Free Dying for a Change by Kathleen Delaney Page A

he’s not afraid Stop N Shop will put him out of business. Now, we’ll wait and see what happens.”
    “ Do you think Stop N Shop really might not come?”
    “ They’d better come. I’ve worked on this too long and too hard to have it crash now.” Her voice was grim and in spite of how tired she looked, the set of her jaw said determination. “This town needs it. The only place we have to shop is The Emporium, and that’s plain pathetic.”
    I took in Sharon’s long flowered silk skirt, her matching silk sweater, low-heeled Italian pumps, and delicate gold chain. It was obvious she didn’t shop at the Emporium, but I didn’t think she’d be doing too much at a discount store like Stop N Shop either.
    “ I hear Dan Dunham took you to lunch.” She smiled at me. “Renewing old friendships?”
    I could feel my face get stiff. How did she know? “Something like that.”
    “ I remember how you used to tag after Dan when you were little. You had quite a crush on him.”
    “ He lived next door. I thought of him as a brother. I still do.”
    “ Of course,” Sharon dismissed the subject as of only passing interest. “I’ll collect my messages and head for home. See you in the morning.”
    I took my cue and left. Sharon’s intimation that Dan taking me to lunch might mean something made me uncomfortable. Hazel had intimated much the same thing. I couldn’t possibly think of Dan in any way but as a friend, and I was sure that was how he thought of me. Wasn’t it? Of course it was.
    It seemed I was on the phone all evening. First my parents called from Scottsdale. They had heard about Hank. I was no longer surprised. Of course the long arm of the Santa Louisa information network had reached them.
    “ Are you all right?” That was my father.
    “ I hear you and Dan Dunham had lunch.” Mother had a knack of getting to the important things.
    “ How’s your golf game coming?” I asked them both.
    Later, Aunt Mary called. “How was lunch?”
    “ You mean you don’t know?”
    “ Don’t get smart,” I was told. “I went over to see Vera. She’s really in a bad way. Her oldest daughter’s here from New Jersey, and it’s a good thing. Vera’s not coping well. Couldn’t make any decisions about the funeral, the casket, or anything. It was a good thing the church committee was there to take charge.”
    I agreed it was indeed a good thing, then, a little slowly because I didn’t want to seem like a ghoul, asked, “So you don’t think Vera was the one?”
    “ The one what?” Aunt Mary asked. “Oh. To kill Hank? I never did. That was your theory.”
    “ I guess it was, but it sure tied things up neatly.”
    “ Tying things up is something you don’t have to worry about. Leave that to Dan. That reminds me, why don’t you two come to dinner Wednesday night?”
    “ I’d love to, but I can’t answer for him. Have you called him?”
    “ I thought I’d leave that up to you,” she purred. “Let me know.”
    “ What’s the matter with all these people?” I asked Jake as I hung up. “They’re practically throwing Dan at me. Or me at him.”
    The cat sat on the table and looked at me without answering.
    “ And another thing. I wasn’t trying to set Vera up as a murderer, or anybody else. But I found the body; I work with half the suspects. That doesn’t make me curious, does it? It makes me involved.” I stared at the cat, waiting for an answer. He yawned.
     

CHAPTER TWELVE

    The sun streamed in my bedroom window with the tiniest hint of warmth, and there were just enough clouds left over to make the morning interesting. I watched them float slowly by as I sipped my morning coffee, wondering if the day was going to be interesting as well.
    I had nothing scheduled at the office, and after yesterday, wasn’t eager to make an appearance. There were still boxes unpacked in my dining room, a task I felt more equal to than real estate, so I concentrated on stacking china plates in the hutch.