Page 49 of Dying to Read

“My job for Drew should be short and sweet, then.” Rarity took a breath then opened the door, slipping out of the truck. She adjusted her dress and then met Jonathon on the sidewalk. “Let’s get this over with.”

When they got inside, the doors to the chapel area were open and a man in a suit handed them a program to the event. Jonathon walked her to a pew in the middle of the room and they sat. She opened the program, which had a picture of William Jully on the front. He looked happy. And younger.

She took in the details given on the small, folded paper and then got out a pen and a small notebook from her purse. She saw an older couple in the front pew. She leaned close to Jonathon. “Is thathis parents?”

He nodded and reached for the pen and notebook, writing down their names. Then he looked around and drew out a seating plan, adding names as he placed people in their seats. Then he handedit back to her.

“Thanks,” Rarity said as she studied the list of people. Then she saw a familiar name. She raised her head and saw Daisy Wellings sitting behind the parents. She touched Jonathon’s hand. “Whyis she here?”

Before he could answer, the service started.

* * *

The minister who ran the service invited all in attendance to join the family in the next room for coffee and refreshments when he finished. As the ushers brought the family out of the chapel, Rarity met Daisy’s gaze and the woman nodded her head in acknowledgment.

As they waited to be escorted out of the chapel, she turned to Jonathon. “Did Daisyknow William?”

“She was his aunt. His dad was Nick Wellings. Nick and Daisy.” Jonathon softly chuckled. “Arthur’s wife, Frieda, lovedTheGreat Gatsby. She’s the one who started the bookstore. Arthur kept it going after she died. They bothloved books.”

He nodded to the coffee area. “Do you mind if we stay around for a minute? I’ve got a few people I should chat with.”

“Sure, I’ll go get us some coffee.” She wandered over to grab two cups of coffee and when she turned around, Daisy stood behind her. “I’m sorry for your loss. I didn’t realize that you were William’s aunt.”

“He didn’t come around the family much. After his dad died in prison, he thought we’d abandoned him. But nothing could be further from the truth.” She glanced over at the grieving parents. “My dad, he’s just heartbroken over losing both Nick and now, William. He wanted to be here, but his health isn’t good right now.”

“I can’t even imagine.” Rarity was at a loss for words. Shirley would have been the better club member to come to this event. She always knew just what to say in any situation. “I only met William once, at the Sedona Memory Care home. We were volunteering with the local animal shelter to bring the dogs to visitthe patients.”

Daisy laughed. “I bet William hated the idea. He never liked animals. Dogs, cats, it didn’t matter. He thought they were dirty. He was better with books and money. He won several awards in high school in accounting competitions. Then he went to college and got a finance degree. I never understood why he started working at nursing homes. He could have done something huge. But I guess you do what you want in theworld, right?”

Rarity watched Daisy pour a cup of coffee then walk away again. She’d ended the conversation. Grief made people act oddly. She took the coffee over to Jonathon, who was walking toward her.

“Thanks, but I’m ready to go if you are.” He took the coffee and took a sip. “Weak as usual. I’m sure they serve decaf to keep people fromgetting edgy.”

They set their unfinished coffees on a table and walked toward the door. A guest book and additional flyers were on a table near the exit. She paused, took her phone from her purse, and took a picture of the two pages where people had signed and made comments for the family.

“Not a lot of grief-stricken people,” she said as Jonathon signed the book after she did. “No women who were his age. Or male friends. It’s sad.”

“We build the life we want and deal with the aftermath.” Jonathon’s words were a mirror of Daisy’s comments. William Jully had built the life he’d wanted and it had gotten him killed. The problem was that Rarity wasn’t any closer to knowing why than she’d been when she came. She hadn’t expected a killer to walk around with a sign on his neck, but maybe someone shifty could have come andmade a scene.

Instead, she had a list of people to check out and send to Drew. Maybe between them, they’d find a reason and a suspect who would take Terrance off the top of the list. A confession would begreat as well.

Sometimes Rarity wondered if she watched too many one-hour cop shows. The main character always got their man by the end of the hour. Or the end of two hours if it was a two-part show. They didn’t walk away from a funeral not knowing anything more thanwhen they came.

Since Jonathon had driven in that morning, he offered to drive her home when Rarity closed the bookstore, but she declined the offer. She wanted to walk and thinkabout the day.

Instead of heading directly home, she went over to Carole’s for dinner. As she waited to be seated outside, she noticed a donation jar on the hostess stand. That was what she loved about Sedona. They were all in this life together. She checked the flyer taped on the front—it was for Caleb Ender. She tucked a ten in the jar as the hostess waved her over to a spot on the patio where she could have dinner with Killer tucked under her feet. Killer was all for it since Carole’s put rolls on the table with water as soon as a customer sat down. Killer loved breadsticks. Rarity studied the menu as she thought about the funeral.

Joni, Amy’s mom, who waitressed at the restaurant, stopped by her table. “I’ll get you some water and bread. And a bowl for Killer. Amy told me she’s looking forward to book club on Saturday and she’s dying to talk to you about the adopt-a-pet idea. I think you’re turning my bookworm into a community organizer. I can see her leading protests in the streets when she gets older.”

Rarity hadn’t thought about what her mom would think about Amy’s love of helping others and where it might lead. “I hope I’m not overstepping by inviting her to take on these projects. She’s good at motivating others.”

“You’re kidding, right? She’s such a different kid since she started hanging out at the bookstore. She was so timid before. Now, she has friends at school and she’s always in some activity. Her dance recital is in April, and she expects to see you there.” Joni looked over and nodded to a new couple at the next table. “Anyway, I need to get busy. Can I bring you anything to drink besides the water?”

Rarity shook her head then watched as Joni moved seamlessly to welcome the next table. After ordering and getting her food, she spent some time reading from a mystery advance reader copy she’d tucked in her tote. After finishing her food, and a chapter, Killer nudged her. She closed the book and tucked it away, rubbing his head. “I know, it’s your turn to eat now.”

She paid the check, and as she was walking out, she thought she recognized a voice behind her. She turned to see a man who looked like Kevin, her St. Louis fiancé. He was inside the restaurant, but the window was open and she could almost hear his conversation. He was on the phone with a steak and baked potato on a plate on the table in front of him. The man looked a lot like him. She leaned back, trying to get abetter angle.

“I’m sorry, are you going in or out?” A man stood, holding the gate open for her as Killer had already gone out tothe sidewalk.

---