Bran New Death

“I feel sorry for her; I’d say she’s truly upset and worried. It’s difficult for her, I imagine. But . . . I won’t say anything else. You should talk to her yourself.”

“I will. Is Dinah Hooper in a position to inherit anything, now that Tom is gone, and Rusty probably, too?”

She didn’t flinch from the question, and in fact I could tell she had already considered it. “I don’t think so. She didn’t live with Rusty, and they weren’t married. If anything, I think it kind of exonerates her, you know? Because if she was out for money, it would have been better for her if Rusty had stuck around and married her.”

“The son, Dinty . . . when did he leave town? Before or after Rusty disappeared?”

“Uh, after. A few months, actually. Why?”

I shrugged. It could mean nothing at all, or it could have been guilt that sent the guy away. I didn’t know him, but I’d bet that Gordy and Zeke did. I’d have to tap into those two guys’ knowledge at some point. Should be easy if I used Shilo as a lure.

“I don’t care what happened to Rusty,” Ha

“I know. I’m just trying to find my bearings. Could it all be tied up together?”

“I suppose.”

Shilo came back in to the library, a poorly hidden expression of excitement on her face.

“Shilo, this is Ha

“Shilo . . . that means peaceful.”

“Bad name for me!” Shilo said with a laugh, plunking down in a chair by the librarian.

“You’re so beautiful,” Ha

“And you make me think of the pixies,” Shilo said, touching Ha

I could see they would be friends, each a little odd, each willing to say exactly what she thought. Ha

“I saw Jack McGill,” Shilo said, her eyes sparkling, as she turned back to me.

“McGill?” Ha

I whirled around and looked at Ha

“Sure,” Ha

“I know. Even though he is a Jack-of-all-trades, in a sense. He’s filling in the holes that Tom dug.” That sobered me, bringing me back to Tom’s death. I could see it had affected Ha

“Well, he was showing an empty storefront to a prospective tenant. The tenant was Dinah Hooper.”

“Dinah Hooper?” Once you hear a name, I thought, you just keep hearing it! “Rusty Turner’s girlfriend. Why would she be renting out a storefront?”

“He wouldn’t tell me,” Shilo said. “But it’s interesting, right?”

I chewed my lip. It was certainly interesting.

There was probably more I could have asked Ha

“Hey, do you take book donations?” I asked.

“We do!” Ha

“I sure do. I have my mother’s books, which have been in storage since she died; a lot of classics and poetry. I also have my grandmother’s. She favored kids’ books and classic mysteries. Lots of hardback Agatha Christie novels. All my boxes are coming from storage, and I could sure use a home for the books . . . that’s if they’re in good shape. They should be. Can you use them?”

“We definitely can. Whatever we can’t use, we sell to raise money at the a

“I bet Jack would help out with that,” Shilo said softly, smiling down at Ha

The girl brightened just a shade. “Do you think so?”

“You know he will,” Shilo answered. “He seems to be very civic-minded, and the book sale . . . I’m sure lots of folks count on that every year.”

Ha

I told Ha

“I like muffins,” she said. “Take the book I gave you; it will give you some information on Wynter Castle. And come back in and check out more of the local history books sometime.”

As Shilo and I left, the purple-dressed woman eyed us covertly, using the brim of her red hat to shield her interest. Not very successfully, I might say. “Maybe I’ll see you at Golden Acres, then, or I’ll come back here!” I said as I waved good-bye to Ha

As we emerged out to the main street, I felt like I’d just left a dream. Ha

“Do you want to see the store Dinah Hooper was looking to rent?” Shilo asked.

Tucking the book into my voluminous bag, I replied, “Yes! I do.” I didn’t know Dinah Hooper, and so couldn’t conclude that she had anything to do with Tom’s murder on my property. I was grasping at straws, but it was worth a look.

We strolled along the main street, as I tried to get used to being stared at. It was natural, I suppose; I was a stranger, and the owner of a notorious plot of land. I was a Wynter. But a local had also been murdered on my property, after vandalizing it repeatedly. I smiled and nodded at those who met my eyes, and ignored those who didn’t.

“This is it,” Shilo said as we came up to a small storefront.

A nicely dressed older woman trotted toward us, concentrating on the tiny screen of her cell phone and tapping away at a text message. She stopped abruptly as she looked up and saw us watching.

“Hi,” I said, striding toward her, arm outstretched. “My name is Merry Wynter. This is my friend, Shilo Di

The other woman awkwardly shuffled her armload of papers, Prada handbag and cell phone, and put her hand out, grasping mine in a warm grip that almost hurt because the number of rings on her fingers. “Bi

“I’m just here as support,” Shilo said. “Are you Dinah Hooper? Jack McGill mentioned he was meeting with you, and that you were looking to rent a storefront.”

“I am Dinah Hooper,” she said. She looked up at the storefront with a worried expression. “This place is going to be my new business. I need to have something to do since . . .” She broke off and shook her head, her eyes tearing up. “Since poor Rusty disappeared, and now Tom is gone, too. I just don’t know what’s going to happen with Turner Construction. I guess I don’t have a job anymore! Not that I’ve been doing anything there for a while. I’m going to do something with this place; maybe open a flower shop.”