Sam said, “I’m not surprised.After all, I met you at a book club, and I know you were formerly a librarian for the county.”
“That’s right.”Pamela’s face darkened.“It looks like you joined book club at something of a tough time.Poor Margaret.”
Pamela’s body suddenly seemed much tenser.Sam said, “I’m sorry.I know you must have known her pretty well.”
“What makes you say that?”
Sam said, “Just considering that you were in the same book club together.And I understand neither of you were new members.”
“I see.Well, you’re both correct and wrong.Correct in that she and I were long-standing members.However no one could say they knew Margaret well.Least of all me.”
Sam asked, “She was a complex person?”
“Complex, yes.And a difficult individual.”Pamela sighed.“Margaret was very critical of others, I’m afraid.I really shouldn’t speak ill of her, considering what’s happened, but it’s the truth.Her absence will likely make club meetings easier for everyone.”
“I see.I’ve known a few people like that.It sounded like she might have been hard on budding writers, too, from what I’ve heard.Maybe that’s natural, considering her background as a professor.”
Pamela pressed her lips together.“Is it natural?I think an English professor should be encouraging of his or her students instead of castigating them for the quality of their writing.Margaret seemed to think she herself was an excellent writer.I didn’t see anything that made me believe that was the case.”
“Oh, was Margaret working on something?”
Pamela’s expression flickered.“She mentioned a memoir project.I don’t know how far along she was with it.”She paused, then added with what seemed like forced casualness, “Though knowing Margaret, she probably had strong opinions in it about everyone she’d ever met.”
“That sounds about right,” Sam said.“Did she talk about it at book club?”
“She just mentioned it once or twice, but she never went into the details.I try not to think about what Margaret might have been writing about the book club.I’m sure she wasn’t complimentary.”Pamela shrugged.“But the rest of the club talked about her memoir when Margaret wasn’t around.We thought she’d be even more insufferable if she became a published author.Can you imagine?She was already impossible to deal with.”She sighed.“I left book club meetings so completely stressed out.It’s the opposite of the way discussing books should be.”
“Relaxing and stimulating.”
“Right,” said Pamela.“Not stressful.You know, I’m not a young woman.I have a lot of heart-related issues that I’m treating with blood pressure medication and blood thinners.The stress from those meetings could have driven me into an early grave.I’m not exaggerating.”
Sam nodded sympathetically.“I’d imagine that would be the case.”She paused, choosing her words carefully.“Charlotte mentioned seeing you at the public library recently.She said she wanted to say hi, but you seemed preoccupied and hurried out.She was worried about you.”
“The library?”She didn’t meet Sam’s eyes.“Oh, that.Yes.I wasn’t feeling well that day.Just a terrible headache.I probably didn’t even notice Charlotte was there.”She gave a tight smile.“I’m better now, though.”
Sam watched her for a moment.“That’s good.Charlotte was concerned.”
“Well, tell her I appreciate that, but there’s no need to worry.”Pamela’s voice was firm now.She finally met Sam’s gaze.“Have the police spoken with you?They questioned me about everything.”Pamela tilted her head to one side.“Oh wait.You were with Charlotte when Margaret was found, weren’t you?You poor thing.I really winced when I heard that.A brand-new member of our book club, too.”
“Yes, I’m afraid I was there.But I was glad that Charlotte wasn’t alone.”
Pamela nodded gravely.“Yes, that would have been so much worse.What an absolutely horrible thing for Charlotte, though.First the hurricane caused so much damage to Twice-Told Tales.Then a suspicious death in her shop.At least, from what the authorities were saying, her death was suspicious.”She paused.“Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to help the police out much.”
“I couldn’t, either.I didn’t notice anyone especially close to Margaret at the book club meeting.”
Pamela said, “Exactly.Because whowantedto be close to her?”She sighed.“That’s ungenerous of me.But Margaret could be a very difficult woman.If you engaged in conversation with her, she’d often turn a polite conversation into an argument.”She leaned closer to Sam.“Could you tell how she died?”she asked quietly.“The police didn’t disclose a cause of death.Did someone stay behind with her and murder her?Surely it wasn’t Charlotte?”
“No.Even if Charlotte wanted to kill someone, she’d have the good sense not to do it in her own shop.It’s looking like Margaret might have died before we all left the bookstore.”
“Oh no.That’s awful.”Pamela winced.“I hate to think that.I hope her demise was fast.That she didn’t suffer.”She paused.“And yet the police are looking at her death as suspicious.Does that mean someone strangled her?”Her face was horrified.
“I think they’re trying to figure that out.Did you notice anyone’s location during book club or after?”
Pamela shook her head.“Sadly, I’m not very helpful with those details, as I told the police.I did notice Dylan hovering around the refreshments for a bit.I think he was just anxious about being around Margaret after the horrid way she acted about his open mic night.As for me, I left right after we finished.The meeting exhausted me, as it often does.Margaret was always tiresome.I went home, made myself some herbal tea, then turned in early.The police asked me if anyone could confirm that, but I live alone.So I suppose I’m still a suspect.”
“Did you know Margaret well outside the club?”asked Sam.
“No, just from the meetings, which was more than enough.Margaret was always ...” She seemed to catch herself.“This is just my opinion, and of course I didn’t know her well.And, I’m no psychiatrist.But sheseemedlike someone who might have had an inferiority complex or something.She was always trying to prove she was better and smarter than everyone else.I wonder what her upbringing was like and if her parents were that way.The thing is, she was a clever, successful woman.She could have been so interesting to converse with.It’s really just a pity.”
