Mother's Day Murder by Leslie Meier Read Free Book Online Page A

to feel Sara’s forehead when she came into the kitchen.
    “Don’t you feel good?” she asked. “Are you coming down with something?”
    “I’m fine, Mom,” said Sara.
    “I thought you were staying for the game.”
    “I changed my mind.”
    Her tone was defensive, and Lucy cast a questioning look at Zoe, who just shrugged her shoulders.
    Mentally, Lucy ran through the possibilities. A bad grade? A scolding from a teacher? A fight with Renee or Sassie? Chad with another girl? “Would you like a snack? I got some nice strawberries….”
    “I’m not hungry,” said Sara, heading for the stairs and climbing them slowly, as if it were an effort.
    “What’s going on?” Lucy asked Zoe, who had pulled the box of berries out of the fridge and was sitting down at the table with them, dipping them into the sugar bowl before popping them in her mouth.
    “I dunno, Mom,” she answered, her mouth full.
    “Don’t talk with your mouth full, and let’s put some of that sugar in a little dish so you don’t spoil all the sugar in the sugar bowl.”
    “Oh, sorry, Mom.”
    “She didn’t say anything?” asked Lucy.
    “Nope.”
    “Was she alone?”
    “No.” Zoe put a berry in her mouth and chewed slowly and thoroughly. Lucy thought she’d scream, waiting for her to swallow. “She was with Chad.”
    “Really? How did they seem? Were they fighting?”
    “No.” Another berry, another wait. “He kissed her.”
    Not exactly what Lucy wanted to hear. “He did? Right there in front of the school?”
    “A little kiss. Not gross.”
    “Is that what upset her?”
    Zoe shrugged, and Lucy headed up the stairs and tapped on Sara’s door. When there was no answer, but she heard muffled sobs, Lucy went in. She found Sara facedown on her bed, with her face buried in her pillow. She sat down on the bed and placed her hand on Sara’s back. “Want to tell me about it?”
    “No.”
    “I think you should. You’ll feel better.”
    “I’ll never feel better. I want to die.”
    Alarmed, Lucy grabbed her shoulder and rolled her over so she could see her face. “Don’t say things like that.”
    “It’s how I feel,” said Sara, tears streaming down her face.
    “No boy is worth this. There’ll be another, and another. Believe me.”
    “It’s not Chad.”
    “Well, what is it then?”
    “It’s Heather and Ashley. They took a cell phone picture of me changing into my gym clothes and sent it to the entire football team!”

Chapter Five
    T he one bright spot that Lucy could count on in her week was the Thursday morning breakfast with her friends. The weekly get-together with Pam, Rachel, and Sue at Jake’s Donut Shack had been a tradition for years now, adopted when their children got older and the four friends realized they weren’t seeing as much of each other as they used to when they constantly met at school and sports events. The four decided they needed to set a time to get together, not only to stay in touch and gossip, but to offer support and sympathy when life became difficult.
    Lucy had the most rigid schedule, but she was free on Thursdays until the eleven o’clock news budget meeting at the Pennysaver . Pam, who was married to Lucy’s boss, Ted Stillings, taught dance at Winchester College, the liberal arts college on the outskirts of town. Rachel Goodman, married to attorney Bob Goodman, worked a couple of hours a day providing home care to the town’s oldest resident, Miss Julia Ward Howe Tilley; and Sue Finch was part owner of a thriving child-care center, Little Prodigies. She filled in as a teacher when needed, but her primary role was administrative: developing curriculum, training teachers, and meeting with parents. They all made the breakfast a priority; it was the first thing they inked in their calendars every week. This week Lucy was really looking forward to sharing her troubles and getting some encouragement from her friends.
    The others had already gathered at their usual table in the back