Chapter Five
It was a bit laterwhen Sam heard the doorbell ring.She peeked out the side window before opening the door to Claire Brennan, the book club president.
Claire started out apologetically before Sam could say anything.“Hey there.I’m so sorry about dropping by like this.I didn’t have your phone number, so I just looked up your address online.”
“No, you’re fine.Come on inside.Coffee?Tea?”Sam automatically fell into hostess mode, even with a surprise guest.
“Actually, if you’ve already got coffee made, I’d love a cup.But don’t make a pot just for me.”
Sam smiled at her.“It’s already made.I needed an extra energy boost today.”
Arlo greeted Claire with a tail wag and an earnest expression on his face.
“And who is this cutie?”asked Claire, stooping down to rub Arlo.Arlo immediately flopped over on his back for a belly rub.
“Arlo.He’s clearly taken to you.” Sam walked into the kitchen to pull out the tray again and load it with a second round of coffees and muffins.
They settled in the sunroom.Arlo leaned up against Claire’s legs as she doctored her coffee.Claire said, “I’m sure you’re wondering why I’m here.”
“You’ve heard about what happened at the bookstore this morning, haven’t you?”
Claire said, “I heardsomethinghappened at the bookstore.Someone posted a picture on social media with crime scene tape and police cars all over the place.I did hear you and Charlotte were there.I tried calling Charlotte, but her phone is turned off.Is she okay?”
“She’s fine.Just overwhelmed, I think.”Sam paused.The police hadn’t told her to keep the information under her hat, but it seemed as if Margaret’s family should be notified before anyone else knew about her death.“Before I say anything, do you know if Margaret has any family here in town?A husband?”
Claire shook her head.“No husband.And she doesn’t have anyone at all in town, from what I understand.She’d said once, a while back, that she had a child she was estranged from.Sadly, it didn’t come as a huge surprise, knowing how Margaret is.”She paused, frowning.“Wait, did something happen to Margaret?”
“I’m afraid so.When Charlotte and I walked into her shop this morning, we found Margaret there.She was dead.”
Sam watched Claire’s reaction carefully.She saw shock pass over her features before something she thought might be relief replaced it.“I can’t believe it,” Claire breathed.“How did she get in there?Did Margaret break into Twice-Told Tales?Why would she do something like that?”
“It looked like she’d been in the shop all night.That she’d never left.”
Claire’s eyes widened.“You mean she died in that back room before we walked out of the bookshop.”
“The police haven’t said when she died.But at some point following the end of the meeting, yes.”
Claire was silent for a couple of moments, just petting Arlo.“So did she have some kind of medical emergency?But she couldn’t call out to us?”
“The police have to treat it like a suspicious death until they know more,” said Sam carefully.
Claire shook her head.“You mean somebody might have killed her somehow?What, strangled her?”
