Death on the Coast, M Comley [book club books TXT] 📗

to find the right words and sighed. “Well, it was as if a different person had reappeared and was sitting in the chair. She was angry, very angry, and apparently at me. I was flabbergasted. I asked again what was wrong, and she began shouting at me, accused me if you like, told me that I was the one who did it. I asked her what on earth she was talking about. She said not to pretend, that I knew very well. I repeated that I had no idea what she was talking about and asked to help her. I thought at first maybe she was drunk or had somehow been drugged, I didn’t know. She held out her wrist, and that’s when I noticed the bracelet was missing. The one that meant so much to her. Somehow, in her mind, she’d decided that I’d stolen it, apparently.” She paused again and wiped away a tear.

“Please, don’t stop, go on.”

“She started to cry, then. I mean, hysterical crying. Of course, I said, I’d never taken anything of hers and wouldn’t think of doing such a dreadful thing either. I offered to try and help her find it, but she asked me to leave. Actually, it was more like she kicked me out of the house. So, there was nothing I could do but to leave. After that, neither one of us could face each other. We’d gone from being best friends to enemies overnight. It came to the point that where, if I saw her car coming toward me, I would turn into a driveway or around a corner to avoid seeing her face through the windshield. I know that sounds childish, but that’s how angry we both were. I won’t let anyone call me a thief, it simply isn’t true.”

Lucy made a few notes and was sitting forward in her chair. “I don’t blame you one bit, Kathy. I’d feel the same way,” she expressed with sympathy. “So, what happened?”

“That’s it. That’s the last time I spoke with her, and I only caught glimpses of her here and there in the village. Like I said, we avoided one another like the plague. So, you see, I have very little to contribute. I don’t know whether she ever found the bracelet, or if someone truly did steal it, or whether they returned it. I just know it was very, very precious to her and it was worth sacrificing our friendship in her despair to recover it.”

Lucy stood, slipping her notebook into her bag. “I’m sorry if I dredged up bad memories. Sometimes, that goes with the job. I do want you to know that I’m making it my personal mission to find out what happened to her. All I can tell you is try to remember the good years when you were close friends. I’m sure in her heart she knew you were telling the truth, but when someone is despondent, they often need to blame someone in order to find peace in their mind. It’s sad, but it happens all the time.” Kathy nodded. “Thank you for talking with me today, Kathy. I hope to see you around. You do know that a bunch of us gather at Sal’s with our crafting projects. There’s generally someone there all the time, and you’re welcome to bring something along and join us, or just come to talk if you’re at a loose end.”

“Thank you. I appreciate that. Good luck, Lucy. And she may have had some bad thoughts about me, but she certainly didn’t deserve to die.”

Lucy walked to the door and then stopped, turning on her heel. “Kathy? How long before her death did this falling out happen?”

Kathy squinted, trying to remember. “I’d say about two months, maybe?”

“I wonder, did Angie ever confide anything that would’ve been unusual about herself in those final few days of your friendship?” Lucy knew it was a long shot, that it would’ve been too early for Angie to have known she was pregnant. Saying that, perhaps she knew of an interlude without protection and had confided in Kathy if she was worried about it.

Kathy shook her head. “No, nothing unusual. Want to share why?”

“I can’t, I’m sorry. It’s not mine to share. Thanks again, Kathy, and I hope to see you down at Sal’s.”

“Brendon, it’s Lucy. Have you heard anything new?”

“I wasn’t aware I was supposed to keep you posted. Unless, of course, you joined the police force in the interim?”

“Don’t give me a hard time, Brendon. This is a sad affair, and there’s no reason to make light of it.”

“Sorry, you’re right. Even so, it is official police business, and you have to understand, there are boundaries I have to observe.”

“Okay, let’s not squabble, shall we? I have an obligation to Angie’s memory, not to mention her daughter. I know you have a professional responsibility, but mine’s a bit more personal. I’m going over to have another talk with Christine. I have some questions I need to ask.”

“Such as?”

“I wasn’t aware I was supposed to keep you posted,” Lucy mimicked him.

He growled. “I might follow you over there.”

“Suit yourself.”

Lucy drove over to Angie’s house, although now it was technically Christine’s.

Christine opened the door on the second knock. “Back again?”

Lucy smiled. “Okay if I come in and talk with you for a few minutes?”

Christine held the door open wide. “Sure. Make yourself at home.”

“Thank you.” Lucy entered, and this time, took a more critical look at the house. She could tell things had been moved around since the previous visit. Instead of paperwork and folders shoved into a box, they were sorted and neatly stacked. She imagined Christine was going through her mother’s things to get her affairs in order.

She was about to ask a question when there was a second knock at the door. Christine opened it and Lucy recognized Brendon’s voice, asking to come in.

He entered at Christine’s invitation and acknowledged Lucy with a brief nod. He explained to Christine