Read 1 Death Comes to Town for Free Online

Darcy didn’t want to deal with anyone else today. “Hi Jess, what can I help you with today?”
    “Oh, I’m not here to buy a book. I’ve come in to get Mark. There’s a customer who will only deal with him so he’s needed back at the bank.” She looked at each of them curiously. Okay so I was wrong, Darcy thought.
    Mark looked like he was about to launch into the whole discussion of Anna’s death. Darcy quickly said, “Mark was just leaving, weren’t you Mark?”
    Mark looked a little sheepish again. “Uh yes, I g-guess I was. M-my b-break is over anyway. Um. R-right.”
    Darcy watched the pair of them leave the book shop with relief. Out the window, she could see Jess animatedly talking with Mark, grilling him about what he had learned about Anna’s death, no doubt. Jess was a tall woman with bright red hair and a quick temper. Mark was a shorter man, even more so next to her. Darcy almost felt sorry for him.
    Sue sighed and went back to their stack of new books. “I wish I had Jess’s job.”
    Darcy looked at her employee, a bit surprised by what she had just heard. “What makes you say that?”
    The young woman shrugged. “I don’t mean that I don’t like working here. I love my job. But Jess’s job must pay so much more. Did you see those expensive high heels she was wearing?”
    Darcy rolled her eyes. Sue was always talking about the latest and greatest fashion. It must be nice to have enough time in your life to worry about things like that.
    ***
    Desperately in need of a break that afternoon Darcy headed to the Bean There Bakery and Café. She was looking forward to having a leisurely coffee by herself. She should have known better.
    “Oh Darcy, my goodness, are you alright?” Helen was working at the bakery like she always did even though she was the owner. She had rushed over to Darcy as soon as she entered the shop. “I heard you were the one to find poor Anna. That must have been simply awful for you. I hope you’re okay.”
    Helen pulled her in for a comforting, motherly hug that Darcy wanted nothing to do with but suffered through just the same. “Come on, dear,” Helen said to her, “sit down and I’ll get you a coffee.”
    “Thanks, Helen. But I’m alright, really.” Helen made a tut-tut noise and pushed Darcy into one of the booths along the bakery walls. Darcy sunk down into the plush cushioned seat and sighed. Helen was loved by everyone in town. Sometimes, though, she was a bit overbearing. Why fight it, Darcy figured.
    Helen came back with a steaming cup of dark, aromatic coffee and set it down in front of her. As Darcy went to pay for it Helen tapped Darcy’s hands with her fingers and said, “No it’s on the house.”
    “Thanks Helen.” She was honestly appreciative, even if she’d had her fill of well-intentioned concern from her neighbors and friends.
    Helen sat down on the other side of the booth and they chatted for a little while about this and that. About anything, really, other than Anna. Helen was always a font of information about the goings on in Misty Hollow.  But eventually she got around to the subject that Darcy was trying to avoid. “Everyone who has come into the bakery today has been so upset and devastated by the death of Anna. Steve couldn’t sleep last night. He was so upset that he was pacing around…”
    Before she could finish what she was saying Helen was interrupted by a customer coming into the shop. She hurried away to serve them and Darcy took the opportunity to go and put some milk into her coffee.
    As she was standing at the little counter of sugar and milk and other condiments she could hear two women talking. She hadn’t realized that her friend Linda was sitting at one of the other tables on the other side of the shop. She was with one of her co-workers, Dianne Chamberlain, and they seemed to be having a good old gossip session. Darcy tried not to listen but when she heard Anna’s name she couldn’t help herself.
    “I heard