Murder a la Christie (The Golden Age of Mystery Book Club Mysteries 1)
Page 24
I felt numb. The murderers had been caught. The mystery was over. So why didn’t I feel—if not happy, relieved? Al sat me down in a chair by the window and went to get me coffee and dessert. I munched on a brownie as he instructed and felt a bit better.
“Oh, no,” he muttered as Ruth and Marcie headed straight for us. They didn’t look pleased.
“I suppose we should be grateful you exposed the murderers,” Ruth said, “but that they turned out to be our very own friends is difficult to accept.”
I opened my mouth to say I had nothing to do with making them murderers, when Marcie chimed in.
“Paulette and Adele aren’t the murdering kind. They never would have resorted to murder if not for Lowell.”
“Of course not,” her mother agreed. “He was bad news. I knew it the moment we set eyes on him at Paulette’s engagement party.”
Marcie shrugged. “What can you expect from someone with his background.”
Their warped values topped by Marcie’s hypocrisy left me speechless. I stared after them as they wandered off to join their husbands.
“Unbelievable,” I murmured to Al as he put an arm around me.
“They’ll never change.”
He hugged me. “Don’t be despondent. You helped catch the murderers as you said you would." He cocked his head and asked, “Did the Christie novels really help you solve the crimes?”
“Absolutely.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
Two weeks later I was stowing the last of my belongings into my car when Brian pulled into the driveway. My heart thumped as he stepped out of his car, looking handsome and fit in sunglasses and a recent haircut. I was pleasantly surprised when he kissed my cheek.
Why my cheek?
“How are you doing, Lexie?”
“I’m fine.”
“I see you’re on the move again.”
I nodded. “Michele’s arriving this afternoon, Eric’s coming tomorrow. They want to sort through Sylvia’s personal things, sell the furniture, and put the house on the market ASAP.”
Brian looked up at the cloudless azure sky. “A lovely day, isn’t it? I always treasure the last days of August.”
“Me, too. I have meetings the end of this week. Classes start on Monday.”
He gave me a shame-faced grin. “I meant to call after you gave your statement, but things got hectic.”
I shrugged.
“Adele Blum’s in the hospital,” he said.
“I know. How does that affect your case?”
“It’s difficult to say. A lot depends on the presiding judge. Adele’s critically ill.”
“And critically lethal,” I added.
Brian laughed. “That, too." He cleared his throat. “It’s a good thing I caught you today. Where are you moving to?”
Heat rose in my face. “Allistair owns a house two towns away that he rents out. He’s letting me stay there for a nominal fee." My rent was one hundred dollars a month, which he’d only agreed to when I refused to stay there gratis.
Brian shifted his sunglasses to the top of his head and gazed into my eyes. “So, are things serious between you two?”
“We’re seeing each other, if that’s what you mean.”
He pursed his lips. “That’s what I figured. Which is probably why I’ve been dragging my heels about calling you.”
A dozen responses came to mind, all of which I longed to blurt out: “I want to see you, too." “You should have called." “I hoped you’d call.”
The least acceptable line popped out of my mouth. “I like you, Brian, but...”
“But?” I shook my head and didn’t answer, so he answered for me. “But you’re a cop. Your hours are irregular. You have no time for a private life. Getting involved with you won’t lead anywhere. Or anywhere good.”
I laughed. “Are you practicing to become a psychic?”
“Did I cover everything?”
I shrugged. “Kind of. But I’d still like to see you.”
He cocked his head and gave me a baleful look. “Are you sure your boyfriend won’t mind?”
“He will mind, but Allistair knows I’m not in any position to commit to a serious relationship.”
Brian thought a minute, then asked, “Are you free Friday night?”
“Rosie’s invited Al and me to dinner. But Sunday’s good.”
He scowled. “So that’s how it’s going to be.”
My heart started thumping. Brian wasn’t the kind of man to take a backseat in any relationship. He was gone. Out of my life.
“Then Sunday it will be." He grinned suddenly, his face lighting up like the sun coming out after a heavy summer rain. “Give me your new address and I’ll pick you up at ten-thirty. We’ll go out East for the day—unless a homicide comes my way.”
“Sounds good to me."
I held out my hand in a mock shake. Brian took it and pulled me to him. His kiss was brief but set off stars. “Can’t wait till Sunday,” he said.
I grinned. Neither could I.
About the Author:
A former Spanish teacher, Marilyn Levinson writes mysteries, romantic suspense, and novels for young readers.
Her Golden Age of Mystery Book Club mysteries have received much acclaim. Murder a la Christie, the first in the series, was a King Rivers Life Magazine's "Best of 2014" and on Book Town's 2014 Summer Mystery Reading List. Professor Lexie Driscoll leads discussions about Christie novels as she solves the murders of various members of her book club. In the sequel, Murder the Tey Way, Lexie and the book club talk about Josephine Tey's mysteries as she investigates murders and unravels secrets.
Lydia Krause is Marilyn's feisty, fifty-something sleuth in the Twin Lakes mysteries. A Murderer Among Us was awarded a Suspense Magazine Best Indie and was on Book Town's Summer Reading List. The sequel, Murder in the Air, was on Book Town's Fall Reading List. Uncial Press e-publis’hes her ghost mystery, Giving Up the Ghost, and her romantic suspense, Dangerous Relations. All of Marilyn's mysteries take place on Long Island, where she lives.
Marilyn's horror-suspense YA, The Devil's Pawn, will thrill young readers but leave them smiling when they’ve read the last page. Other books for young readers include No Boys Allowed, Rufus and Magic Run Amok, which was awarded a "Children's Choice," Getting Back to Normal & And Don't Bring Jeremy.
Marilyn loves traveling, reading, knitting, doing Sudoku, and visiting with her grandchildren, Olivia and Jack, on FaceTime. She is co-founder and past president of the Long Island chapter of Sisters in Crime.
The Next Book in The Golden Age of Mystery Book Club Mysteries
http://tinyurl.com/n6z973o
What readers are saying about Murder the Tey Way:
"Murder the Tey Way is the second book in the series and, once again, Marilyn Levinson has written a mystery that kept me guessing until the very end.”
~ Patricia Gligor, mystery author
“There are many twists and turns in this book that adds to the suspense and mystery. There are also many suspects who could be guilty of these crimes. Between the twists and turns and the suspect list, it is very difficult to figure out who the culprits are. I found myself scrolling through my e-reader as fast as I could read to find out what was going to happen next.” ~M. Brown
“Thumbs-way-up for Murder the Tey Way. If you haven’t already, you’ll put Josephine Tey’s masterpieces at the top of your TBR list. And you’ll be clamoring for more of Marilyn Levinson’s Golden Age of Mysteries book club mysteries. Murder a la Christie is the first in this series that’s both charming and effective at showcasing evil.” ~ Maggie King, mystery author
A Note to My Readers
I’d love to hear from you. Please write to me at: www.marilynlevinson.com
If you’ve enjoyed reading Murder a la Christie, please consider writing a review on Amazon or Goodreads.
Thank you.
Marilyn
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