Free Death Among the Doilies by Mollie Cox Bryan Page B

didn’t she? Two visits from the police in two days? She hoped this wasn’t going to be a habit.
    She pressed her ear up to the solid chestnut door but couldn’t hear a word.
    â€œWhat are you doing?” Jane said from behind her.
    â€œShhh!” Cora pointed toward the door.
    A bewildered Jane pulled Cora off to the kitchen.
    â€œWhat’s going on?” she asked once they were alone.
    â€œJude’s in there with two police officers,” Cora answered.
    â€œWhat the—”
    â€œExactly,” Cora said, crossing her arms. “I had a bad feeling about having a man at our first retreat.”
    â€œI know, I know, but this could be something fairly mundane.”
    â€œLike what? A parking ticket? They’ve been in there awhile. It doesn’t make sense,” Cora said.
    â€œDid you do a background check on him?” Jane asked after a moment.
    â€œHe’s Jude freakin’ Sawyer,” Cora said.
    â€œDoes that mean no? You didn’t do a background check? Honestly, Cora!”
    Cora always assumed folks were innocent until proven guilty and didn’t see the need for background checks. She preferred to judge after getting to know someone. But the longer Jude’s meeting with the local police went on, the more she started to see the wisdom of background checks.

Chapter 14
    Jane needed to go back to the carriage house. But Ruby had entered in the back kitchen door and stood in her way. Like a stone. Or more like a mountain. She was immovable.
    â€œI don’t think you should go back there,” Ruby said, with a quick glance at the back door that opened to the screened porch.
    â€œWhy?” Jane said. Cora came up behind her.
    â€œJust trust me on this,” Ruby said. Her eyes were rimmed in red. Had she been crying?
    â€œWhat’s wrong?” Cora said.
    â€œI saw the cops are here. Are they still here? What are they doing here?” Ruby said, her bottom lip twitching.
    Why isn’t Ruby answering the question?
    Jane knew how paranoid Ruby was about the police. She was definitely part of the generation of aging hippie-flower children who thought cops were all out to get them. Jane had some issues with the cops, as well, but not like this.
    â€œDo you mind?” Jane said. “I need to go back to my place. I’ve got some things to take care of before I need to go get London.”
    â€œLet’s go back in the kitchen for a minute,” Ruby said, pushing both Jane and Cora back inside. She was agitated—or was she frightened?
    â€œWhat’s going on? For God’s sakes, Ruby. We don’t have time for this . . . ,” Jane said.
    â€œWhere are the cops?” Ruby demanded.
    â€œAre you worried about them?” Jane said. “They’re in the paper-crafting room with Jude.” She headed for the paper-crafting room, with Cora and Ruby trailing behind her.
    â€œLook, I bought the brooms fair and square. I can’t help it if her family doesn’t like it. They took my money, didn’t they?” Jude said, with a booming voice.
    â€œI’m sorry to interrupt,” Ruby said. “But we’ve got a situation.”
    â€œYou’re damn right we do,” Jude said. “I’ve been accused of theft and I don’t like it.”
    â€œWhat?” Cora said. “That’s absurd.”
    Officer Shimer eyeballed the three women. “What do you want?” he said.
    â€œI’d like to report a crime,” Ruby said.
    â€œWhat kind of crime?” he asked her.
    â€œI was walking around back, walking from my place to the main house. And I walked by the carriage house—”
    â€œYou live here?” Officer Glass interrupted.
    â€œYes, on the property, in the gardener’s cottage,” Ruby explained impatiently. “And Jane lives in the carriage house.”
    â€œHow many people live here in total?” Officer Glass asked, scratching his