complete pancake set, the complete BLT, the”—she glanced over at Rose’s lap—“complete peanut butter and jelly sandwich set, et cetera.”
She knew Debbie’s description of Milo shouldn’t matter. She knew the kind of man Milo was all on her own. But still, it helped to hear that others saw the same thing in his actions.
Without missing a beat, Debbie flitted back to the subject of Beth and Milo. “The first time I saw her, I thought she seemed nice. But I suppose I should have known better when I saw them together. Anyone who can be all syrupy to someone like that should be suspect.”
“Saw who?” Rose asked, the question a near perfect match to the one brewing inside Tori.
“Beth and Ashley.”
“Beth and Ashley? When?”
Debbie stopped sorting food sets and looked up, her shoulders rising and falling in rapid succession. “I don’t know. The morning of Sally’s party, why?”
Leaning back in the swing, Tori raked her hair into a high ponytail only to let it fall back to her shoulders. “I didn’t realize they knew each other beyond a vague professional thing.”
“I don’t think they did. In fact, I’m sure they didn’t because that’s how I knew Beth’s name when I saw her the next morning while talking to you. I heard her introduce herself to Ashley when they met.”
“Did they strike up a conversation in line while they were waiting for breakfast or something?”
Debbie shook her head. “No. It seemed more like they had a meeting. Ashley had a leather case with her and Beth was dressed all professional in a tailored suit and heels. She was friendly with Ashley yet very businesslike. Though . . .” Debbie’s voice trailed off as she fixed on some distant place far beyond Tori’s front porch. After a moment, she swung her focus back to the group. “By the end of the meeting it changed. Suddenly the businesslike formality was gone and they were acting like the best of friends. Which, at the time, I thought was neat . . . except for the fact it was Ashley she had befriended.”
“Did you hear what they were talking about?” Dixie asked as Margaret Louise leaned closer.
“No. Sunday morning is one of my busiest days of the week so eavesdropping wasn’t really an option. Besides, I didn’t know about Beth’s connection to Milo at that time so I just figured it was a business meeting. Especially since that leather case Ashley had with her was open on the table for most of the meeting.”
Feeling her mood begin to slip, Tori stood and gestured toward the house. “Would anyone like something to eat? Or drink?”
“No. We’re fine, aren’t we, ladies?” Rose completed her last blanket stitch on her final pat of butter and tossed it across the porch to Debbie. “So where are things with the murder investigation? Does anyone know? Chief Dallas seems to have eliminated me.”
“He must think I’m stronger because he’s still sniffing around my place.” Dixie sat up tall, puffing her ample chest outward in the process. “I suppose the party guests are still his hottest suspects, though he probably should be sniffin’around one in particular, isn’t that right, Victoria?”
“What are you talking about?” Rose countered.
Tori returned to her spot on the swing, the change in topic a welcome reprieve. “We’re talking about Samantha Smith. She was one of the other moms at the party.”
Rose secured her bundle of pale yellow floss with a sticker then returned it to her bag along with the purple bundle. “Now which one was she again? I know I should remember this but I don’t.”
Dixie jumped in to the conversation. “She’s about Victoria’s height, short brown hair, large doe eyes, followed her little girl around almost nonstop . . .”
“Ah, yes, I remember her.” Setting her bag on the ground, Rose turned her attention to the scraps of colored felt on her lap. “You think she might be behind the murder?”
Tori shrugged. “I don’t know. But she’s certainly not shy about the positives that have come from the woman’s death. Seems they’d had more than a few run-ins regarding Penelope’s propensity toward bullying, all of which—including the bullying—have now stopped.”
“And it has,” Debbie confirmed. “Even Jackson says it’s a nicer class now.”
Dixie laid each pancake across her lap for a final inspection. “That’s all it usually takes, isn’t it, Rose?”
“Too bad Samantha couldn’t have made the noose just a wee bit bigger and gotten rid of both of them at the same time.”
A collective gasp rose