Free A Catered Murder by Isis Crawford

Susan grabbed her wrist.
    â€œI just have to share this with you. Before we sat down to dinner, Laird was telling me that when he died he wanted me to put a stake through his heart, so he couldn’t rise again. At first I thought he was joking. But he wasn’t. He wanted to protect his friends from himself. Wasn’t that considerate ?”
    â€œVery,” Libby said.
    Bernie was signaling to her. She had to go, but for a small lady Susan Andrews had a powerful grip. She wondered if wrenching her arm away would be considered insufferably rude and decided it would be.
    Susan shook her head. “He believed. He did. The thought of becoming one of them terrified him. But his saying that.” Susan choked back a sob. “It was as if he knew.”
    Libby almost said, If he knew, then why the hell did he go ahead and drink the water? But she managed to restrain herself.
    â€œWho would do something like that to him?” Susan asked as she released Libby’s wrist.
    â€œI’m sure the police will find out.” Libby held up her hand, indicating she’d be with Bernie in a second. She had to get back behind the counter. More and more people were coming in the store, not that Susan seemed to notice as she dabbed at her eyes.
    â€œI certainly hope so. Well, I can see how busy you are. So if you could just give me two of those wonderful strawberry scones of yours, that will be fine. Then tonight you can tell everyone all about everything and don’t forget about the cooking lesson.”
    â€œTonight?” Libby asked. “Cooking lesson?”
    A look of concern passed over Susan’s face.
    â€œDear, don’t tell me you’ve forgotten,” she cried. “You’re catering the dinner party Nigel Herron is throwing in my honor. Remember? I’m having a private showing of my fiber art pieces.”
    â€œOf course. How could I forget anything so special?” Libby lied. “It’s written on my calendar in big red letters.”
    Susan fingered one of her earrings.
    â€œAnd I’m so excited about Julie Chang.”
    â€œRight.” Now Libby remembered. Susan had arranged for a Chinese cooking lesson with Julie Chang at her house tomorrow. It had seemed like a good idea at the time. Now she wished she could cancel.
    â€œEveryone will be there.” Susan sighed. “Such a shame Lionel couldn’t see my work. That was one of the reasons Nigel was having this get-together. I’d like to think that he would have enjoyed them.”
    â€œWho wouldn’t?” Libby replied.
    â€œI’m thinking of donating a piece to place in his coffin.”
    â€œThat’s very generous of you.”
    â€œWhy, thank you,” said Susan as she watched Libby put her scones in a white bag and hand them to her. “I think it’s important that a part of Bebe will be with Laird forever.”
    â€œAh, yes,” Libby said. “How is Bebe?”
    â€œWonderful. I know you think she’s just a dog. No . . .” Susan put her hand up. “Don’t protest. But she’s brought a great deal of comfort to me and I hope she’ll do the same for Laird’s soul.”
    Libby searched Susan’s face for a sign that she was joking and decided that she wasn’t.
    â€œDon’t you believe in an afterlife?” Susan asked.
    â€œI’m not even sure what this life is about,” Libby replied.
    Susan patted Libby on the wrist again.
    â€œDon’t worry. You will. It took me a long time to see it too. You have to lose your sense of practicality, of the everydayness of life, and immerse yourself in the great beyond.”
    Susan sighed.
    â€œIt wasn’t until after my darling husband died and I became involved in past life regression that I came to believe in reincarnation. I realized that we all circle endlessly around one another. No one is ever truly lost. We all come back in different forms. For example,