Free Laid to Rest (A Darcy Sweet Cozy Mystery Book 18) by K.J. Emrick Page A

can’t imagine why anyone would do this to him.”
    Darcy nearly flew across the bookshop, right up close to Helen, her face tight as she tried to keep her emotions in check.  “How do you know about that?  Tell me how you know about what happened to Smudge!”
    “Darcy, calm down,” Jon said from behind her.
    She didn’t want to calm down.  She wanted Smudge to be safe, wanted him to be home, wanted there to be no secrets between her and her aunt.  She wanted everything to go back to the wonderful sort of normal it was when they had come back from Australia just a few short days ago…
    Helen raised a hand up to Jon, telling him to wait, her expression so full of understanding that Darcy wanted to scream again.  “It’s all right.  I’m sure she’s upset.  If someone had done this to me…  Well.  I know how I felt when my husband betrayed this town, and me, behind my back.  It’s not the same thing, Darcy, I know, but please know that I’m here for you if there’s anything I can do.  We all are.”
    You have your friends with you, Millie had said.  Helen was one of those friends.  At least, she would be if Darcy didn’t drive her away with accusations inspired by crazy, frantic worry.
    That still didn’t explain why Helen had come sneaking into the bookstore just now.
    “Tell me how you know about Smudge,” Darcy asked again, forcing herself to be a little more patient.
    “I got a call,” Helen explained.  “From our favorite television reporter.  Brianna Watson certainly does like to keep tabs on this town, doesn’t she?  Oh, Darcy, everyone in town knows about it by now.  The police officers, the people they talked to, the people those people talked to, and that’s just the way it goes.  Of course I would have heard about it, being the mayor.  What else could I do but come and see if you needed my help?  It’s a terrible, terrible thing.”
    Jon was suddenly behind her and his hands on her shoulders held Darcy together.  News always travelled fast in a small town.  Bad news travelled even faster.
    And now they had another visit from Brianna Watson to look forward to.  That woman never let a story slip through her hands.  She was like a dog with a bone.  No doubt tomorrow she’d show up on her and Jon’s doorstep, microphone in hand, cameraman in tow, wearing that annoying little smirk of hers like an eager shark spotting its next meal.
    One more worry to throw on top of the pile.  That was for tomorrow.  For today—tonight, considering what time it was—they needed to go see Sean Fitzwallis.
    “Helen…”  Darcy searched for the words.  “I’m sorry.  I’m on edge.  Thank you for coming to find me.  Jon and I have some people to talk to and we’re going to take care of this.  We’ll find Smudge.  If I need you I’ll be sure to call.”
    Helen hugged her, and it made it just that much harder to keep from crying.  She didn’t need everyone’s sympathy.  She needed answers.
    “Helen,” Jon was asking, “you were Millie’s friend, right?”
    “You mean Darcy’s aunt?  Well, yes, of course.  Everyone liked your aunt, Darcy.  It was a terrible thing when she died.”
    Jon nodded.  “So I’ve heard.  Can I ask you, confidentially, was there anything going on with her just before she, you know, passed on?”
    “Strange?  Why, not any more so than usual with her.”  She gave Darcy an apologetic look.  “I’m sorry.  I shouldn’t put it that way.  You know what I mean, though?  It's the same way that you find all this trouble for yourself, Darcy.  You and Millie are a lot alike.  Your aunt knew things that she couldn’t actually know.  She was always in the middle of things with no real explanation.  Just, poof, there she was.”
    Darcy felt a little smile tug at the corners of her lips.  Yes.  That was Millie.  It was her, too. 
    “So was she…involved in anything before she died?” Jon asked. 
    Darcy looked over at him.