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hard.”
    â€œShe had them all ready. I’m supposed to tell you no panty hose and no jewelry.” I bit my lip. I was not going to cry. Not in front of all these people.
    Doc Ames laughed. “Sounds like Miss Emily. She told me the same thing when she came in last year to make her arrangements. I guess she didn’t think I listened close enough.” He reached in his jacket pocket for a small plastic bag, handing it to me. “Here’s her wedding ring and the cross she’d been wearing when she came in.”
    Coming up behind me, Detective King took the bag out of my hand. “Doc, you know there’s an open investigation, that’s evidence.” He scowled at Doc Ames.
    â€œWhatever.” Holding her jewelry just made it too real for me. King could have it. I didn’t care. “So, what did you want to talk to me about?”
    â€œNot here. Let’s go into the chapel for some privacy.” He nodded at Doc Ames. “We’ll be right back.”
    He held my elbow as he guided me to the chapel. Amy tried to follow, but he held his hand up like a stop sign and she relented, sitting in the office to wait.
    We sat down in the pew closest to the door, closed for privacy. Too bad this chat was all business. Detective King looked hot in a big-muscle, sandy-brown-hair, baby-blue-eyes kind of way. I’ve always been a sucker for a man in uniform. He’d never paid this much attention to me before.
    Focus, Jill, focus.
    â€œWhat did you want to talk about?” He wasn’t here to ask me out. My emotions must be all twisted with losing Miss Emily.
    Detective King pulled a little notebook out of his front pocket. “I just need to clarify a few things about your relationship with the deceased.”
    â€œYou mean Miss Emily. You don’t have to act like you didn’t know her.” Now he’d made me mad. If I were a cartoon character, steam would be rolling out of my ears.
    â€œSorry, Miss Emily.” Detective King examined his notes. “Now, would you please tell me again what happened the morning you found Miss Emily?”
    â€œI told you, I went over Sunday about ten to talk to her about getting her lawn mowed. Amy had told me the council had mentioned taking Miss Emily to court regarding the condition of the house.” I didn’t mention the letter from the attorney Amy and I had found in Miss Emily’s desk. I could drop it off at the police station later; if Amy couldn’t find out anything, then I’d let the professionals handle it.
    â€œWas the door unlocked when you got there?” Detective King stared at me. What was he looking for?
    I thought back to yesterday morning. I had been dreading the conversation with Miss Emily since Wednesday. I’d walked into the yard mentally measuring the length of the grass and how whomever I got to mow would have to rake up the clippings, as well.
    â€œThe door was unlocked. I didn’t think about it at the time. I was surprised she wasn’t up yet. Honestly, I was worried she’d fallen in the bathroom or backyard.”
    â€œYou went into the house?”
    â€œI knocked and then went in. I headed to the kitchen for a cup of coffee and called out to her. When no one answered, I started getting nervous.”
    â€œDid anything seem out of place in the house?”
    I stopped and thought back for a moment. “Not really. I mean, I’ve never been in her bedroom before that day. The rest of the house looked normal. Miss Emily collected everything, so there were always piles of newspapers, magazines, and more.”
    â€œThe mayor insists you’re not to be considered a suspect.” Detective King narrowed his eyes and stared. “Are you related to the Honorable Mayor?”
    â€œMayor Bird, I mean Baylor?” Everyone called him Mayor Bird around town. He chirped instead of talked, his tone high-pitched and his words clipped. “I’m not