Page 89 of Call Back

One of the women turned up her nose. “One of the best? It is the best. This bond will ensure its first-place ranking.”

Crap. I’d already offended her. “We don’t want to lord it over the more unfortunate library systems now, do we?” I said in an affable tone.

Her companion—Janine—grinned. “She does have a point, Marie.”

Marie didn’t look as convinced, but I only needed one of them to talk to me.

“Now that I’m back in town,” I said, pouring Janine a cup of coffee, “I would love to participate in some volunteer organizations. I heard there was a literacy charity. Do either of you know about it?”

The two women exchanged questioning glances before turning back to me.

“Yes,” Janine said as she took the cup I handed her. “Ava knows all about it. You should get it from her after the Bible study.”

“I’ll be sure to do that,” I said. “Are any of the women who attend Ava’s Bible study part of the charity?”

“No,” Marie said in a stern voice. “Not anymore.”

“Oh?” I asked, feigning ignorance. “Someone used to be a member?”

“Rowena Rogers,” Janine said in nearly a whisper. “But she quit the charity and the group.”

“And everything else,” a woman who had walked up to the table said as she grabbed a plate.

“Did she move away?” I asked.

“No. She was involved in a scandal,” Janine volunteered with a look of glee in her eyes. But that glee instantly turned to panic, and her eyes searched the room. It was no surprise when her gaze landed on Ava, who was in the middle of a conversation close to the front door.

“Janine,” Marie admonished.

Janine looked guilty, but she lowered her voice and leaned in closer to the other woman. “Please. It’s not like you weren’t discussing it at a meeting two months ago.”

“We don’t discuss members with non-members,” Marie said with a frown.

Janine’s back stiffened. “Well, Rowena’s not a member anymore, now is she?”

Marie snatched a scone off the table. “And you won’t be for long if you keep talking like that.” She walked away, but Janine lingered.

“Would you like me to fix you a special drink?” I asked her. She seemed like a good target since her lips were already loose without any help from alcohol.

She wavered.

“I have a new drink,” I said, offering her a warm smile. “It’s made with raspberry lemonade and is very refreshing. I hear it’s supposed to warm up today.”

“You wouldn’t mind?” she asked.

“Of course not! It’s my job. I’ll be right back.”

I hurried through the door to the kitchen and mixed up her drink, adding a few fresh raspberries to the glass as a garnish.

Her eyes lit up as I walked back into the dining room. Yes, she was the perfect person for me to question. She was softer than the other woman, more open, and she was also one of the younger members, probably in her late forties or early fifties. The way her eyes kept darting around the room screamed outsider, as though she worried she’d do or say something wrong and be shown the door.

She reached for the glass, but I didn’t let go. I’d added enough vodka to get her pretty tipsy. If she was insecure about her place in the group, I’d hate to be responsible for her embarrassing herself.

“I’m sorry, Miss Janine,” I said in a syrupy sweet voice just this side of sounding fake. “I just realized I was a little heavy on the special ingredient. Perhaps I should make you a new one.”

She gave me a conspiratorial grin. “We both know the special ingredient is alcohol.”

“Vodka,” I whispered. “But I’m pretty sure it’s stronger than it tastes, and I wouldn’t want to be responsible for landing you in Ava’s bad graces.”

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