Free "A Murder In Milburn", Book 1: Death At A Diner by Nancy McGovern Page A

townsfolk met her parents yesterday when they came over to see sheriff and… and…”
    …and identify the body. Nora nodded, wincing at the thought that the life and spirit of Raquel had now vanished, leaving only a body .
    “Mrs. Mullally said you weren’t well all of yesterday?” Jeremy asked. His voice was subtly aggressive, though civil enough.
    Nora nodded and turned away from them to brew more tea. Working quickly, she removed some chive crackers and sliced a little cheddar and cilantro on them. She placed the plate and tea on the table in front of them and then placed Ashley’s dish in the fridge. Opening the fridge, she saw row upon row of casserole dishes, each with a post it note on it giving condolences and the name of a townie. For a brief moment, she felt guilty. They were good folk, here in town, and she had been selfish and bad to them.
    She turned around, and Ashley was saying, “…a meat pie, should be good for the month if you freeze it.”
    “Good tea,” Jeremy said, stuffing a cracker into his mouth and taking a sip. “I prefer coffee, though.” He went back to his phone.  
    She hadn’t thought to ask, Nora realized. She sat down next to them.
    “Nora, I just wanted to offer my condolences.” Ashley held her hand. “I know how much Raquel meant to you. I also want to let you know that we’ll support you with whatever you want to do next. I know leaving town is an option that’s crossed your mind…”
    “It hasn’t, actually,” Nora said.  
    “Oh. Well.” Ashley stuttered, and looked at Jeremy, who was on the phone. “Well, whatever your plans are, I’ll be glad to offer whatever help I can.”
    “Thank you, Ashley.” Nora smiled. She’d always thought of Ashley as self-centered and gossipy, but she seemed to be trying hard to be sincere. She saw Ashley’s brow furrow as she looked at Jeremy. Tough life, having a baby on the way and a husband who was addicted to his cell phone, Nora thought briefly. She saw Ashley nudge Jeremy, who put his phone away and looked up.
    “Sorry. You know how tough starting a business is. I just always have to reply to clients as soon as they message,” he said.
    “Not a problem,” Nora said.
    “I still think you should just take Harvey’s offer and become a real estate agent, Jeremy,” Ashley said. “The money’s good.”
    “I told you a hundred times I don’t want to,” Jeremy said testily. “I don’t like that man, and I don’t think he likes me much either.”  
    Nora tapped on the table, and the two of them looked at her.
    “Sorry.” Ashley had the grace to look ashamed. She cradled her belly and squeezed Jeremy’s hand.
    “Sorry,” Jeremy said, a little annoyed still.  
    “You dated her once, didn’t you?” Nora asked. “Way back in high school? You were her first boyfriend.” She felt bad for Ashley, but she couldn’t resist poking at Jeremy. He ought to feel, well, something , instead of treating this as an unwanted chore.
    To her surprise, his anger vanished, and for a moment, she saw a vulnerable boy sitting in front of her. “Those were the days, right, Nora? High school. We’ll never be that young or that--”
    “Not everyone had a good time like us in high school,” Ashley interrupted. “Nora didn’t, I think. High school’s tougher when you’ve got acne or braces. We were just lucky to be part of the popular crowd.”
    “Right, babe,” Jeremy said, the vulnerable boy vanishing, and an irritable man coming back in his place. “But yeah, Raquel was a great girl. I’m truly sorry about what happened.”
    But was he? Nora wondered, as the two of them waved goodbye hours later. Jeremy seemed completely unaffected by Raquel’s death, yet how could he be, when he’d dated her for three years?  
    She thought back to when they’d been younger. She’d never interacted with him much, even though he’d dated Raquel for so long. Jeremy had been a typical jock – linebacker for the football team,