Page 21 of Chosen Path
“The police will want to talk to you when they’re done at Corrine’s house. I think it would be better if that conversation happens here than at the library. Don’t you?”
Hope imagined the county police striding into the library in the middle of the children’s story hour to question her about a death and stopped mid-button. She dropped her hands to her side. “I guess you’re right.”
Molly nodded. “It’ll be okay. I can call the library and tell Mrs. Grant that you won’t be in today. Doctor’s orders.”
Hope managed a small smile. “Thanks.”
“No thanks needed. Let’s go get you that tea.”
Hope shrugged out of her coat and folded it over her arm. She scooped her messenger bag up from the floor and followed Molly out of the exam room and along the hallway to the kitchen.
She stopped in the doorway and took in the sight of the bowl of congealed oatmeal and the mug on the table. “Oh no, I interrupted your breakfast.”
Molly turned and gave her a look that said‘you’ve got to be kidding.’“I think you had a good reason.”
Hope laughed at herself. “I guess that’s true.” Her laughter faded, “So, what do you think happened to Corrine?”
Molly gestured for her to take a seat while she cleaned up the remains of the abandoned breakfast. Hope sank into the chair.
“I can’t say without seeing her, of course. But it’s odd. She was just in yesterday for an appointment ….” She trailed off, shaking her head, then glanced over her shoulder at Hope. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t be talking to you about Corrine. Dead or alive, she’s my patient. I have to keep her information confidential.”
She put a kettle of water on to boil and then joined Hope at the table.
“I understand,” Hope told her.
“Oh, I forgot. I wanted to call the library for you.”
Molly pressed her hands against the table to push herself to her feet, but Hope shook her head. “Wait until the morning rush is over. Mrs. Grant’ll have her hands full for the next half hour, especially because she’s short-staffed.”
The doctor plopped back into her seat. “There’s a morning rush at the library? Why?”
“Your guess is as good as mine. You’d think we give out a prize for the first person in the door each day. There’s always a line waiting to be let in when I get there—rain, snow, it doesn’t matter.”
She harbored a private suspicion that some of the regulars camped out overnight as if they were waiting for concert tickets in the pre-Internet days.
“Huh. Well, my mom always said reading is its own reward. I guess they are getting a prize, in a way.”
Hope smiled at that. Then she tilted her head and asked the question she’d been itching to ask ever since she’d burst through the door. “Who is Doctor King? I’ve never seen him around before.”
“You wouldn’t have. He just got into town last night.”
“Oh. Is he … a friend?”
Molly gave her a measured look. “He’s not a friend, if byfriendyou mean lover. And he’s not really a friend in the traditional sense either. I only met him yesterday.”
“You have a stranger staying with you?”
“He didn’t wander in off the street. I asked him to come to town for a consult. He’s a well-regarded forensic pathologist.”
“He works with the police?” Hope blinked in confusion.
“He used to. I suppose he still does. He travels around and consults on puzzling deaths that the local authorities can’t solve. He’s figured out the root cause of several death clusters. That’s why I asked him to come here.”
Hope looked at her blankly. “Death clusters?”
“Yes, when there’s a series of deaths close together in time that appear to be related but have an unknown cause, he helps uncover the cause.”
“I sort of figured that’s what it meant. But, why is he here? There’s nothing like that going on here. Is there?”
