Page 26 of June's First Murder
June patted his hand gently. "I appreciate your loyalty, Ted. I really do.” She searched her mind, then quoted, “Where large sums of money are concerned, it is advisable to trust nobody."
Ted lifted his brow in silent prompting.
She chuckled. “Agatha Christie. From theEndless Night."
He shook his head and scowled. "Junie, do you really think this was murder?"
"I think the evidence is suspicious enough to warrant an investigation. And I think there are several people who had reasons to want Raymond dead." She paused. "Including, I'm sorry to say, Horace."
Ted sighed heavily. "If you're right… if someone really did kill Raymond, please be careful, Junie. Murder isn't a game, no matter how many Agatha Christie novels you've read."
"I'm always careful."
"You're also seventy-five years old and stubborn as hell."
Instead of taking offense at his mentioning her age, she simply smiled. "Exactly. Which means I'm too old and too stubborn to stop now."
They finished their coffee, talking about lighter things, including Ted's roses, June's latest libraryproject, and Carl's blossoming relationship with Sara Lee. She stood to leave, gathering her purse. Ted walked her to the door, his hand gentle on her arm.
"Be careful, Junie. Please."
"I will. Thank you for the coffee. And for talking to me."
"Anytime. You know that." He hesitated, then added, "And if you find out anything that might help Horace, or that might prove he's innocent, will you tell me?"
"Yes," June promised, smiling at her old friend. She accepted his extended hand and allowed him to guide her down his front steps. Patting his arm, she squeezed his hand, then turned to head home.
11
JUNE
June walked home much more slowly than usual, her mind filing away everything Ted had told her. The trust that dissolved soon. The years of bitter resentment and family warfare.
Horace… the brother who stood to inherit everything. Who'd been humiliated by Raymond’s drunken behavior for years. Who'd once been pushed to violence defending his wife. Who knew Raymond was about to potentially claim a large sum of money from the trust.
The motive was clear. The opportunity had been there at the festival. But did Horace have it in him to actually murder his own brother?
June thought about the Judge's face yesterday. That contemplative distance. Grief, of course. But something else. Relief? Or was she seeing what she wanted to see? Fitting facts to a theory instead of letting the facts guide her?
When she reached the Victorian house, Sara Lee waswaiting on the porch with Pippi and Mister Smee, clearly eager to hear what June had discovered.
"Well?" Sara Lee asked as June climbed the porch steps and they both stepped inside.
June settled onto the sofa, and Mister Smee immediately jumped into her lap, purring. She scratched behind his ears while organizing her thoughts.
"We need to add some things to our list," June said finally. "About the Melton family trust, about the timing, about Horace's potential motive."
She relayed what Ted had told her, watching Sara Lee's expression shift from curiosity to concern to something like sadness.
"So the Judge really could have done it," Sara Lee said quietly. "For money and to finally be free of Raymond."
"Could have. But I'm not willing to come to any conclusion yet." June stroked Mister Smee's soft fur, finding comfort in the familiar gesture. "Ted's known Horace since he was born and swears he's not capable of murder. But people surprise us. Even people we think we know completely."
"What do we do next?"
"We keep gathering information. We talk to more people. We look for inconsistencies, for secrets, for anything that doesn't quite fit." June looked at her granddaughter with concern. "How do you feel now that you’ve had some time to ponder your conversation with Barb?"
Sara Lee's expression crumpled slightly. "I feel awful, Nana June. She's my best friend, and I wasquestioning her, even if she didn't know it. It felt dishonest."
