Page 31 of If She Stayed
But as she turned to look, expecting to see a tabby cat or perhaps Susan arriving earlier than expected, Eleanor realized that someone was standing directly behind her.Someone who had somehow gotten into her supposedly secure backyard without making any noise—without her hearing the gate open or footsteps approaching across the grass.
Before she could register who it was, before she could even fully process that she was no longer alone in her garden sanctuary, Eleanor felt something soft but strong tighten around her neck from behind.The silk fabric of what felt like a scarf wrapped around her throat, cutting off her ability to cry out or breathe properly.
She was yanked backward off her knees, her gardening tools scattered across the vegetable bed as she struggled to maintain her balance.But the grip around her neck was relentless, and Eleanor found herself being wrestled to the ground among the tomato plants she had been so carefully tending just moments before.
CHAPTER TWENTY
Kate pulled into the parking lot of a small shopping center and dialed DeMarco's number.The evening was fast approaching, and she intended to stay true to her promise to be home by seven.She needed to touch base with DeMarco before continuing with her interviews; she only had Eleanor left, and seeing as how she'd already spoken with her twice outside of the group, she wasn't a very high priority.The afternoon had been productive but frustrating, with each conversation revealing more about the book club's internal dynamics while failing to identify a clear suspect among the remaining members.
The phone rang twice before DeMarco picked up.
"DeMarco, how are your interviews going?"Kate asked.
"I've cleared Carol Stevens," DeMarco replied."She was at her granddaughter's soccer game Tuesday evening with about fifty witnesses, and she was having dinner with a group of ladies she meets with a few times a month after that.Patricia Dunham's husband confirmed her whereabouts for both nights, though his testimony isn't exactly ironclad."
"I've had similar results.Diana Clark was working a double shift at the hospital Tuesday night, and it’s not looking like Patricia Dunham is our killer, either.Right now, I’m planning to circle back to Eleanor Whitman, but I'm pretty certain she's clean."
"I'm about to interview Sandra Morrison.I already called her to make sure she’d be home.Want to tag along?"
Kate found that shedidwant to tag along."Actually, yes… if you don’t mind.Sandra was the one who originally invited Margaret to join the book club, and she seemed to have the strongest opinions about maintaining the group's literary standards.I'd like to observe her responses to more direct questioning."
"The more the merrier!Meet me at 1425 Riverside Road.It's about ten minutes from where you are now."
Kate typed the address in and headed that way instantly.Her clock now read 4:46, which meant she maybe had two solid hours to chase down leads before heading home.
She arrived at Sandra Morrison's address to find DeMarco waiting in her car at the curb.Sandra's house was a well-maintained Victorian with elaborate gingerbread trim and a large wrap-around porch that suggested someone who took pride in preserving historical details.A few sizable oak trees lined the property, and the front yard was landscaped with the kind of formal flower beds that required considerable maintenance.
"Impressive house," Kate observed as she joined DeMarco on the sidewalk.
"Sandra inherited it from her parents about fifteen years ago, according to records," DeMarco said."She's lived here her entire life, which might explain her strong attachment to maintaining traditions and established ways of doing things."
They approached the front porch, where Sandra was already waiting for them in one of several wicker chairs arranged around a small table.She wore a navy cardigan over a white blouse, and her silver hair was styled in the same neat arrangement Kate remembered from the book club meeting.But today, Sandra's expression carried an edge of wariness that hadn't been present during the group gathering.
Once again, Kate had to go through her explanation… that she was an FBI agent and she was sorry if she about having lied to everyone the night before.Sandra seemed not to care; in fact, she almost seemed as if she’d expected such a thing.
"I guess it makes sense,” Sandra said.“For Eleanor to so warmly welcome someone to the group like that… it did seem a little strange.”
"Again, I apologize for the deception, but it was necessary for our investigation," Kate replied as they settled into the porch furniture."We hope you understand that we're trying to protect the remaining book club members."
Sandra's jaw tightened slightly."Remaining members?Has something happened to someone else?"
Kate and DeMarco exchanged glances."Mrs.Morrison, we have some difficult news," DeMarco began."Jennifer Haynes was found dead in her home this morning.We believe her death is connected to Margaret's murder."
Sandra's reaction was immediate and devastating.Her face crumpled as if she'd been physically struck, and tears began flowing down her cheeks before she could even speak.She pressed both hands to her mouth, making small, anguished sounds that suggested genuine shock and grief.
"Jennifer?”she said in something like a whispered shriek.“How is that… I mean…Jennifer?How… how did she die?"
"We can't discuss the specific details of our investigation," Kate said gently."But we can tell you that we believe someone is targeting book club members specifically."
Sandra continued crying, dabbing at her eyes with tissues while struggling to compose herself."This is insane.Who would want to hurt people from our book club?No one in that group would hurt a fly and… and…”
She stopped here and gave way to more crying.Kate and DeMarco let her work through it without pressing.After about thirty seconds or so, when Sandra had her breathing under control, DeMarco did her best to get things back on track.
"That's what we're trying to determine," DeMarco said."Mrs.Morrison, we understand you've been with the group since its founding.You probably know the members better than anyone else."
Sandra nodded, still fighting tears."Twenty-two years.Eleanor and I started the club together when our children were in high school.We wanted intelligent literary discussion, something more substantial than the casual book groups that were becoming so popular at the time."
"You invited Margaret to join the group about four or five years ago," Kate said."What made you think she would be a good fit?"
