Free Weave of Absence by Carol Ann Martin Page A

understandable,” he said, as he poured the wine. “Losing a friend is a painful experience.” He offered me a glass and raised his. “To happier days.” We sipped. “By the way, you didn’t tell me how Helen was killed.”
    â€œShe was strangled, by the looks of it. I only had a quick glance, but her face was bloated and almost purple.”
    â€œWell, if that’s how she died, chances are the killer was a man, and a strong one at that.”
    I shuddered as a picture of Marnie’s fiancé with his hands wrapped around Helen’s throat flashed through my mind. “Strangled. I can’t imagine a worse way to die. I’d rather be shot.”
    â€œNice thought.” He gave me a crooked smile. “I’d rather die in my sleep.”
    â€œLet’s not talk about murder and death while we’re eating, please—if you don’t mind.”
    â€œDon’t tell me you’re getting squeamish. I always thought murder was one of your favorite subjects.”
    I ignored that comment and dove into my meal with enthusiasm. “Good chicken,” I said between bites. “By the way, I told you that Marnie is getting married, remember?”
    â€œYes, of course. I realized after I got back in mycar this morning that I’d forgotten to congratulate her.”
    â€œDon’t you know? You never congratulate the bride—only the groom.”
    â€œI’ll keep that in mind,” he said, chuckling. “Didn’t this all happen really fast? Didn’t you tell me she just met the guy?”
    â€œIt’s way too fast if you ask me. But that’s only one of the reasons I’m worried. I don’t like that man one bit.”
    He paused, fork in midair. “You usually like everyone. What did he do to make you dislike him?”
    â€œIf you’d seen the way he was behaving at last night’s party, you wouldn’t like him either.”
    â€œTell me.”
    â€œI had some friends over—a sort of surprise wedding shower in Marnie’s honor. I wasn’t expecting him to show up, but he was with her when she came—”
    â€œYou can’t seriously be holding that against him.”
    â€œThat has nothing to do with it. It was the way he behaved. It was the first time most of Marnie’s friends met him. I know it was mine. Instead of standing by Marnie’s side, he went off and started flirting with one of the guests.”
    â€œFlirting? In front of everyone? That’s rather rude.”
    I hesitated. “Well . . . in all honesty, I can’t swear that they were flirting, but it sure looked like it to me. And then, as if that wasn’t enough, he got intoa nasty argument with another of the guests.” I told him about the secretive way he and Melinda Wilson carried on their conversation, but before I got to the confrontation with Helen, he put up a hand.
    â€œMelinda Wilson . . . I’ve heard that name before.”
    â€œShe’s a baker from Belmont—a friend of Marnie’s.”
    â€œNice friend. Although, in all fairness, even if you’re right and they were trying to cover up the fact that they were talking, that doesn’t automatically mean they were doing something illicit. They weren’t necessarily arranging to meet.”
    â€œIf it was all so innocent, why were they being so covert?”
    â€œDon’t get upset. I’m just saying. Any possibility you misread their body language?” He must have been reading
my
body language right, because he abruptly changed the subject. “Okay, let’s move on. Tell me more about the argument he had.”
    â€œI couldn’t hear what he and Helen Dubois were arguing about—”
    â€œWhoa. Are you talking about the same Helen Dubois who was murdered?”
    â€œThat’s right,” I said. “Now do you get it?”
    He leaned back in his chair.