Page 28 of If She Stayed
Patricia stepped aside, clearly flustered by the revelation that she had unknowingly spent an evening with a federal agent."Of course, please come in.I'm sorry, I'm just so surprised.Should I call Eleanor?Does she know who you really are?"
Kate followed Patricia through a small foyer into a living room that reflected the same modest comfort as the house's exterior.The furniture was older but well-maintained, with a floral sofa and matching armchair arranged around a coffee table that held several magazines and a half-finished crossword puzzle.Family photos covered the mantelpiece above a brick fireplace, and a bookshelf in the corner contained what appeared to be a mix of mysteries and romance novels.
"Mrs.Dunham, Eleanor is aware of my identity, and she's been very helpful with our investigation.But I need to speak with you about some new developments."Kate settled into the armchair while Patricia perched nervously on the edge of the sofa."I'm afraid Jennifer Haynes was found dead in her home this morning."
Patricia's reaction was immediate and dramatic.She gasped audibly, her hand returning to her chest as if she was having trouble breathing."Jennifer?Dead?But she was just at the meeting last night.She seemed perfectly fine… just very emotional about Margaret."
"Mrs.Dunham, Jennifer appears to have been murdered, and we believe her death is connected to Margaret's murder.We're investigating the possibility that someone is targeting book club members specifically."
The color drained from Patricia's face as the implications sank in.She was somewhere between shock and denial; the next few moments would likely make the decision for her."You mean someone is killing people from our book club?”
“We don’t know that for sure, but—”
“But why?”Patricia demanded, apparently not even hearing Kate’s comment.“We're just a group of women who like to read."She looked almost offended at the notion.
Kate watched Patricia's response carefully, looking for any signs that her shock might be a performance rather than genuine surprise.What she saw was a frightened older woman who seemed genuinely devastated by the news of Jennifer's death."That's what we're trying to determine.Mrs.Dunham, at the meeting, you seemed particularly emotional when discussing Margaret.You mentioned how intimidating she could be initially, but that you eventually came to appreciate her passion for literature."
Patricia nodded, dabbing at her eyes with a tissue she'd pulled from a box on the coffee table."Margaret was very intense about books, but once you understood that it came from a genuine love of literature, you could appreciate her dedication.She pushed all of us to think more deeply about what we were reading."
"It seemed like you developed a personal connection with Margaret beyond just the book club meetings."
"Well, yes, I suppose so.Margaret and I occasionally chatted after meetings, and she was always willing to recommend books if you were looking for something new to read."Patricia paused, seeming to consider her words carefully."My husband and I had Margaret and her husband, Harold, over for dinner a few times.They're lovely people, very cultured and well-read."
Kate felt a spike of interest."You and your husband socialized with Margaret and Harold outside of book club activities?"
"Just occasionally.Maybe three or four times over the past two years.Harold enjoys talking about history, and my husband is retired from teaching high school social studies, so they had a lot in common."
"Mrs.Dunham, during these social interactions, did Margaret ever confide in you about personal matters?Health issues, family concerns, anything that seemed to be weighing on her mind?"
Patricia's expression became guarded, and Kate could see her struggling with whether to share information that might have been told in confidence."I'm not sure I should discuss Margaret's private affairs.She was a very private person, and I don't want to betray her trust."
"Mrs.Dunham, Margaret wasmurdered.Any information you can provide might help us identify her killer and prevent additional deaths."
Patricia was quiet for a long moment, clearly wrestling with her conscience.Finally, she spoke in a voice barely above a whisper.As soon as she started speaking, tears flowed from her eyes."Margaret had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.She told us during dinner about six weeks ago, when we'd all had quite a bit of wine.She… she made us promise not to tell anyone else because she hadn't decided yet how she wanted to handle the situation.I don’t think she would have said anything if she hadn’t been a bit tipsy."
Kate felt pieces of the puzzle shifting in her mind, as well as a considerable part of the case changing shape.Margaret's cancer diagnosis was supposed to be a secret known only to her and Harold, but Patricia and her husband had also been aware of it."Did Margaret seem frightened about the diagnosis?Concerned about her prognosis?"
"She was devastated, naturally.The doctors had given her maybe a year, possibly eighteen months if she pursued aggressive treatment.But Margaret was more angry than frightened, if that makes sense.She felt like she’d finally reached the point where she had the time and the means to enjoy her retirement and reading, and then this diagnosis took all of that away.She was… I mean, she was righteously pissed about it."
Kate considered the implications of Patricia's knowledge about Margaret's cancer.If word of the diagnosis had somehow spread beyond the Dunham household, it might have created opportunities for someone to exploit Margaret's vulnerability.
"Mrs.Dunham, did you or your husband share this information with anyone else?Other book club members, family, friends?"
"Absolutely not," Patricia said emphatically."Margaret specifically asked us to keep it confidential, and we respected her wishes completely.As far as I know, no one else in the book club was aware of her situation."
Kate shifted her approach, moving from information gathering to more direct questioning."Mrs.Dunham, it may seem out of the blue… but I need to ask you about your whereabouts on Tuesday evening when Margaret was killed, and last night when Jennifer died."
Patricia's nervous energy increased visibly as she realized the conversation had taken a more serious turn.But there were no signs of anger on her face.If anything, there was a bit of determination chiseled there, as if she wanted to make certain she could help in any way possible."Tuesday evening, I was home with my husband.We had dinner around six-thirty, watched television until about ten o'clock or so.I messed around on a crossword puzzle for a bit and then went to bed… maybe around 10:45.And my husband can confirm all of that."
"And after the book club meeting?"
"I went straight home.My husband was already in bed when I arrived around nine-thirty.I made myself some tea, read for about an hour, then went to sleep."
Kate noted that Patricia's alibis were weak but not impossible to verify.A husband's confirmation of his wife's whereabouts wouldn't carry much weight if the wife was actually guilty.But the timeline was tight enough that Patricia would have had to move very quickly to commit Jennifer's murder.
"Mrs.Dunham, have you noticed any tensions within the book club recently?Any conflicts between members that might have escalated beyond normal disagreements?"
Patricia considered the question for a moment, taking her time because she was still struggling with emotion."There have always been some personality differences within the group,” she admitted.“Margaret and Sandra could be quite critical of members who they felt didn't take the reading seriously enough.Some of the newer members found that intimidating, I think."
