“So you haven’t done anything. Seriously, Jill, you can’t always leave things to the last minute. What are you going to do when I’m not around anymore?” My aunt went to the back to store her purse, then came out and put on an apron. “You go grab boxes. I’ll do the inventory and watch the front while you’re stocking. What time is Sadie delivering tomorrow?”

  “She’s coming today with our normal order, then she’ll bring more tomorrow morning. Hopefully she’ll grab some sleep before showing up tomorrow night to be a chaperone.” I nodded to the window. “And there she is. Do you want to handle her delivery, and I’ll start bringing out boxes?”

  “Sounds like a plan as long as no customers come in.” She sighed. “I wish she’d come earlier in the day. Your shift isn’t as busy as the midday one.”

  “It’s still my shift now.” I smiled at Sadie, who was bringing a tray of goodies inside. “Hi, Sadie. Aunt Jackie’s going to check the order in while I move boxes.”

  “I think she got the better end of that deal.” Sadie laughed and set the first tray on a table. “Jackie, here’s the checklist. You mark off what you accept, and I’ll go get another tray. I have three today.”

  I left them to figure out the details and went into the office to find the first box of books we’d ordered for the readathon.

  By the time Deek arrived, I had more than half of the boxes shelved, and my aunt had put away all the treats from Sadie’s delivery. He joined me in the office and grabbed another box. “I thought you were leaving this for Evie and me?”

  “Jackie had other plans.” I stretched my arms above my head. “Man, hauling all these boxes is crazy hard on my back and shoulders.”

  “You aren’t working out.” Deek paused with two boxes in his arms.

  “I run almost every day,” I protested as I followed him with one box.

  “That’s not working out. You need to work with weights. You’ll build muscle, and this stuff won’t bother you.” He nodded at my aunt, who was now talking to a customer about a new release in the women’s fiction section. “Jackie and Harrold have joined my gym in Bakerstown. I see them there every morning. At least during the week.”

  “You’re kidding, right?” I dropped the box and cut it open with a cutter, being careful to not damage the books inside.

  “I swear. You can ask her.” He opened his boxes. “A lot of South Cove residents go there since they stopped having classes at the rec center. In fact, I thought the new dress designer had joined, but when I talked to the woman, it was someone who just looked like her. She said a lot of people had been confusing her with Ms. Sanchez lately, but she didn’t even know how to sew.”

  “We’re kind of pushy that way if we see one of our own out in the world.” I was just as bad. Anytime I saw someone in Bakerstown that lived or worked in South Cove, I always waved or stopped to talk.

  He shook his head. “Not pushy. Friendly. I like how close knit the town is. If I could find an apartment to rent here, I’d move in a second, but even if one would open up, it would be too spendy.”

  “Talk to Kyle and see when he’s getting married. His apartment might be available if you don’t mind living so close to work.” I emptied my box and started on Deek’s box. Even though they were children and young adult books, the covers drew me in, and I wanted to sit down and read one or two of them.

  “Living close to work wouldn’t be a problem. Having Josh Thomas as a landlord, that might be an issue. Although I hear Josh might be moving out when he gets married this fall.” Deek shelved faster than I did, but then again, he didn’t study each book as it came out of the box.

  “Wait, Josh is getting married? I need to go talk to him.”

  Deek picked up the boxes. “Don’t yet. I think he’s still getting up the nerve to ask. But it could be an empty apartment.”

  “Not to change the subject, but did you talk to any of the names I gave you?” We walked back to the office with the empty boxes.

  “Yes, and I’ve sent out the book to three agents. I’m not sure why I’m waiting, but everyone was so nice and offered to have their agent look at it, I didn’t want to move until I hear back. So I did what every real author does when they’re waiting.”

  “Drink?” I grabbed another box and held the door open for him.

  “You’re funny. No, I started a new story. This writing thing is pretty fun. And if I never sell a book, I can see how people get attached to it. I keep getting calls from Brandon. He’s not happy that I sent the book off to an agent. I didn’t think I’d hear from him again, he was so mad, but he called the next week and asked if I’d come to my senses yet.”

  “Unless he hands you a check, that doesn’t bounce, for a sizable amount, you need to wait to hear from the agents.” I might have delayed Deek’s publishing career, but I wanted him to have all the information. Not jump at the first offer. “Thanks for listening.”

  “No trouble. Between you and my mom, who had a real bad feeling about this guy, I decided it was better to wait. He’s coming to the readathon to support us. You can meet him Friday.”

  I thought I might just have a little bit to say to the man. And if I got a business card, I could do some of my patented “internet” research on him and see if he was on the up-and-up or not. “After this box, I’m heading out. Don’t let Aunt Jackie work too long.”

  “I’m not telling her to go home, but I can tell her everything is set for tomorrow. From what I saw, we only have two more boxes. And the bags are done. All we need now are the readers and the timer to start.” Deek had bought a big digital timer that would sit on the treat table and let the readers know how long they had left to read. “This is going to be a blast. We’ll want to do it every year.”

  “If you say so.” I put the last book on the shelf from my box and stretched. “And I’m done. See you tomorrow.”

  “Sounds good.” He was studying a book that he’d pulled out of the box. Even my booksellers got caught by a book every now and then.

  I went to the back to get my tote. On a hunch, I picked up my aunt’s bag as well. I opened the door and looked over to where she stood, watching the nearly empty shop. “Are you ready to head home? We can walk together.”

  She turned and looked at me. Something was on her mind, I could see the wheels turning, but instead of telling me, she nodded. Then she called out to Deek. “We’re leaving. Make sure you break all those boxes down, but don’t get rid of them. We may have to store some things for next year.”

  She took her purse from me, and we made our way out to the street. She didn’t look at me as we walked toward her new home, the Train Station. Or to be precise, the apartment above the Train Station. “How are you and Greg?”

  “Good. He’s busy with this investigation, but we’re good. We got to eat dinner together last night and got a start on the thank-you notes.” I knew what she wanted to hear, so that was what I told her.

  “I hear he’s been visiting Sherry. Are you sure everything’s okay?”

  Her bluntness never seemed to surprise me, but this time, it caught me off guard. “Aunt Jackie, Greg and I are fine. Nothing to worry about. He’s been visiting Sherry because she was a suspect in the latest murder, that’s all.”

  She made a noise, and I turned toward her. The look on her face was priceless. “I’m just looking out for your best interest.”

  “And I appreciate it. But we’re good.”

  We walked a little farther before she spoke again. “I could see Sherry being the type to kill. She has issues.”

  “Aunt Jackie! I can’t believe you said that.” I started laughing, and she chuckled.

  “Well, it’s the truth. That boy is lucky he found you and lucky he survived his first marriage.” She glanced over toward the police station. “But he is a hard worker. I’ll give him that. Harrold says the men’s group is always talking about the things Greg is doing for the town. Have you two set a date yet?”

  “Not yet. We’ve been a little busy with everything going on.” I didn’t want to talk about this. I knew it was something my aunt wanted me to move on, but I wanted to get past this emotional roller coaster and then set a date. “Do you and Harrold have joint finances?”

  “That’s quite a change of subject, but the answer is complicated. If you really want to talk about joining financial lives after marriage, we can have lunch together. I’ll just call Harrold and tell him I’ll be a little late.”

  I debated telling her I was too busy, then I realized that I wasn’t too busy. I didn’t know how many opportunities I’d have left to spend time with her. It was time to seize the moment, so to speak. “That would be nice. Greg said something, and I need to work out my response to it.”

  “Does he want to take over the Miss Emily fund?” My aunt got right to the heart of the matter.

  “Not specifically, but we were talking about joint finances. What does that actually mean? What’s normal for couples? What’s one step over the line?” I took her arm as we crossed the street to Lille’s. “It’s so confusing.”

  “It doesn’t have to be. Some couples go old fashioned with ‘what’s mine is yours’ and go all in. Your Uncle Ted and I were that way. Mostly because neither one of us had anything when we got married. So we built our lives together.” She nodded to Lille, who grabbed menus and took us to a booth near the back. Aunt Jackie smiled at her as she sat down. “Thanks, dear.”

  Lille grunted, probably for my benefit. She was nice to my aunt since Jackie married Harrold. Lille had been good friends with Harrold’s first wife, so when he and Aunt Jackie had started dating, Lille had been a little protective of him. But she liked Jackie. It was me that she didn’t really care for. “Carrie will be right over.”

  After Lille left, I pretended to study the menu. My aunt took it as a sign to keep talking.

  “When Harrold and I started talking about marriage, we decided that we would have a joint account that we paid the everyday expenses out of. He has his business account and several other things going on. We’ve both made provisions for each other for when one of us leaves. But we don’t worry about keeping all our money in one big pot.” She set the menu aside. “It’s different when you’re older. I don’t need anyone to take care of me or leave me set up. I’ve rebounded from that whole stock issue nicely. So if Harrold leaves first, I won’t be penniless.”

  “When I was married before, we didn’t combine anything. I moved into his apartment and paid half the rent and utilities. We split the costs and kept all our money separate. Of course, that relationship didn’t work out anyway.”

  Carrie came up with two iced teas. “I hope I guessed right today. I’m trying to save some steps. I’m so beat by the time I get home, it’s pitiful. What can I get for the two of you?”

  My aunt ordered a soup and salad combo, and I followed her lead and ordered a taco salad. “No beans though.”

  “Not a problem. I’ll just tell Tiny it’s for you.” She grinned as she took the menus and left, picking up plates as she moved through the dining room.

  “So what does Greg want to do?” my aunt asked.

  I shrugged. “I’m not sure. I got so freaked out when he said joint finances, I didn’t hear the rest. I’m a control freak, right?”

  “No, you’re not a control freak. You’re going through some changes in your life. Change is hard, and you need to do what you want to do. I would keep the Miss Emily fund separate. And don’t put him on your house. You can leave it to him in the will, but Miss Emily left that to you. I’d hate to see you lose it if something happens between you and Greg.”

  As I was walking home, I thought about my aunt’s advice. Could I be half in on this relationship regarding my money and still be all in with my heart? Would it hurt Greg’s feelings if I said I was keeping it separate just in case? So many land mines. I decided it was time to go for a run.

  That was my answer to any stress in my life. Run with my dog. It didn’t fix everything, but it did make things look more positive when I got home.

  When we were finished, I decided to put the topic of Greg and me on the back burner. Instead, I opened the notebook and read through what I’d found out about Alicia’s murder. She’d been identified by her sister a day after she was found in the dress shop. Okay, that was weird but not unexplainable. Harper could have been in shock. And if she hadn’t seen her in a while, maybe she didn’t realize it was her sister?

  The husband had come into town and confirmed Harper’s identification after a short pause, according to Doc Ames.

  What was it about this victim that made the two closest people in the world to her not see her for who she was when she was dead? I grabbed my keys to the Jeep and loaded up Emma for a short road trip. I needed to talk to someone.

  Chapter 17

  This time when I pulled into the mortuary’s parking lot, my Jeep was the only vehicle there. Well, not counting the minivan that had been turned into a hearse after Doc bought it last year. I rolled down the windows far enough that Emma could get air, but not low enough to risk her getting outside and running after a random rabbit.

  The front door was unlocked, and I stepped into the cool, air-conditioned lobby. It always freaked me out when I visited, due to the richness of the room’s decor. Dark wood and velvet, it looked like what I suspected a gentlemen’s smoking den would have years in the past. I turned toward Doc’s office and saw a notice that Alicia Sanchez’s funeral would be held on Sunday at two.

  I picked up one of the flyers that they gave out at these things and studied the content. The funeral would be here. Alicia’s body would be cremated afterward, and a second service held in Meridian, Idaho, at another funeral home next week. It made sense in one way, her sister did live in South Cove now. Maybe Harper had insisted on the two services? Another question. I scanned through the songs and Bible verses and saw that neither Harper nor Scott were delivering a eulogy at the service. A man with the last name of Sanchez was speaking, but I didn’t know how the man was related to Alicia and Harper.

  “What are you doing here? It’s such a nice day, you should be out with that dog of yours, running. Or reading on the beach. I’m sure Greg’s too busy to hang out with you, at least this week, but that doesn’t mean you need to be shut up in the dark.” Doc Ames was dressed in an old pair of jeans and a worn dress shirt. He looked like someone’s grandfather, not the county coroner.

  “I just popped in to see you. I had a question that’s been bothering me.” I gave him a quick hug. “Emma’s in the Jeep, so I can’t stay long.”

  “Well, let’s go outside then and talk by the picnic area. You can let her out if you have a leash. I hate to see her get too close to the road.”

  “Sounds good.” I followed him outside and then hurried to the Jeep. I always carried one of Emma’s leashes in the car, just in case. Along with a dish and a bottle of water, which I pulled out. She could have a drink while we talked.

  Doc was already sitting when I got to the picnic area near the back of the building. I filled Emma’s water dish, then set it on the ground near the table. Sitting across from Doc, I took in the small, park-like area. “This is nice. I didn’t know this was here.”

  “I don’t have much of a backyard, so this takes its place. It’s a good area to come and sit during the evenings when I need a minute to think.” He studied my face. “What’s bothering you?”

  “I’ve been thinking about what we talked about last time we met. How neither Harper nor her brother-in-law had recognized Alicia when they were first asked to identify the body. Does that happen a lot?” I didn’t have anything to write on, but I thought I could remember this conversation at least until I got back in my Jeep and found a notebook in my tote.

  “More than you’d think. I think the issue is the lack of a soul. Pain, worry, and even happiness has an effect on how you look. So when your soul leaves, that drain shows on your face. When loved ones see the body, they don’t see their loved ones. Their personality is gone, so it’s hard for someone to navigate the thought that this body in front of me is the person I loved.” He studied me. “Why are you asking?”

  “I just thought maybe it was someone else. Did you do DNA testing or fingerprinting?”

  “The tests are all still out. If Greg hadn’t still been looking for a killer, I would have fired him and canceled the tests. The county isn’t made of money, you know.” He watched me as Emma came around the back of the table and sat in front of him. She loved visiting Doc. He spoke her language. “Who’s my girl? Sit pretty.”

  Emma followed his commands. Like I said, she could be a perfect dog when she wanted to be. Especially when she was showing off for others. “So the body could be someone besides Alicia Sanchez.”

  “You’ve been reading too many of those mystery novels you like to shelve. Exactly why would both her sister and her husband identify the woman if it wasn’t Alicia?” He smiled as another car pulled into the parking lot. This one parked in the back close to the hearse. “Carrie’s home.”

  “She’s living here?” I blurted out before remembering Greg had told me about the new living arrangements.

  He blushed as he stood to greet her. “She moved in last week. We’re keeping it quiet for a while.”

  Carrie hurried over and gave Doc a kiss. Then she greeted Emma and me in that order. “I can’t believe I’m seeing you outside the diner. Do you want some iced tea? I made some this morning before I went into work.”

  I shook my head. “I’m fine. Emma and I need to get home and make some dinner soon.”

  “Well, it was nice to see you. Are you coming to the funeral on Sunday? That poor girl doesn’t have much family here. I’m sure Harper would love to see you.” Carrie sat next to Doc.