The words made Claire choke up for a few moments.Sam waited until Claire felt she could speak again.“Thanks.I feel bad for you, too.First Margaret, then Gerald.I don’t know what’s going on.Is our whole club getting targeted?I couldn’t even sleep last night, worrying about it.”
Sam said carefully, “I don’t think that’s the case.I think whoever murdered Margaret is scared.Maybe they thought Gerald knew something.That he saw something.They got rid of him in order to protect themselves.”
Claire took a deep, steadying breath.“Right.You’re right.I’ve just gotten all wound up about it.You know how everything seems different at night.It’s easy to start imagining things.Maybe if I actuallygotsome sleep, I wouldn’t be this paranoid.”
“It’s only natural,” said Sam gently.“These were two people you saw regularly.”
Claire nodded.“Did the police talk to you about Gerald?”
“They did.I’d seen him right before he died.”Now Sam was the one swallowing and trying to maintain her composure.“I was talking to him about his writing.”
Claire gave a small smile.“He and I talked a lot about writing.He was trying to work on a historical novel of some kind.We gave each other tips we’d read online.”
“Did you hear that he was already published?”asked Sam carefully.
“What?No.He was?Did he publish it himself?”
Sam shook her head.“He’d actually published quite a few books through a major publisher.Historical romances.”She studied Claire’s reaction.But there was no mistaking the shock that crossed her features.
“You’re kidding.I had no idea.”Claire sat back in her chair, looking stunned.“But why wouldn’t he tell me about that?”
“It sounded like he was trying to keep it under his hat.He had a woman’s pen name.Maybe he thought he wouldn’t be taken seriously by readers if he wrote as a man.Or maybe he just wanted to keep it private.But it sounds like he was pretty successful.”
Claire just shook her head quietly.“He was really supportive of my writing.But when I suggested we critique each other’s work, he told me he wasn’t ready to do that.I guess that’s why.”
Sam said, “I had something else I wanted to ask you.You know how people in Sunset Ridge talk.”
Claire now looked apprehensive.“You can say that again.”
“I spoke with someone who mentioned seeing you have an argument with Margaret shortly before her death.Outside of Mountain Perk, actually.”
Claire closed her eyes.“I wondered if anyone noticed.”
“Can you tell me what happened?And you should probably mention it to the police, too.If I know about it, the police are sure to find out soon.”Sam left out the part where Lucy said she was going to report it directly.
Claire took another deep breath.“It was just Margaret being Margaret.Trying to make everyone feel small.”
“Was it about that critique she gave you for your manuscript?”
Claire shook her head.“I mean, that was bad enough, obviously.I really wanted an objective opinion of my manuscript before I started sending it off.Gerald had already told me no, like I mentioned.So I asked Margaret.”She winced, remembering.“I don’t know what I was thinking.I should have handed it to Charlotte, instead.She’s read a ton of books and should know if something needs more work or not.”
Sam said, “I’m guessing you thought to ask Margaret because she was used to marking students’ papers.She’d get right to the point about what wasn’t working.”
“Right.That’s true.I was a little worried that Charlotte wouldn’t want to make me feel bad.That she’d try to pump me up by telling me what a great job I’d done.But I wanted some honest criticism.”She sighed.“I got that in spades from Margaret.But our argument was about more than that.Margaret had some publishing connections.”
Sam frowned.“Did she?”
“From her academic career.She’d published herself, you know.You pretty much have to in order to get tenure at colleges.Anyway, she loved going to conferences and that kind of thing.She knew a few people.A few months ago, I told Margaret I was going to submit my manuscript to Red Mountain Books.It’s this small independent press in Western North Carolina.”
Sam asked, “This was after Margaret had given you ideas for revision?”
“After she tore it apart, you mean.It gutted me, but she had valid points.I worked night and day on those revisions.Anyway, Margaret offered to send an email along with the book to her contact over there.I was delighted.I couldn’t believe Margaret was actually being helpful for once.”
Sam said slowly, “Let me guess.She totally torpedoed your submission.”
“Bingo.I got a rejection from the publisher just a week later.It was a kind rejection, but definitely a no.The editor sent along Margaret’s notes, as a ‘courtesy.’So I knew what to work on.”Claire’s voice was bitter.“She’d questioned my genre understanding, called my work ‘amateur,’ and said I ‘lacked the capacity for sustained narrative.’”Claire’s face was red and blotchy, and she looked as if she might start crying again.
“I’m so sorry,” said Sam gently.“I hope you’ll try to submit the manuscript again to another publisher.It sounds like Margaret just wanted to sabotage you.Maybe she was jealous.”
