Page 4 of June's First Murder
"It’s been a while since Raymond visited," Ted said, his words measured and careful. "Does he still live in Richmond?"
"Yes, and that's where he should have stayed." Petunia's composure cracked slightly. "He drinks too much. Says inappropriate things. He's jealous of Horace and always has been. And now he's decided to grace us with his presence for the festival."
Sara Lee blinked at Petunia’s crack in decorum. She remained quietly observing.
Nana June moved around the desk and gently touched Petunia's arm. "I know family relationships can be complicated. Hopefully, he’ll quickly grow bored with this little town and go back to Richmond."
"You know Raymond," Petunia whispered hoarsely. Then, she straightened, smoothing her already-smoothhair. Shaking her head slightly, she cleared her throat. "I'm sorry. I'm being dramatic. I just… I’m sure everything will be lovely tomorrow. After all, we want our town celebration to be the best we’ve ever had." She dipped her chin as she turned and left in a cloud of expensive perfume and barely concealed anxiety.
Ted whistled low. "Well, well. That's going to be interesting."
"Oh, dear," Nana June murmured, shaking her head as she stood next to Sara Lee, watching through the window as the judge's wife climbed into her Mercedes. "All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way."
“Junie, who did you just quote?” Ted asked, a small grin on his face.
“Leo Tolstoy. FromAnna Karenina.I think his words are apropos in this situation.”
Sara Lee smiled as well. Her grandmother’s love of literature managed to shine, no matter what, and quotes came as naturally to her as breathing. She gently leaned on the reception desk next to Nana June. "Raymond." She tried to remember him, but came up blank. "The judge’s brother? He’s trouble?”
"Several kinds of trouble," Ted said darkly. "That boy never could stay out of his own way. Always comparing himself to Horace, always thinking he came up short, always bitter about it."
Sara Lee hid a smile, considering the man in question had to be in his mid-forties, but he was still aboyto a man of Ted’s age.
Nana June returned to her clipboard, but Sara Leenoticed the small line between her grandmother's eyebrows… the one that appeared when she was pondering something.
"I'm sure it will be fine," Sara Lee said, more to convince herself than anyone else.
Lucy’s phone rang, the ringtone sounding out in the peaceful quiet. She answered quickly, let out an audible gasp, then stood and made a hasty exit from the library. Diane scuttled to the office where she stayed.
After that, the afternoon passed in a blur of book organizing and festival preparation. Patrons stopped by to donate more books for the sale or just to chat about their excitement for the First of June Festival. The library felt alive with community energy, but Sara Lee couldn’t shake the earlier visit by Petunia.
Later, Sara Lee walked over to Barb's coffee shop, A Whole Latte Coffee. The shop occupied a corner storefront with big windows that caught the afternoon light, filled with mismatched comfortable chairs and local art on the walls. And painted on the windows was the coffee’s tagline:Grinding it out… one cup at a time.
Barb stood behind the counter, her curly hair pulled back in a bandana, flour dusting her nose. The glass case displayed rows of lemon bars cooling on racks, their sugar-dusted tops gleaming.
"Those look amazing," Sara Lee said, sliding onto a stool, smiling at her best friend.
"Taste-test?" Barb offered, sliding a sample across the counter.
Sara Lee bit into the treat and closed her eyes in ecstasy. Perfect balance of tart and sweet, and the crustis buttery and crisp. "Barb Cordell, you're going to sell out in an hour tomorrow."
"That's the plan." Barb grinned, but then her expression shifted. "Hey, have you heard the latest?”
That was another thing about the coffee shop… it was a hub of gossip. Everything about everybody was equal fodder for what was bandied about among the well-meaning patrons. “I’m not sure?”
Barb leaned closer. “Did you hear about the judge's brother coming to town?"
It seemed the news traveled fast in the small town. "Petunia came into the library and mentioned it. She seemed pretty stressed."
"I heard from Mom that Raymond is bad news. Involved in some shady business deal in Richmond. Drinks like a fish. Makes scenes." Barb lowered her voice even though they were alone. "Mom said Ivy hasn’t spoken to Raymond in years because he said awful things about Jerry being a foreigner at a family dinner.” She scoffed. “Of course, Petunia and her sisters, Rose and Dahlia, all pitched a fit when Ivy married Jerry. Said she married beneath herself. At least, that’s the story Mom tells.”
Sara Lee felt a slight flutter of unease at Raymond’s transgressions. "That's... not good."
"No. And apparently he's staying through the whole festival weekend." Barb shook her head. "I just hope he doesn't ruin things. This festival is important to the town. We've been planning it for months, and people are coming from all over to enjoy themselves. It will be a great boost to local businesses."
Sara Lee nodded, but had nothing else to add to the gossip. The situation with Raymond seemed more family focused. And yet, Sara Lee couldn't quite shake the odd feeling in her stomach, even though they spent the next hour going over booth logistics. Finally, pushing all negative thoughts from her mind, she hugged Barb and walked outside, ready to get home.
The Victorian house that Sara Lee and Nana June shared sat three blocks from the library, painted a cheerful blue with white gingerbread trim. It was the house where Nana June raised her family. When Sara Lee's parents married, they moved to the other side of town, but this house had always felt like her own gingerbread house. Five years ago, another driver on an icy road took both her parents in an instant. She managed to finish the school year where she taught in a larger city, and then moved in with Nana June. She had always planned on returning to Meadowlark Creek anyway, and the time was right. Besides… they needed each other.
