“That’s not true.” Mostly not true. Cordelia lifted her chin, choosing to ignore the jab. “How did you end up breaking free?”
“Juan Morales was admitted to the hospital after complaining of abdominal pain and vomiting. The next day, Bart Hewitt comes in for the same thing. Both of them over eighty and both of them residents of the pastor’s neighborhood.”
“Oh, no. I know Juan from way back. I hope he’s okay,” Daisy said.
“He’s fine,” Honey said. “But they tested the well water and it turns out they’ve been slowly getting poisoned over the last few months. The well got contaminated with arsenic, the kind found in soil. They let me go immediately. The problem for you is that the pastor wasn’t old enough to die from the well water, it was only a small amount, so they’re going to start looking into what did kill him. I’d be careful if I were you.”
Daisy balled her hands into fists, looking about as threateningas a mouse in a catfight. “You know what? I almost felt sorry for you when you were locked up, but then you open your mouth and I remember why no one can stand you.”
“I’m just saying.” Honey shrugged like she hadn’t accused Daisy of murder in broad daylight. “Now that I’m out, people are going to start talking. They might even start listening to Edna Abernathy again, since she was the only one who said I was innocent.”
“Maybe he really did die of a heart attack,” Cordelia said. “Ever think of that?”
Though that didn’t make Cordelia feel any better. If the pastor’s death was ruled to be by natural causes, his murderer would still be walking around out there. Still free to kill again.
“They could say it was a heart attack. Except we both know that’s not true.” Honey gave them a simpering smile. “Good luck out there, ladies.”
As Daisy fumed, Cordelia squeezed her shoulder. “She’s just trying to rile you up and get people talking about you instead of her. We’ve got better things to do.”
Cordelia threaded her arm through Daisy’s, and they walked around, picking up snippets of gossip. Vinner Mendez had gotten a new boat, and some people were saying he’d sold a couple of his toes on eBay to pay for it. He’d been walking funny for a few weeks, so that tracked. Lee Vargas had gotten fired from the Mallory farm for trying to have inappropriate relations with a duck. Someone accused Tilly Gomez-Esteban of selling marked-up Shein, so she blew up her order forms and taped them to the window to dispel the rumors.
Nothing of interest stuck out, at least not anything they could use to figure out who killed the pastor. And honestly, now that Honey was out of jail and the wine bottle was long gone, Cordelia didn’t find the matter as pressing as the Abernathys’ connectionto Sean O’Leary. Protecting the chicks was always her first priority.
“Ooh, look. There’s the new pastor.” Daisy pointed to a man who stood at the head of a small crowd. Hollis Thorne had shiny blond hair that glinted in the sun like a halo. His teeth were whiter than sun-bleached cotton, and there was something about the way he held himself when he talked to people. Like he was looking down at them from a perch. “He’s a handsome one.”
“He certainly thinks he is.” Cordelia had enough experience with men too pretty for their own good to recognize a fragile ego when she saw one. “I’d like to buy him for what he’s worth and sell him for what he thinks he’ll bring.”
“Oh, stop.” Daisy swatted her arm. “You’re always so cynical. I think he looks nice.”
Cordelia didn’t trust nice as far as she could throw it. Her daddy had been nice. The guy who’d asked for help with trigonometry in college, then tried to lock her in his apartment, had been nice. Her ex-roommate, who talked bad about Cordelia behind her back, had been nice. She’d had enough of nice to know she preferred someone honest.
“Let’s go get some of that potato salad before the flies get worse,” Cordelia said. She’d only come to this event to track down Edna, and since that turned out to be a bust, she planned to take her free meal and leave.
Cordelia turned to Daisy, but she’d already lost her to the allure of the new pastor. She narrowed her eyes, taking in the way Hollis Thorne tilted his head and his blank expression as Georgia Wilson flapped her hands while she spoke. The only reason he gave Daisy a second glance was on account of her outfit, and he dismissed her just as quick, not even bothering with so much as a nod when she interjected. As soon as a man approached him, he promptly dropped the act of half-heartedly pretending tolisten to Georgia to engage in what he probably considered a real conversation. The way her face fell for a split second before she brightened and turned to someone else as if nothing had happened infuriated Cordelia.
“Scouting out your next victim?” Edna had slithered up like a snake, taking Cordelia by surprise. “Is it men of God you hate, or just people in positions of power?”
“Bless your heart, Edna.” Cordelia gave her the full effect of the Texas charm embedded into her DNA. “It’s not even half past five yet and you’re already drunk. You ought to know the first step is admitting you’ve got a problem.”
“You’re the one who’s going to have a problem if another pastor turns up dead after you’ve been burning a hole into the side of his brain all afternoon.” Edna shook her head as if she pitied Cordelia. “The man just got here, how could he have possibly offended you already?”
“I know his type, that’s all.” Cordelia crossed her arms. “Have you given any more thought to my offer?”
Two nights ago, Cordelia had woken up to the sound of scratching on her walls. At first she thought it might’ve been a possum in her attic, but then she remembered she didn’t have an attic. By the time she got out of bed and peered out her back windows, the noise was gone. The following night, she could’ve sworn she heard gravel crunching out back. She called Archer to see if he was snooping around her property again, but as soon as his sleepy voice came on the line, she hung up. It could’ve been animals or clients taking the long way around, but Cordelia would sleep better knowing for sure the threat had been eliminated.
“I have, and I’m not taking it,” Edna said.
“Why on earth not?” Cordelia couldn’t hide her shock. She thought for sure Edna would use this opportunity to poke aroundChickadee land, if for no other reason than the fact that she was a nosy busybody.
“Why would we use our equipment to drill oil for you on your land?” Edna sneered. “You must think I carry my brains in my back pocket. I’m not trying to make you rich.”
“I don’t care about getting rich.” Cordelia tried to temper the rising shrill in her voice. Remaining calm and cool was her most formidable asset. “I just want Sean O’Leary gone.”
“I don’t have the kind of pull with Sean O’Leary you seem to think I have.” Edna glanced around. Concern etched her brow as she lowered her voice. “Look, it’s probably best if we aren’t seen talking right now.”
“You’re the one who approached me.” Edna moved to walk away, but Cordelia grabbed her arm. “Hang on. Why shouldn’t we be seen talking? What’s going on?”
“Nothing that concerns you.” Glancing over Cordelia’s shoulder, Edna paled as she shook her off. “Just leave it be. I have to go.”
