“Yeah.” The phone rang inside. “I’ve got to pick that up. Let’s stick together, Harry.”
“You bet.”
Market opened the door and Pewter scooted in, calling her goodbyes over her shoulder.
A miserable Harry unlocked the door to the post office, Mrs. Murphy and Tucker behind.
“Come on.”
Mrs. Murphy looked at Tucker.“You thinking what I’m thinking?”
Tucker replied,“Yes, but we don’t know where.”
“Damn!” Mrs. Murphy fluffed her tail in fury and walked dramatically into the post office.
Tucker followed as Harry picked up the phone and started dialing.“It could be miles and miles from here.”
“I know!” Mrs. Murphy crabbed.“And we’ll lose the scent—if it’s there.”
“It held a little bit the other time. That day was stinky hot too.”
Mrs. Murphy leaned up against the corgi.“I hope so. Buddy-bud, we’re going to have to use our powers to get to the bottom of this. Harry’s smart but her nose is bad. Her ears aren’t too good either. People can’t move very fast. We’ve got to find out who’s doing this so we can protect her.”
“I’ll die before I let anyone hurt Harry!” Tucker barked loudly.
“Susan, there’s been another murder.”
“I’ll be right there,” Susan replied.
She started to dial Fair at the clinic but hung up the phone. It was a knee-jerk reaction to call him.
“Rick Shaw came by for Ned,” Susan said as Harry unlocked the front door. It was 7:30 A.M.
“What’s he want with Ned?”
“He wants him to organize a Citizen’s Alert group. Harry, this is unbelievable. This is Crozet, Virginia, for Pete’s sake, not New York City.”
“Unbelievable or not, it’s happening. Did Rick say anything about Maude?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, was she alive when she was run over?” Harry’s entire body twitched at the thought and a wave of nausea engulfed her.
“I thought of that too. I asked him. He said they didn’t know but they believed not. The coroner would know exactly when she died.”
“If Rick said that, it means she was dead already. I mean, you’d have to be pretty stupid not to tell after a certain point. Did he say anything else?”
“Only that it happened out near the Greenwood tunnel, out on that first part of track.”
Harry said, almost to herself,“What was she doing out that far?”
“God only knows.” Susan sniffed. “What if this—this creature starts after our children?”
“That’s not going to happen. I’m sure of it.”
“How would you know?” A note of anger crept into Susan’s voice.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to ignore your concern for the children, and you should keep the kids in at night. It’s just that—well, I don’t know. A feeling.”
“There’s a madman loose! Tell me what Kelly Craycroft and Maude Bly Modena had in common! Tell me that!”
“If we can figure that out, we might catch the killer.” Command rang through Harry’s voice. She was a born leader, although she never acknowledged it and even avoided groups.
Susan knew Harry had made up her mind.“You aren’t trained in this sort of thing.”
“Neither are you. Will you help me?”
“What do I have to do?”
“The police ask routine questions. That’s fine, because they learn a lot. We need to ask different questions—not just ‘Where were you on the night of … ?’ but ‘How did you feel about Kelly’s Ferrari and how did you feel about Maude’s big success with her store?’ Emotions. Maybe emotions will get us closer to an answer.”
“Count me in.”
“I’ll take Mrs. Hogendobber and Little Marilyn for starters. How about if you take BoomBoom and Mim. No, wait. Let me take BoomBoom. I have my reasons. You take Little Marilyn.”
“Okay.”
Rob sailed through the front door. He dropped the mail sacks like lead when Harry told him the news. He absolutely couldn’t believe this was happening, but who could?
Tucker and Mrs. Murphy overheard Harry reveal the location of the murder.
“We can’t get there by ourselves unless we’re willing to be gone an entire day.”
“Can’t do that.” Tucker pulled at her collar. The metal rabies tag tinkled.
“So, how are we going to get out there? We need Harry to take us in the truck.”
“Half of Crozet will go out there. People have a morbid curiosity,” Tucker observed.
“When she gets in that truck, no matter when, we’d better pitch a fit.”
“Gotcha.”
Mrs. Hogendobber was stopped by Market Shiflett as she ascended the post office steps. She emitted a piercing yell upon hearing the news.
Josiah, crossing the street, hesitated for a split second and then came over to see what was amiss.
“This is the work of the Devil!” Mrs. Hogendobber put her hand on the wall for support.
“It’s shocking.” Josiah tried to sound comforting but he never would like Mrs. Hogendobber. “Come on, Mrs. H., let me help you inside the post office.” He swung open the door.
“When did you hear?” Mrs. Hogendobber’s voice sounded even.
“On the radio this morning.” Josiah fanned Mrs. H., now sitting by the stamp meter. “Would you like me to take you home?” Josiah offered.
“No, I came for my mail and I’m going to get it.” Resolutely, Mrs. Hogendobber stood up and strode to her postal box.
Harry and Josiah followed her as Fair screeched up out front, killing the engine before turning off the key as his foot slipped off the clutch.
“You could have come right through the window,” Mrs. Hogendobber admonished him.
Fair shut the door behind him.“I thought I’d give the taxpayers a break and not do that.”
“This old building could use a rehab.” Josiah turned the key in his box.
“Do you know about that sweet Maude Bly Modena? Murdered! In cold blood.” Mrs. Hogendobber breathed heavily again.
“Now, now, don’t get yourself overexcited,” Josiah warned her.
“Quite right.” Mrs. Hogendobber controlled herself. “So much evil in the land. Still, I never thought it would come home.” She touched her eyebrow, trying to remember. “The last bad thing that happened here—apart from the drunken-driving accidents—why, that would be the robberies at the Farmington Country Club. Remember?”
“That was in 1978.” Harry recalled the incident. “A gang of high-class thieves broke into the homes there and took the silver and the antiques.”
“And left the silver plate.” Mrs. Hogendobber didn’t realize how funny that was and couldn’t understand why, for a moment, Harry, Fair, and Josiah laughed.
“The theft wasn’t funny, Mrs. H.,” Harry explained. “But on top of being robbed, everyone would find out who had good stuff and who didn’t. I mean, it added insult to injury.”
Mrs. Hogendobber found no humor in it and made a harrumphf.“Well, this has been too much for one morning. I bid you adieu.”
“Are you sure you don’t want me to see you home?” Josiah offered again.
“No … thank you.” And she was gone.
“Didn’t they find that stuff stashed in a barn in Falling Water, West Virginia?” Fair asked.
“They did, and that was a stupid place to put it too.” Josiah shut his mailbox.
“Why?” Harry asked.
“Putting exquisite pieces like that in a barn. Rodents could chew them or defecate on the furniture. The elements could expand and contract the woods. Just dumb. They knew good stuff from bad but they didn’t know how to take care of it.”
“Maybe they packed them up or crated them.” Fair wasn’t very knowledgeable about antiques.
“No, I remember the TV reports. They showed the inside of the barn.” Josiah shook his head. “No matter, that’s small beer compared to … this.” He walked over to the counter where Fair was leaning. “What do you think?”
“I don’t know.”
“What about you, Harry?” Josiah’s face registered concern.
“I think whoever did this was one of us. Someone we know and trust.”