Murder Under the Covered Bridge by Elizabeth Perona Read Free Book Online

full, “now that Jonathan’s gone.”
    â€œI’m sure I can still catch him.” Joy’s comment made the detective laugh.
    Francine handed Charlotte a napkin. “Wrap it up in this. I’ve got wet wipes in my purse.”
    Charlotte set her mouth. “I don’t know. I’m kind of messy.”
    â€œYou’ll likely have it finished before you reach the car,” Marcy said.
    That’s for sure , Francine thought.
    Charlotte reached for her cane as Marcy and Joy headed out the door. Francine juggled her costume but still managed to hurry Charlotte out of the restaurant, the bell above the exit ringing as the door slammed shut behind them.

four
    â€œThe sheriff thinks Joy is cute,” Charlotte said, almost in a sing-song voice.
    Francine hung back with Charlotte, who was making slow going. They’d just entered the covered bridge while Joy, Marcy, and Jonathan were almost out the other end.
    â€œYou mentioned that already.” Francine tried not to sound annoyed, but she was fairly confident Charlotte would read through all that. She was annoyed not only because Charlotte was trumpeting the flirtation between Joy and the detective, but also because she knew—they all knew—Charlotte could walk faster than she let on. For the most part, they all played along. But Charlotte was seriously slow right now.
    â€œDon’t you think it’s about time she started dating again?” Charlotte asked.
    â€œI do, but don’t think I’m going to stand by and let you ruin that relationship, if any develops, just because you want in on what happened to my cousin William.”
    â€œMe? I wouldn’t get involved in Joy’s relationships. Why would you even think that?” Charlotte winced as she put her weight on one of her knees.
    Francine considered that perhaps all the walking they’d done, especially on the uneven ground at the top of the creek bank, actually was taking its toll. She resolved to be more charitable. But she still found herself annoyed. “Because you already offered to ‘help’ the sheriff several times, that’s why.” Francine crossed her arms. “And we both know you can’t resist a mystery.”
    Charlotte let a beat go by. “It’s on her Sixty List.”
    There was some interpretation to be made as to what exactly Joy’s bucket list item meant. #5 Romance! was all it said. Between themselves, without Joy around, they’d debated it. The general consensus was that Joy eventually wanted to date again, but it had been a long, long time since her husband, Bruno, had left her for another man. The scars lingered. Shortly after the divorce, she’d dated a few men—losers, according to the Summer Ridge Bridge Club—and she retreated into the shell she’d now been in for more than a decade. It was only with the Friederich Guttmann Incident and her new role as a reporter that she’d started reclaiming the vivacious person she once was.
    â€œThat doesn’t mean you wouldn’t be above using her to get what you wanted.”
    Charlotte didn’t respond but stopped near the window through which they’d been fired upon. She looked out. “One of the bullets came in through this window perpendicularly and hit the light stand.” She showed the direction the bullet must have traveled.
    Francine’s eyes followed to where Charlotte’s hand pointed. “So?”
    â€œSo, that means one of the shooters was located down the creek bank, not in the cornfield. Otherwise, it would have come through at a slant and gone the long way down the bridge before it hit anything.”
    Francine thought about that. “That would make sense, because the second bullet that came in through the window went straight out the other side.” She walked the width of the bridge to where the bullet had exited, leaving behind splintered wood.
    â€œThat means they were