A Lonely Way to Die: A Utah O'Brien Mystery Novel (Minnesota Mysteries Series Book 2) by Jonni Good Read Free Book Online Page B

friends for years.”
    “Who else knew she was coming?”
    Mildred answered that one. “Mark and Emma. And the pastor, of course. I invited him over for supper, to meet Gwyneth again. He knew her from way back, of course, but …”
    Mort glanced at me to let me know what was coming. He pressed his lips together, and turned back to the grieving mother. “Mildred,” he said, in a calm, even voice that he probably practiced when he was back on the force, “was Gwyneth depressed at all? Did she give any indication that she was unhappy, maybe about her marriage?”
    “No,” Mildred said. “She sounded really happy. She said she was thinking about buying a house and getting out of the city. Emma, she wasn’t depressed, was she?”
    Emmy patted her mother’s shoulder. “I didn’t talk to her, remember? But with everything they’ve been saying in the tabloids and on the entertainment news online, I can see why she might be depressed. With a husband like that, who wouldn’t? And her books are rather dark. Especially the last one. But why does it matter?”
    “We’re trying to figure out what happened, that’s all. Can you think of any reason why she’d go for a walk out on that land?”
    Both women shook their heads, bewildered.
    “Is there anyone in town who might want to do her harm?”
    “How could they?” Emma said. “Nobody knew she would be here. And I don’t think she’s talked to anyone in town since she left. Except for Carol Kramer, for a while. But they had a falling-out years ago.”
    I couldn’t think of anything else to ask. I put my hands on my knees, ready to stand up, and said, “Would you like us to bring Gwyneth’s husband over this afternoon, or perhaps in the morning?”
    Mildred said, “What for?”
    “Well—you don’t want him to take the children home without seeing them, do you?”
    Mildred raised a tissue to her eyes and wiped away a tear. “He’s not going to let me be around the baby,” she said. “Not after what Gwyneth must have told him about me.” She sniffed, then raised her tissue again, and blew her nose.
    Emma reached over and put a hand on her mother’s knee. “Mom, Grace will be coming to live here with us, now that Gwyneth is gone. Gavril Constantin isn’t her father—everyone knows that.”
    “Oh, honey, I don’t think so. You know I’m too old to be chasing a toddler around the house. Besides …”
    Mort and I glanced at each other. One of his eyebrows went up a quarter of an inch.
    “Mildred,” I said, “do you have any idea who Gabe’s biological mother is? Was it someone Gwyneth knew, by any chance?”
    Mildred shook her head. “She sent baby pictures, but I didn’t write back. I feel guilty about that now. He was cute, but he didn’t look at all like family. He had all that dark hair. Babies aren’t suppose to have hair. And that round little face with those big brown eyes. I thought she changed her name because she didn’t want to admit we were family, and then she got herself a baby who isn’t related to us, and I made it all about me. I was such a fool.”
    Emma squeezed Mildred’s shoulder and kissed her on the top of the head. “Don’t, mother. She’s the one who left. It’s not your fault.”
    Then Emma turned to us and said, “When can we come pick up the baby?”
    Mort stood up and held out his hand to help me up, too. I took his hand, stood, and waited for him to answer Emma.
    He said, “The sheriff wants the kids to stay with Josie until their father can come and get them. Wally thinks it will be easier for the kids to stay put. They’re doing well, though, and they’re safe. You know Josie—she sure does love those babies.” He made a move towards the door, and I moved quickly ahead of him to avoid being run over. There wasn’t much room between the sofa and the coffee table.
    “But I don’t understand,” Emma said. “We’re family. You’re not family. The baby should be here with us.”
    “Now, Emma, it