking for free labor.”
    “We’re going to pack at your place this afternoon, right?” said Maggie.
    Gussie nodded.
    “I’ll take my car and go back to Cordelia’s and see if Diana’s interested. If she is, I’ll bring her back with me. I won’t be gone long.”
    Within twenty minutes she’d pulled her van up to the house at Apple Orchard Lane. Diana’s Volkswagen was still outside.
    After several minutes’ wait, Cordelia answered the door. “Good afternoon, Cordelia. Could I speak with Diana for a few moments?”
    Cordelia looked surprised, but went to a small table near the staircase where there were several books, a lamp, and a cowbell, and