Free Mom Zone Mysteries 02 Staying Home Is a Killer by Sara Rosett Page B

“I saw you last Monday after you landed. I was talking to Penny in the hall when you came in from a flight.” His gaze stopped roaming the store and focused on me. “She seemed upset about something. Something about a flight you were on?” That last bit of information had come from Will, but Rory didn’t need to know that.
    “From what Willy said, she was always upset about something.” I’d let my hands fall motionless on the handle, and Livvy was straining toward the tabloids this time. I hauled her back in and tried to collect my thoughts as I tapped a speedy rhythm with my fingers. The woman in front of us finally signed her receipt and took her bag. Rory tossed his money on the counter and grabbed his plastic bag.
    “So you don’t know why she was so upset when she saw your crew?”
    “I hardly knew her.” Rory jerked the dollar bills out of the cashier’s hand and strode away through the congestion of baskets.
    After I checked out, I pushed the basket loaded with Livvy and my bags to the parking lot. I paused at the curb. Rory didn’t want to talk about his flight or Penny. Maybe he was naturally reticent. I opened the hatchback door on the Cherokee and set plastic bins in the back. Wouldn’t it have been more natural for Rory to shrug off Penny’s attitude or simply deny anything was wrong?
    I lifted Livvy out of the basket, stacked her on my hip, and reached up to close the hatch. Out of the corner of my eye I saw the basket slowly roll away toward a black SUV across the aisle. I turned to run after it, but a lean man in blues took a few quick steps and caught it.
    “Thanks,” I said and shoved the hatchback door down to close it. “Here, I’ll take it.” I walked over. “I’ll put it away.”
    “Don’t you worry about it. I’ve got it. You’ve got your hands full there.” A hooked nose dominated the man’s craggy face, and a fringe of silver hair edged the rim of his hat. Unlike his bumpy face, his voice was fluid and resonate. It was trained. I noticed the star on his hat. “You’re General Bedford.”
    I hitched Livvy up higher on my hip and introduced myself. I figured this would probably be my only chance to talk to him. After all, I didn’t usually run into the wing commander, but I guess everyone has to make a trip to the BX sometime. “You talked to Penny Follette the day she died.”
    His face registered surprise, then settled into a serious expression as I continued, “She was a friend of mine. Could you tell me what you talked about? She told me she interviewed you.”
    He hesitated, so I pressed, “I just wondered…It was so sudden…”
    “Well, sure.” He squinted across the distance. Like a hawk perched high above a field, Bedford seemed to survey his territory, his gaze darting back and forth, looking for a scuttling mouse. I hoped no one crossing the parking lot had forgotten to put on their hat. I didn’t think Bedford’s reaction to seeing someone out of uniform would be pretty. “It was for her article. I’m a military brat. She wanted to know about my memories of my dad’s years here at Greenly.”
    “Was she upset? Anxious?”
    “No. Focused. She wanted quotes for that article. Now, I can tell, you’re blaming yourself for her death. Don’t go there. You’ve got enough on your plate.” He patted Livvy on the head. “You don’t need to add guilt to it.” His smooth voice rolled on and I couldn’t get a word in. “Just take care of your little one there and don’t dwell on Penny.” I thought he wanted to pat me on the head, too, but he seemed to think better of it. He settled for giving my shoulder a quick tap. “You take care now.”

    I tracked Mitch down to the Hole where he was dropping quarters in a box to pay for a Dr Pepper. A burst of laughter sounded from one of the tables across the room as I hurried in the door. “There you are. I’ve been looking all over for you.” Livvy leaned over almost horizontal and fell from my grip into