Free Murder in Aix (The Maggie Newberry Mystery Series Book 5) by Susan Kiernan-Lewis Page B

of the cream macarons and settling the bag on the bedside table. “I’m not
feeling quite myself this morning.”
    “It’s like three
o’clock in the afternoon, Grace,” Maggie said, frowning.
    Grace leaned back
into her pillows. Even without a stitch of makeup on she was effortlessly
beautiful, Maggie thought. Even sad and
eating cookies in bed in the middle of the afternoon.
      “Danielle and I are going to Jacques’s
aunt’s house to give our condolences,” Maggie said.
    “You know his
aunt?”
    “No, but Danielle
does.”
    “So you’re using
Danielle to question the aunt.”
    “I’ll have you
know she is delighted for me to accompany her.”
    “So you can ditch
her as soon as you’re through the door and start rooting around in the aunt’s
attic looking for clues? I know you,
Maggie.”
    “Your point?”
    “Does Laurent
know?”
    “That’s the
second time you’ve asked me if I’m going behind Laurent’s back. Maybe you
should focus on your own marital dirty laundry.”
    “Oh, touché,
darling. You really got me there. Did you ever think I might be trying to help you avoid the pitfalls that have
brought me to such a sad state of affairs?”
    “Oh, give me a
break, Grace. Like you ever felt you had to hide anything from Windsor. Has he ever said no to you?”
    Grace smiled
sadly. “Almost never.”
    “So, what was the problem?”
    “Like most
complicated situations, Maggie, I’m afraid it can’t be summed up in an easily
digestible sound byte.”
    “Did you or did
you not leave him? Or are you telling me he threw you out?”
    “He’s found
someone else, alright? Are you happy now?”
    “I don’t believe
it.”
    “Well, it’s
true.”
    “Was this before
or after you gave up on the marriage?”
    “Are you saying I
drove him into the arms of another woman? Really original, Maggie. And
supportive. Thanks a lot.”
    “Well, did you?”
    “Look, we haven’t
been getting along for a while now.”
    “Have you gone to
counseling?”
    “Like that
helps.”
    “Do you want to work it out?”
    “I don’t know. Maybe
not.”
    “Grace, you have
kids!”
    “Thanks. Because
I’d forgotten that for a minute.”
    “At least be
honest, if not with me, then yourself. This girlfriend isn’t the real problem,
is she?”
    “Well, she
doesn’t help.”
    “You were looking
for a way out.”
    “And if I was,
Maggie? Did it ever occur to you to wonder why that might be?”
    “He hit you?”
    “There are worse
things.”
    “Such as.”
    “Am I supposed to
live without love in my life?”
    “You have two
kids, Grace.”
    “And I know
you’re all excited about your own plan to add to the world population, Maggie, so
I hate to be the one to tell you, but having kids is not all it’s cracked up to
be.” Grace looked away, her face a mask of misery and hunger. “And I need
more.”
    Maggie turned on
her heel and walked out of the room, careful to slam the door behind her.
     
    When Maggie and
Danielle drove up the long, winding driveway in the village of Lignane, halfway
between St-Buvard and Aix, that led to Lily Tatois’s mansion, Maggie was
grateful for both her friend’s happy chatter and the distraction of baby
Zou-zou. It had seemed easier to just bring her with them rather than risk
another confrontation with Grace, who didn’t appear to be in much of a motherly
or babysitting mood as it was. Besides, Z, as Oncle Laurent had started calling her (only it sounded like “Zed”
when he said it) was such a good
baby. As toddlers go, Maggie knew she was probably not getting a representative
sampling of the typical behavior and tried not to count on it too much with her
little one.
    “Oh, Lily will be
so distraught,” Danielle said, smoothing out Zou-zou’s baby-fine hair from one
of the child’s barrettes . Z sat on
Danielle’s lap. Maggie knew she should be restrained in a child seat, but she
didn’t have one and Grace hadn’t travelled with one. It was first on her