Page 34 of Dying to Read

“It’s okay. Terrance and I are talking again. I needed some time to get over the shock of his friendship with George. They would have been friends before too. I mean, before George fell ill.” Shirley focused on straightening books on a table. “Drew says that George threatened that Jully man because he was flirting with Lizzy.”

“Lizzy told me she was getting married.” Rarity didn’t want to hurt Shirley, but maybe she knew something, and she didn’t realize it would help George.

“You don’t think she meant George, do you?” Now Shirley turned to stare at Rarity.

“She called him Billy. But honestly, I don’t know. I mean, she’s not the most trustworthy narrator of her own life.” Rarity thought about the nurse she’d talked to earlier. Maybe she should go see if she was at the booth now. She checked the time. It was still too early for anyone to be there except for Cindi. “I don’t understand how George could have pulled the murder off. The night supervising nurse didn’t think it was possible. Not with George’s condition.”

“That’s what I keep telling Drew, but he says he must have real evidence to clear him. And even if he does, we both know who the next suspect on his list will be.” Shirley flopped into a chair. “God is having a chuckle at my expense.”

“I don’t think that’s true. But we need to find out more about who Lizzy thinks she’s marrying. And more about William Jully. I think the answer is there. Who else wanted him dead or out of the way and why?” Rarity stood to help a woman who had grabbed a stack of best-sellers. “You look like you’ve got some free time on your hands.”

“The kids are leaving with their grandparents for spring break tomorrow, and I have a full week of no school drop-offs or pickups, no making lunches or even dinner unless I want to cook.” The woman grinned. “I’m curling up in my pajamas when I get home and reading until I fall asleep. It’s mommy time!”

“Well, I’ve read several of these, and you’ll love them.” Rarity rang up the purchase and gave the woman back her credit card.

“They may be going to Disneyland, but I’ll have my own fantasy world right here in my living room. I feel guilty for being so happy about it.” She tucked the books into her tote. “It’s such a blessing you opened your store here. The kids love coming into the store and picking out books.”

Rarity hadn’t recognized the woman, but she greeted Katie and Shirley by name as she left the tent. “We live to serve,” she said after the woman had left.

“I hear that comment from a lot of people. They used to go into Flagstaff or order online, but now they can pop into our bookstore. Sedona has a lot of readers.” Katie finished straightening the last table and came tosit with them.

“We’re about to get hit by the next wave of egg hunters, so if you need to do anything, you should go now.” Shirley glancedat her watch.

“I’ll be right back.” Katie dashed out of the tent.

Rarity looked at Shirley. “Are you good? I should take Killer outfor a minute.”

“I can wait. I’m going to grab me a slushy at the booth across the way in a few minutes. Doyou need one?”

“Of course I do.” Rarity clicked the leash on Killer. “I’ll take him with me and then I’ll hit the restroom after he does his business. If you leave before I get back, take the money for the slushies out of the cash drawer. And get one for Katie too.”

“Raspberry?”Shirley asked.

“Is there any other kind?” Rarity grinned as she stepped out from the tent into the hot sun.

The spring festival was in full bloom. Booths were busy with people wandering through and checking out the merchandise up and down the rows. Sam’s crystal booth was on the other side of the park, and Rarity headed over to see how she was doing. As she did, she passed by Archer’s hiking tour booth. Jack, Archer’s assistant, was leaning on the table, talking with a couple as he spread out a map of the area. Archer wasn’t in the booth.

Jack looked up and waved at her. She waved back but kept walking. She didn’t need Jack telling Archer that she’d been looking for him. They were almost okay after last night’s walk home. He still had something he wasn’t telling her, but according to him, it didn’thave anything to do with them as a couple. Maybe their future, but for right now, they were fine. That’s what she’d told him last night, that she understood. Now she hadto act like it.

Another woman was manning the Sedona Memory Care booth and Killer went toward the booth, following a smell. It was a sign. At least Rarity was treating it that way.

“What a cute little Yorkie!” the woman exclaimed as she came around her table to lean down to greet Killer. She held out the back of her hand, and when Killer licked it, she took that as his okay for her to pet him. “What’s his name?”

“Killer.” Rarity laughed when the woman jerked her hand away. “It’s fine. I’m not sure why his first owner decided to name him that, but he’s a sweetheart. So you work at thenursing home?”

“Memory care center. Don’t let Sally hear you call it a nursing home. She gets touchy about that.” The woman stood and held out her hand. “Marsha Graves, I’m the social worker.”

“Oh, so you do admissions and discharges,” Rarity said. She’d been chatting with Shirley about the entry process at the facility. “I’m Rarity Cole. You must know my friend Shirley Prescott.”

“Shirley’s a sweetheart. I’ve been trying to get her to come to my spouse support group, but she tells me she’s got something on Tuesday nights.” Marsha scanned the crowd. “I’m not sure this is a good crowd for the booth, but you can’t tell Cindi anything about marketing. The girl thinks she knows everything. Then she called in today, sick. I think she was out drinking with her Flagstaff friends. What did they use to call it? Brown bottle flu? It’s not like Sally isn’t loading me up with the reports that William was supposedto be doing.”

Rarity laughed at the joke. Of all the people she’d met who worked at the memory care center, she liked Marsha the best. “I shouldn’t laugh. I was sorry to hear about Mr. Jully’s death. I’d only met him once when we brought in the pet therapy dogs. He didn’t seem happy about the event.”

“Believe me, William Jully wasn’t happy about anything. It wasn’t the cute, adorable puppies that got him worked up into a dither either. Anything that interrupted his quiet evenings was a problem. He tried to get me to move my support group off-site. He said it disrupted the patients’ evening routine since members wouldstop in to see their loved ones before they left. And from the piles of reports I’m having to do now, it’s not like he was using his quiet time to work.” She shook her head. “But here I am, gossiping about a dead guy. Sorry, I shouldn’t take my frustrations out on you. Are you here with your kids?”

“Actually, no. I’m single and childless. I run the Next Chapter, the local bookstore. We havea booth here.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, I should have recognized the name. I’ve stopped by on my days off, before. I’m never off in time to visit after work and the only day you’re open late is Tuesday.” Marsha’s eyes widened. “And that’s why Shirley’s not available for my family support group. Some sort of bookclub, right?”

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