Mind Over Murder by Allison Kingsley Read Free Book Online Page B

Quinn Sense never lies.”
    “No, it just disappears when you need it the most.”
    Stephanie’s smile faded. “You’ll get it all back. I know it.”
    Clara sincerely hoped not. “You’re determined to do this, then.”
    “With or without you. I just hope it’s with you. You know, two heads and all that.”
    “I’ll help on one condition.”
    “What’s that?”
    Clara turned back to the counter. “At the first sign of real danger, we call Dan.”
    “Agreed.”
    “And no more talk about the Quinn Sense.”
    “But—”
    Clara held up her hand. “No buts. Now let’s go tell Molly we’re going to try and clear her name.”
    Tears welled in Molly’s eyes when Stephanie told her they wanted to find the killer. “I’ll help,” she told them, hugging each of them in turn. “Just tell me what to do.”
    “Well, nothing for the moment,” Stephanie said, as the bell jangled on the door, signaling another customer. “But as soon as we get a break, we’ll sit down and discuss our strategy. Right now, though, someone has to clean up the mess in the stockroom. No one’s set foot in there since the police were here, and we need to get the new stock on the shelves.”
    Molly’s face lost its color, and she swallowed. “I’ll do it. I may puke, though.”
    Clara took a deep breath. “I’ll help. It won’t be so bad if we both do it.”
    Molly sent her a grateful look. “You two are the best friends anyone could ask for, and I hope you know how much this means to me.”
    “We’re doing what’s right,” Stephanie said, patting her on the shoulder. “We know you didn’t kill Ana, and that means someone else did. He’s not going to get away with it. We might not be able to arrest him or anything, but maybe if we find out enough about what happened, we can help Dan to go after him.”
    Molly twitched her eyebrows. “I just don’t know what you can really do if Dan wasn’t able to find anything.”
    “Exactly,” Clara murmured.
    Stephanie ignored her. “People are more likely to talk to us than Dan. Most people are afraid to say too much to the police, in case it gets them into trouble.”
    Molly nodded, her face brightening just a little. “You’re right. Besides, you can do things and go places the police can’t go without a warrant or something.” She jerked a thumb over her shoulder. “Okay, Clara. Let’s go tackle that stockroom.”
    It was almost at the end of Molly’s shift before things quieted down in the bookstore long enough for them all to sit down with a cup of coffee in the Reading Nook.
    Stephanie settled back in the comfy armchair with a long sigh. “It’s been a busy day. Everyone’s heard about what happened to Ana, and they’re coming in to satisfy their curiosity.”
    “I know.” Clara leaned forward to straighten the magazines on the low table. “They all want to talk about the murder. They get miffed when I tell them I don’t know any more than they do. Like I’m hiding something from them.”
    “They think you’re protecting me,” Molly said, staring down at her feet. “They’re all avoiding me. I feel like a leper. One of the untouchables.”
    “Don’t worry.” Stephanie leaned forward to touch her arm. “We’ll clear your name. Won’t we, Clara?”
    Clara caught her breath. “That reminds me, I might have a suspect.”
    “You do?”
    “Who is it?”
    They’d both spoken at once, and Clara looked over her shoulder to make sure they were alone. “John Halloran. Well, I guess he’s not really a suspect, but he certainly had a motive. He had good reason to hate Ana.”
    Stephanie slumped her shoulders. “So did half the people in town.”
    “Ah, but half the people in town didn’t lose a business and a marriage because of Ana’s lies.”
    Molly sat up. “How did she manage to do all that?”
    Clara repeated a shortened version of what her mother had told her.
    “John’s a regular customer here,” Stephanie said. “He comes in all the