Free Murder for a Rainy Day (Pecan Bayou Book 6) by Teresa Trent Page B

necessarily mean it's a boy."
    "So it's a girl?"
    "Didn’t say that either. You’ll find out when you find out."
    "I see."
    Leo patted my dad on the back. "That's okay Judd. We're all anxious to meet this new little Fitzpatrick."
    "That's Kelsey-Fitzpatrick," my dad said as he put on his hat. "If the kid has all those names to write on his paper, you’d better name him Joe. At this rate he’ll never get out of the second grade."
     

     
     
     
     

CHAPTER TWELVE
     
     
    The next morning I sat at the kitchen table with Aunt Maggie, drinking coffee and pre-addressing birth announcements. Once the baby came, I would fill in the details, but we could get a head start on the job now. Danny was in the den watching cartoons.
    Maggie pulled the latest edition of the Gazette off the counter. "Looks like nothing was stolen overnight. Guess our burglar must be slowing down."
    "To be honest there's not much left in town for him to steal."
    "It’s just downright weird. You know if I felt desperate enough to steal something, it would be something that would help me or my family."
    "Which makes you wonder about the mental state of the thief. Have you noticed anyone crazy walking around?"
    "How long have you got?"
    "Point made. Hey Maggie, can I ask you something?"
    Aunt Maggie, who had been putting stamps on envelopes, stopped and looked up.
    "Sure, baby, anything. What do you need to know?"
    "Have you heard anything about Baxter Digby?"
    "You mean like he cheated someone on a house deal or something?" She clucked and shook her head. "Not surprising."
    "No. Nothing like that. What do you know about his marriage?" Aunt Maggie's eyebrows shot up. She set the birth announcements aside.
    "What are you trying to say?"
    I was doing a lousy job of keeping a secret. Ruby knew and of course, Rocky knew. I foolishly thought I could get it by Rocky by asking a simple question. Giving Rocky a clue about a possible scandal was like advertising a shoe sale at a depression convention.  
    Maggie sat back and crossed her arms. "Spill it. What do you know?"
    "I was interviewing him for this crazy article Rocky has me writing, and I found out something."
    Maggie stared at me for moment, her eyes boring into mine, making me feel like she had caught me doing something bad. I felt like I was eight years old again. If Baxter Digby was going to have any privacy, I needed to shut up. "It's nothing."
    "So, that's your story and you're sticking to it."
    "Yes."
    "As far as Baxter Digby goes, I wouldn't trust him as far as I could throw him. He's a handsome fellow, and I think all that hair is really his, but there's just something about the guy. Did you know he forbade his wife to work outside the home? He said she’s happier not working."
    "Maybe she is."
    "And good for her if it’s true, but Ruby said he was bragging about it one day at a chamber of commerce meeting. Well maybe not bragging, as much as implying his family life is being better than households with two working parents."
    "That's pretty archaic. I thought women being forced to stay home went out with the advent of women's lib."
    "You never know about a man, and Digby strikes me as being pretty controlling. I heard he has quite the jealous streak."
    "It doesn't exactly jive with what I'm suspecting. I think he might be cheating on his wife."
    "Boy howdy. Now that's some hot gossip for sure."
    "Yeah, but if he’s so gung-ho about having a traditional family, why would he be sleeping around on his wife?"
    "Because he calls the shots, baby girl. There’s a reason why he's such a successful real estate agent. By controlling every variable he makes sure things go his way. I'll tell you one thing. Whoever he might be sleeping with probably has no idea what type of man he is. If he makes his wife stay home and not work, what does he demand of his mistress?"
    "I’m being silly," I said. "I just saw his car parked outside a motel for two days in a row around lunchtime."
    "Uh huh. How do