"A Murder In Milburn", Book 3: Death In The Library by Nancy McGovern Read Free Book Online Page B

arrested Robert Foxworthy.”

    *****

Chapter 9
    Nora sat next to Harvey as he drove them into town in his fashionable BMW. As usual, despite the rain and the rapidly approaching darkness, Harvey drove like a maniac, going twice as fast on turns, going far above the speed limit, letting the engine roar as he pushed the pedal down.  
    “Get us there in one piece please,” Horace joked. “There’s only so much strain my heart can bear.”
    In reply, Harvey slowed down for about five seconds, before going back to his normal speed.
    Neither he, nor Nora said a word to each other. She pointedly stared out the window, or fiddled with the radio, while Tina gave them puzzled glances from the backseat.
    Sam, who had been fast asleep, was slowly showing signs of reviving. Around the fourth time Harvey’s car jumped over a speed-bump, Sam blinked awake.
    “Where are we?” he asked Tina, looking around. He stretched. “Oof. I have a monstrous headache.”
    “There’s water in the back,” Harvey said. “I keep an emergency kit under the driver’s seat. See if you can reach it.”
    Sam extracted it, and glugged down half the bottle. “Thanks,” he said gratefully. For a few minutes, before his brain reminded him of the events that had preceded his pill-induced blackout, Sam actually looked cheerful. Nora turned in her seat, and saw the exact second realization hit him. His face seemed to grow harder, the lines on them more pronounced.
    “Selena,” he murmured.
    “Sam. The sheriff and his men have arrested Robert Foxworthy,” Tina said. “We’re on our way into town to find out more now.”
    Sam’s face turned grim. “He’s the one who did it?”
    “Looks that way so far.”
    Sam clenched his hands into fists. “I hope he hangs.”
    The sentiment seemed to be popular opinion in town.
    Anna’s pancake house was relatively deserted this time around, though on one table sat the town librarian, and the mayor’s wife.
    After he’d left Anna’s earlier that day, Sean had gone straight to Buckle’s B&B. He’d knocked on Robert’s door, and Robert, still sleepy, had been very surprised on opening it. No one knew what words were exchanged, but the maids from Buckle’s reported that within minutes, Robert had thrown his first punch at Sean.  
    When Sean had reeled back and hit the wall, Robert had tried to turn around and slam the door. Instead, he found himself on his stomach, his hands handcuffed behind him.
    “Long story short,” Grant Mackomb said, “the boy never had a chance once he’d laid a finger on Sean. He’s sitting in jail now, and given the town’s mood right now, that’s probably better for him.”
    “So he’s definitely done it then?” Tina asked. “I mean… there’s proof?”
    “Well…” Grant looked hesitantly at Tina, and then at Sam.
    “Is there?” Sam demanded.
    “I… well. I can’t really comment.”
    “You’re not the sheriff, Grant. There’s no need to look so scared. No one’s going to remove you from your job if you tell us what you heard or saw,” Harvey said.
    “The thing is, it’s testimony,” Grant said.
    “That’s all right, feel free to share it.”
    “All right,” Grant said. “Since you’re forcing it out of me. May and I were at Chili’s last night. We had planned a business dinner to discuss the library’s next event. Selena was sitting in the booth next to us when we arrived. We tried to get her to join us, but she refused. She was in a really bad mood. I assumed it was because of the fights she’d had earlier in the day. She actually moved away from us. I was walking to the bathroom when I overheard Selena talking on the phone. I suppose they’ve checked her phone records by now, so they know...”
    “Know what?”
    “She was planning to meet Robert last night,” Grant said. “All I heard her say was, ‘ Fine. I’ll meet you, Robbie. No. Whatever. I’ll text you where .’” Grant paused and took a breath. “All I know is, about