“It’s Jen Beasley’s and just for a few days,” Lia said. She was amazed at how easily Daphne had adjusted to the move. After fully inspecting her new quarters from top to bottom, the cat settled in to sample her food and water bowls in Lia’s kitchen. She’d nibbled and lapped a bit, then claimed the left cushion of Lia’s sofa as her own. The previous night she’d spent in Lia’s bed.
“She’s adorable!” Hayley squatted down before Daphne, who, after a brief sniff, licked at her hand. “Or is it a he?”
“She. Her name’s Daphne, and she’s luckily okay with being here. I don’t think I’d be able to deal with a frazzled cat, what with everything else that’s gone on.” Lia picked up the smaller of Hayley’s bags and led her up the stairs to the guest room. As Hayley unpacked, Lia updated her on the murder news.
“Since you were here I’ve learned that Darren Peebles’s murder happened hours before I showed up at the barn.”
Hayley paused midway between bag and dresser with a folded tee in hand. “And before Belinda arrived?”
“I spoke with Belinda a couple of days ago by phone. She told me that a neighbor assured police she had seen Belinda drive off from her house half an hour before I got to the barn Sunday morning, which means she probably arrived only minutes before I did. That same neighbor said she could see Belinda through sheer curtains, pacing inside her house most of the night before.”
“Nosy neighbor.” Hayley slid the tee into a drawer.
“A concerned neighbor. Also a woman who apparently was up most of the night herself with a colicky baby.”
“Well, that’s good! Not about the baby, I mean, but that clears Belinda.”
“It seems to, although someone could argue that the baby’s mother couldn’t possibly have been aware of Belinda’s movements the entire night or even be sure it was her. But it doesn’t look like they have any incriminating evidence from the crime scene, against Belinda or anyone else, since no one’s been charged.”
“That’s a good thing, right? For Belinda?” Hayley slipped a denim jacket onto a hanger and hung it in the closet.
“Short-term good. I’m not so sure about long-term,” Lia said, taking socks from Hayley’s bag to stack in another drawer. “What I mean is, not charging anyone leaves a lot of suspicion hanging out there. I’ve already overheard some foolish speculations voiced in the supermarket when I was there on Monday. That kind of thing has a way of spreading.”
“You better believe it,” Hayley agreed. “Twitter, Facebook. Gossip can make it around the world in minutes.”
“Oh, you’re right! The Crandalsburg Craft Fair has a Facebook page. I didn’t think to check it.”
Hayley grabbed her phone from the bed and started tapping. She studied her screen for several seconds. “Nothing much on that page.”
“Good.”
“But that’s not to say nobody’s talking on their own pages.”
Not good.
“Are you friends with many locals on Facebook?”
Lia shook her head. “I use it mostly to keep in touch with my old friends back in York.”
“Well, you might want to connect with the craft fair’s followers—you know, people who liked its Facebook page—just to keep tabs. Twitter, too.”
Lia nodded. She watched Hayley put away the last of her things and close up her bags. “Did you have any problem getting time off?”
“No, not really.” Hayley grinned sheepishly. “They kinda think you needed looking after, you know, what with coming across a dead body and all.”
“Hayley!”
“Well, I do worry about you. That sort of thing can be traumatic.”
“Do I look traumatized?”
“People show their feelings in different ways. I learned that in my psych class. Okay, so I exaggerated a little. But you have to admit that it’s frightening to have a murderer on the loose. Wouldn’t you worry about me if I were living alone?”
“I would,” Lia admitted. “But I doubt that our murderer is someone roaming the streets with a lethal handcrafted pot in hand, looking for a new victim. Darren Peebles was surely murdered by someone who had a major grudge against him. Unless I happen to threaten this person in the same way, which I can’t imagine, I’d say I’m pretty safe.”
Hayley folded up her totes and dropped them in a corner, then followed Lia out of the guest room and down the stairs. “What I’m most worried about,” Lia said over her shoulder, “is what this unsolved murder means for Belinda and the craft fair.” When they reached the bottom of the stairs she asked, “Coffee?”
Hayley shook her head. “Water. I’m trying to drink less caffeine.” She went on to the kitchen, where she filled a glass and added ice cubes. Lia considered following her daughter’s lead but instead fixed a hazelnut coffee for herself in her mini coffee maker. They carried their drinks to the living room, where Hayley carefully settled on the sofa next to Daphne. The cat lifted her head briefly before tucking it back between her paws.
“What I meant a minute ago,” Lia said, taking a chair, “is that suspicion hanging over Belinda’s head or over the craft fair’s reputation will be a bad thing for both. If Darren’s murder becomes a cold case, the Crandalsburg Craft Fair might become known for that instead of for all its fine offerings.”
“The Handcrafted-Murder Fair!”
“Yes, and it wouldn’t be a joking matter.”
“I know. And I’d hate to see Belinda go through that. She’s not the easiest person to like—” At Lia’s wince, she shrugged. “I’m sorry, but she isn’t! Yes, she has her nicer side—”
“She was very good to me,” Lia said. “You remember when Dad died, and both of us were total wrecks. Belinda stepped right up. She helped me make all the necessary arrangements when I could barely see straight, and she got us over the worst.”
“She was amazing,” Hayley agreed. “I remember her running out for ice cream at that time, when I didn’t think I could eat, and coming back with my favorite double chocolate fudge. But not everyone sees that side of her, do they? And she doesn’t hold back when someone irritates her. I’m talking about even little things like, oh, someone dawdling too long ahead of her in a checkout line or something. But that just makes it easier for people—some people—to want to think the worst of her when they’re given a chance.”
Lia had to agree that Hayley was right. “I don’t want to just sit by and let that happen, Hayley. Belinda would simply dig in, and that won’t help. I’d hate to see her world come crashing down around her because someone decided to murder her ex-husband.”