Murder in Aix (The Maggie Newberry Mystery Series Book 5) by Susan Kiernan-Lewis Read Free Book Online

the expression on her
face. You know, some cultures don’t believe a thing is a fact until it’s spoken.
That’s strange, don’t you think? That you can keep something from being true
just by not saying it?”
    “I think people
do it all the time.”
    Grace laughed but
there was no mirth in the sound.
    “Does Taylor know
what’s going on?”
    Grace shrugged.
“She’s pretty solidly into her own little world. A normal kid couldn’t help but
know. But Taylor? I have no idea.”
    Maggie wanted to
ask about Windsor. Was he distraught? Was
he fed up? Was he the guilty party? She watched Grace as she pulled an
anchovy out of Zou-zou’s grubby little fist and replaced it with a carrot
spear. She would talk when she was ready.
    As if Grace could
read Maggie’s mind, she turned to her. “Tell me about your new best friend. How
did you two meet?”
    Maggie tucked a
thin wedge of lamb into the heel of the crusty bread and spread a hefty dollop
of tapenade over the top. “We met at a fete that Laurent’s co-op put on. She was there with Jacques, the man who died, and
we were the only two native English-speakers in the room.”
    “A natural recipe
for instant friendship.”
    “Well, it kind of
is, as you know,” Maggie said pointedly. “She was English, not American, but we
were both with Frenchmen and living in Provence and so we had a baseline of
things in common. The more we talked…you know.”
    “The more you
fell madly in love with each other.”
    “Well, Grace, we
connected. Above and beyond the obvious things we have in common, we really
enjoyed the time we spent together. I’m sorry you haven’t made any friends in
Indiana, but it’s worse for me since, unlike you, I don’t have a whole effing
country of my own people to fall back on. It’s pretty lonely over here and
friendships mean more.”
    “Wow. Big speech,
darling. And you’re right. It’s hard for me to complain about being friendless
when I have drive-through banking and round doorknobs.”
    “Okay, Grace, I
am not going to apologize for making friends. And if you were any kind of a real friend, you’d be glad I had someone
to turn to after you left.”
    “Well, I’m sorry
to be such a disappointment to you, Maggie,” Grace said. “But even all the wonders
of living back home again couldn’t fill the hole left by the dissolution of our
friendship.”
    “Now you’re being
dramatic. We Skype practically every day.”
    “Which is not the
same as being together and solving mysteries like Lucy and Ethel the way we
used to and getting into all kinds of trouble. In fact, I officially hate
Skype.”
    Maggie laughed.
“Grace, you’re such a ninny. How can you possibly think there is a replacement
for you in my life?”
    “This Julia
character certainly seems like she fits the bill.”
    “You are so
unabashedly self-absorbed, it floors me. The poor woman is under arrest for
murder!”
    “You don’t have
to apologize for preferring one person over another, Maggie,” Grace said,
grabbing Zou-zou’s hand before she reached the TV remote control.  
    “It’s not a
competition, Grace.”
    “You idiot, that’s
exactly what it is!”
    Maggie stared at
Grace with her mouth open. Zou-zou, whose hand Grace was still gripping, began
to squirm away from her mother and make little grunting sounds.
    Maggie shook her
head. “I was in a bad way when you left, Grace.”  
    “You’re not going
to blame—”
    “Just listen to
me. With all the other stuff going on, mostly Laurent and I doing a nosedive on
the newlywed front, your leaving really kicked the stuffing out of me. I know
it wasn’t your fault, and that Windsor had a chance to make caboodles of money
by selling his software company and then running it for the new owners in Indy.
I get all that and I point no fingers. But it was really bad timing for me. And
when I met Julia, it helped a lot. She was giving and funny and open and always
accessible…”
    “All the things
I’m