Free Overdue for Murder (Pecan Bayou) by Teresa Trent

and began to read: "I ran into his strong arms, his muscles bulging as he brought his large hands over my body. I felt a warmth spread through me as I surrendered to his embrace ..."

    Edith went on and on, describing the act of lovemaking in such detail that I noticed many of the members of the audience looking a little hot around the collar. One person I didn't expect a reaction from was Peter Markham. He seemed to be glued to her every word and bit his lip as she described the very throes of passion. Edith was now in full dramatic portrayal of the scene with the back of her hand placed upon her forehead: "Georgina said, yes, yes, yes!"

    "Yes!" Martha Hoffman shouted. "I mean," in a softer voice, "yes, I think that gives us quite a taste of your ... sensual style of writing. Thank you so much. Why don't we all take ten minutes. Maybe some of us need a smoke break after all that ... uh, ten minutes, everyone."

    Pattie stood up. "I brought some of my orange dream cupcakes and left them upstairs on the big study table for everybody." The crowd rose happily to go upstairs for cupcakes. I checked my phone to see that a picture had been texted over to me. Zach looked like he had elephantiasis trying to pull another sock on his foot. "That kid," I said. I walked over to Aunt Maggie and tilted the phone so that she could see the picture.

    "Oh my. I don't think they thought about how stretched out a sock would have to be to go over twenty other socks."

    "Aunt Maggie, they are driving me crazy with this stuff. I wish there was a record they could break without killing themselves."

    "I know, me too."

    "Maggie?" Ruby Green stuck her head in the door. "Come upstairs and get a cupcake before they're all gone. I want you to meet my new beau, Mr. Florence."

    "Be right there." Maggie touched me on the arm. "Why don't you go over to the children's section and find one those record books. Maybe you can find something tame for them to do."

    Not needing the cupcakes, I agreed. "Good idea."

    As I started walking out of the meeting room, Martha Hoffman stopped me. "Are you the reason Vanessa didn't get here for my author's night?"

    "Excuse me?" Why would I have anything to do with Vanessa Markham getting to a meeting?

    "Well, I just asked her husband, Peter, and he said something about the two of you having a fight in the mall."

    "Did he? Well that fight was weeks ago and really wasn't that much of a big deal. I'm surprised Vanessa didn't share that with you. Pattie's cupcake tower collapsed because your BFF Vanessa was the one who messed with the table leg and set her up so she could win with that sorry fish fountain of hers."

    Martha gasped, and the remaining stragglers hurried to get out of the room and avoid getting caught in our argument.

    "How dare you!"

    "Listen, Martha, I don't know why Vanessa isn't here. Why don't you try calling her? I'm sure she must be on your speed dial." I pushed past her, taking a deep breath. I knew this lady didn't like me, but blaming me for Vanessa's no-show seemed a little out there. Why would Peter point to me as the reason his wife was tardy? Didn't he know where she was? That was a truly strange marriage, especially with him visiting hotels in San Marcos and her hanging out with the vampire hunter. I thought I had had a bad marriage. They were both such physically attractive people, but inside all that beauty was another matter.

    Trying to put Martha's accusations behind me, I headed to the accordion doors of the children's section. I could smell fresh paint as I came to the closed-off area. There was a sign out front on a wooden easel announcing wet paint. I slid open the door and flipped on the light. The walls glistened with a fresh white coat. I jumped for a second when I saw a humongous monster that I recognized from the pages of Where the Wild Things Are perched in the corner of the room. That thing was so big it had to frighten small children.

    The nonfiction section was near the