Free Murder in Cottage #6 (Liz Lucas Cozy Mystery Series Book 1) by Dianne Harman

will go with it.
I wouldn’t think a recently re-elected mayor who might have thoughts of higher
office would like that kind of publicity.”
    He was quiet for a moment
with a grim look on his face, seemingly deep in thought. “You met Darcy
Martinez when you were here yesterday.” He looked down at his hands. “Barbara
and I had an agreement. Over the years, we’d lost interest in each other. There
just wasn’t anything there anymore. We had nothing in common. I was interested
in politics. She was interested in antiques. Darcy shared my passion for
politics, and in the last few months, we’ve been seeing one another. I was with
her on the night in question, but let me make one thing crystal clear. I
respected Barbara and almost put her on a pedestal. She knew about Darcy, but I
was very careful to be discreet. I don’t think anyone in town even suspects
that Darcy and I are seeing one another. As the principal of the high school,
she had to protect her reputation as much as I had to as mayor.”
    This man is living in a
dream world. Gertie, the police chief, and everyone else in town seem to know
about the affair. What is he thinking?
    “Thank you for sharing
that with me. I know it must be painful to have to admit something like that,
but sometimes in life these things happen. I won’t be the one to sully your
reputation by telling people about it. I’ll leave you alone now. Stay where you
are and I’ll let myself out. Oh, by the way, where does Darcy live?”
    “Why? Are you going to
check my story with her?”
    “I’d like to know where
she was during those hours. Given the circumstances, I’m sure you’ll agree that
a prudent investigator would want to ask her that question.”
    “Well, she’ll tell you the
same thing I just told you. She lives in the apartments across the street from
Lucky Boy Supermarket. Her apartment number is 201.”
    Liz opened the front door
and walked down the sidewalk to her van. Winston was wagging his tail, clearly
glad she’d returned from possible harm’s way, safe and sound.
    “Good job guarding the
van, Winston. Good boy. I have to make one more stop, and then we’ll go home.
When we get back to the lodge, I need to call Judy and confirm she’s coming up
tomorrow. Also, I need to discuss everything that’s happened today with Roger.
He’s going to want to know how I like you, which I really do, and I’d like to
know how his trial is going.”
    A few minutes later Liz
pulled up to an attractive brick apartment building with white wooden shutters
and brightly colored flower beds flanking the sidewalk that led to the large
cedar entry doors. She turned to Winston. “Stay. I’ll be back in a few
minutes.” She entered the building and saw the elevator a few feet down the
hall. She took it to the second floor and made her way to apartment 201 which
was only a few steps from the elevator. Liz heard music coming from inside the
apartment. She knocked on the door, and a few moments later it was opened by
Darcy.
    She stood there looking at
Liz, obviously trying to place her. After a moment she smiled with recognition
and said, “Please come in. I met you yesterday at Dave’s home. You’re the owner
of the Red Cedar Spa. I just left the high school. What can I do for you?”
    Liz told her what the
coroner had said. Darcy stood quietly for a moment, looking out the window, and
then she began speaking. “I only met Barbara once, but she seemed very nice. Do
you have any idea who might have killed her?”
    “No, I wish I did. Since
she died on my property, I definitely want to find out who did it. I don’t want
to lose business because of this, and if the case isn’t solved quickly, there’s
a very good chance I will. I’m visiting the people who might have known either
her or Dave. You seem to be a good friend of his. I’m wondering where you were
between the hours of 8:30 night before last and 8:00 yesterday morning.”
    There was no mistaking the
look of anger