The Double Wedding Ring by Clare O' Donohue Read Free Book Online Page A

just a pharmacist, Bernie was our group psychic despite being wrong as often as she was right. But it was better to take her seriously, just in case.
    â€œThen a spider it is,” I said, as I drew a small spider in the corner of the gazebo sketch.
    â€œAnd hearts,” she told me. “Lots of hearts. All the quilt traditions call for lots of hearts on a bridal quilt.”
    â€œIs this Nell’s quilt or yours?” Natalie asked.
    Bernie raised an eyebrow. “It’s Eleanor’s, so it should be as lovely as she is.”
    As Bernie spoke, I saw Greg out the window. He was standing at the corner, writing out a parking ticket to a car too close to the corner. I grabbed my coat without a second thought. “Bernie, take over for me at the register.”
    â€œBut I need to pay for my—”
    â€œRing up your own purchases.”
    While Natalie cut for another customer, Bernie brought her fabric to the counter, and I ran out the door.

C HAPTER 8
    â€œL ousy job for cold weather,” I said as I approached Greg, who was writing the license plate onto the ticket.
    â€œSure is.” The annoyance in his voice was obvious. “It’s not my idea.”
    â€œYou know Jesse is just upset about his friend,” I said. “I saw that he was a little rough on you. . . .”
    Greg leaned his lanky frame against the hood of the car. “I get that.” His tone softened, more hurt and concern than annoyance. “I wish I could help. I’ve been taking a couple of criminology classes in Peekskill. I’ve learned a lot about forensics, profiling, even how to run my own sheriff’s department. I don’t think Jesse realizes what I can do.”
    â€œHe does, Greg. He knows you’re the town’s best detective.”
    He smiled a little and rolled his eyes. He was the town’s only detective, but that didn’t diminish his talents. “Lot of good it does me. I barely got a chance to look at the body, let alone investigate.”
    â€œWell, you know that he died from a bullet to the head.” I tried to sound encouraging.
    â€œThat’s all we have,” Greg said, “plus the fact that he was driving a rental car he picked up in Tarrytown yesterday morning.”
    â€œTarrytown? I thought he lived in New York City.”
    â€œHe did. Queens to be specific. And he owned a car. And yet he went to Grand Central Terminal, bought a ticket to Tarrytown on the nine forty-five a.m. train, and then when he got there, he walked to a car rental place, rented that SUV, and drove the rest of the way up here.”
    â€œIf he was going to take the train, why not take it all the way to Archers Rest?” It took more than three hours from the city, but there were two trains a day that stopped at our little station.
    Greg shrugged. “Wish I knew. If Roger was hiding from someone, he didn’t exactly try very hard. He used his own credit card to buy the ticket and rent the car.”
    â€œIt sounds like you’re making progress. So why are you giving out parking tickets instead of working on the murder?”
    â€œAsk the chief. He told me to ticket this car.”
    â€œThis car specifically?”
    â€œYeah, he said it was a danger to anyone turning the corner.”
    The car was a late-model dark blue sedan, the sort of car I’d drive if I didn’t want anyone to notice me. I didn’t recognize it from anyone in town, but Archers Rest was just large enough that it was impossible to know everyone. “Why didn’t he write the ticket himself?”
    Greg rolled his eyes. “Nell, you’re dating the guy. If you haven’t figured him out yet, then I can’t help you.”
    I knew what he meant. When Jesse was upset and didn’t want to talk about it, he tended to focus on the smallest of details. I guess because that was all he felt he could control.
    â€œBut there are other officers on the