Page 36 of Secrets in the Stacks

He glanced around the church lobby. “Look, Drew would kill me if he heard me talking to you, but I think you should keep an eye on your friend Darby. I don’t think they’ve fully ruled her out for murdering her grandmother.”

“Seriously?” Rarity could feel her blood pressure rising. “He needs to stop barking up that tree. Darby didn’t kill her grandmother. One, she was working with me. And two, she had no reason. No motive.”

Jonathon glanced around the almost empty lobby. “See, that’s the thing. Drew thinks she does have a motive. Something about an argument they had about Darby’s grades and how Catherine was going to pull her support for next semester.”

“That can’t be true.” Rarity could still see the back of Darby’s and her folks’ heads as they huddled together.

“Don’t shoot the messenger. And if you talk to Drew, don’t mention we saw each other, except in passing. He really doesn’t like me asking him questions, especially since he thinks I’m snooping. Which I am.” Jonathon grimaced as he looked around the lobby. “Sorry I wasn’t able to come to the book club. Martha’s keeping me busy, even from the grave.”

Rarity watched as Jonathon hurried into the chapel, taking one of the flyers with him. Sam glanced back at her and waved her inside the chapel. She followed Jonathon and took a flyer. Only one of the ushers remained at the doors. It was time for the ceremony.

But all she could think of was Darby and her “apparently” clear motive for murder.

Chapter 15

The minister officiating at the funeral talked a lot about Catherine’s good deeds, both inside the church’s programs and in the community. He knew her well. Rarity had been to services where the minister hadn’t known the deceased at all and talked a lot about generalities of death and the afterlife. This wasn’t that type of service. But one thing he said made Rarity take note.

“I don’t know much about Catherine’s life before the death of her husband brought her to our community here in Sedona. However, from the way both her family and her adopted Sedona family are grieving, I’m sure she’ll be missed in her prior community as well.” He nodded to the choir director, and the chapel filled with song.

Rarity turned to Sam. “Where did Catherine move from? Do you know?”

Sam shook her head. “She doesn’t say where in the journals, just that she misses her garden. A lot. Maybe Darby knows.”

“I’d like to talk to her parents when we get to the house. Maybe someone from her past is the killer?”

Sam leaned closer. “You think someone would wait twenty-plus years for vengeance? I know it’s said that revenge is best served cold, but that’s frozen.”

After the service, Rarity waited for Darby to come down the aisle. Then she reached out a hand. “Hey, can we talk?”

She paused as others went past. “Sorry, my folks need to talk for a minute. Then we’ve got people showing up at the house. You’re still coming, right?”

“Of course. I should have realized. Maybe we can grab a few minutes later at the house.” Rarity gave her a hug. “I’m so sorry for your loss.”

Darby wiped away a tear. “Thanks. I’ve got to go.”

Her folks were standing at the doorway to the chapel, waiting for her. They both looked grief stricken. Of course, they’d only found out about Catherine’s death when one of Archer’s messages had found them.

Archer came up to her and put an arm around her. “Sorry. I came in late, so I just sat in the back. Everything okay?”

No, she wanted to say. According to Jonathon, Darby was getting railroaded. Instead, she took a breath; Drew wouldn’t jump to conclusions. He wanted to find the real murderer, not just close a case. She smiled up at him. “I’m just sad for Darby. Did you get to talk to her parents?”

He looked over at Darby sandwiched between her mother and father. They quickly moved out of view and left the chapel through a side door. “No. And it doesn’t look like I’m going to soon. Maybe we’ll catch up at the house. I brought my Jeep. Do you want a ride?”

“Please.” She looked around for Sam, but she and the rest of the book club seemed to have already left.

“The others headed out as soon as I came up.” He took her arm, and they strolled out of the chapel. “I think they wanted to give us a moment.”

Sam stood at the outside door. She nodded a greeting to Archer. “I’m riding to the house with Shirley. You have a ride, right?”

“She’s with me.” Archer put an arm around Rarity.

“Whoa there, you’re getting a little Old West cowboy there, aren’t you?” Sam teased.

He smiled. “Just because your beau isn’t here, don’t rain on our parade.”

“Rain would be good,” a woman passing by said, “but I don’t think it’s in the forecast.”

When she left through the doors, they looked at each other and laughed.

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