“You have to be a good friend at my age. You don’t have a lot of them left.” Shirley patted her face. “You’ll be fine at the test. And if you’re not, you have us.”

  “Thanks. I appreciate that.” Rarity said good-bye to the rest of the group as they made their way outside. She took the sheets off the flip chart holder and balled them up to throw them away. She saw Sam carrying the almost-empty coffee carafe into the break room. “Hey, you don’t have to be the one who stays and helps me clean up, you know.”

  “Yeah, but if I do, I get to snag a couple of extra cupcakes. I asked Holly if she wanted to take them home, and she laughed at me. I guess she didn’t want five cupcakes calling her name when she got home from work tomorrow.” Sam dumped the coffee. “So, do you really think Kim’s involved in this murder thing?”

  “Probably not. I do think she joined the group to push us toward their spa and to make money, though. I can’t believe anyone would do that. Pretend they had cancer just to get into a group. Maybe I should ask for a medical bill as proof, to screen out the crazies.” Rarity went back out to the front to grab the lemonade. A bang sounded nearby, and she looked out the window to see kids setting off fireworks. She muttered to herself as she was carrying the rest of the food and drink back to the break room. “Keep it up, and I’ll be the old lady who calls the cops.”

  “Who are you talking to?”

  Rarity sighed as she poured the drink back into a container and put it in the fridge. She was tired and grumpy, that’s all. “Nobody, really. I was talking about the kids setting off fireworks out front. I’ve never liked those things.”

  “Me neither. Especially the ones that are only there for the noise. I do like the fountains and blossoms. You’re going to love the Fourth of July here. The celebration is crazy.” Sam divided up the leftover cupcakes. “I put one in the fridge for tomorrow’s lunch dessert. And I’ll take two because Drew is coming to walk me home. We can eat them over coffee.”

  “Better make it decaf or you’ll never get to sleep.” Rarity grabbed the plastic bag that held her cupcakes and started to turn off the lights. “We’d better get out of here, then, and get you to your date.”

  “He’s meeting me at the shop. I need to grab my tote and stuff. I didn’t want to bring it all over tonight.” Sam hurried to the door. She held it open as Rarity turned back. “So, where are you going now?”

  “I forgot to check the lock on the back door. Go on. I’ll be fine. Just turn the lock on the doorknob so no one can get in. I’ll be right behind you.” Rarity didn’t wait for an answer, but when she heard the door close, she smiled to herself. She liked Drew and Sam. They made a good couple, if they would get out of each other’s way. Sam was too fast to judge, and Drew, he thought things through way too long. She checked the lock, then headed back into the bookstore and ran right into Kim, who was standing by the break-room door. “Kim? What are you doing here? You’re a couple hours late for our book club.”

  “I hear I was the talk of the group.” She held up the flip chart paper. “Why is my name listed as one of the suspects in Martha’s killing?”

  “It wasn’t. I wrote down your name because Shirley mentioned you weren’t feeling well. Is your treatment going badly?” Rarity stepped around Kim and took the paper out of her hand. She tossed it back into the trash can. “My first chemo treatments were horrible. I didn’t think I would make it through the treatment plan. Anyway, I can walk with you to your car, but I’ve got to get home to Killer. He’s been by himself all day.”

  “You think you’re so smart. You aren’t fooling me, missy.” Kim grabbed her arm. “I just want to know how you figured out I killed Martha. And who else besides that group of meddlers knows. I want to get my to-do list finished before I start killing. You’re just lucky since you had that break-in at your friend Sam’s shop the other night. I’m afraid this time, he wasn’t so quick to leave the premises.”

  “You killed Martha.” The words felt like ash in Rarity’s mouth. Kim had been on her bad side for trying to get the group to use her husband’s spa for treatments, but she’d never really thought Kim could be the murderer. She seemed more like a fifties housewife than a serial killer. Yet, Rarity was going to be number two on her murder list. Or at least the second Rarity knew about.

  “Yes, I killed Martha. Don’t look so shocked. You had to have figured that out by now.” Kim pulled a gun out from behind her back. Then she giggled. “Oh my God. You really hadn’t figured it out yet, had you? Damn, I guess I lost the element of surprise. So, the rest of the group doesn’t know, either.”

  “Except when I wind up shot in my store, it’s going to make them think twice.” Rarity narrowed her eyes. Behind Kim, she could see a face at the door. Sam’s face. And soon, it was replaced by Drew’s face. She just had to keep Kim talking. Help was on the way. “Look, just leave me alone and I won’t tell anyone. You can go set up shop somewhere else, and no one will be the wiser.”

  “Except Conrad doesn’t know what I’ve done for him. And I’m sure he doesn’t want to move. His mother lives down the street from you. Did you know that? I popped out and took a walk to deliver my message the other day. No one saw me. No one’s ever on that street except you.” Kim stepped toward Rarity. She dropped the gun a little. “I did have something to ask you. I know, you’ll be dead and all, but do you mind if I take Martha’s dog? I’ve always wanted a Yorkie, and Killer’s so cute. I’ll be responsible for him losing both of his mamas, so I guess I owe him that much.”

  The crazy woman was seriously asking for Rarity’s blessing to take Killer after she’d shot her. “I’d appreciate that. I’ve come to love the little guy, and I’d hate to see him hurt.” Rarity reached into her pocket.

  “What are you doing?” The gun went back up and pointed at Rarity’s face.

  She pulled out her key ring. “I was going to give you my house key so you could go get Killer. Like I said, he’s been locked up all alone, and I’d hate to have him there until someone finds my body.”

  “That’s thoughtful of you.” She nodded to the keys. “Go ahead and give me that, then take that notebook and pen and write down what you’ve been feeding him. That way I don’t have to dig through your cupboards.”

  “Thank you.” Rarity turned to the counter and saw Kim drop the gun to her side. Just then, a crash came from the bookstore’s door, and Rarity dove behind the counter, hoping Kim wouldn’t follow.

  “What the—” Kim shrieked, and then Rarity heard something hard dropped on the other side of the counter.

  “Rarity? Are you all right?” Drew’s voice called out.

  She stood up behind the counter and came face-to-face with the Sedona detective. “Drew, she was going to kill me. And she’s the one who killed Martha. She told me so.”

  “Did not.” Kim’s speech was a little slurred.

  Drew leaned down and put cuffs on her, then dragged her to her feet. “I’m wondering what I’ll find at your office at the spa? Sounds like you keep souvenirs from your kills. Seriously, Rarity, were you going to just give Killer to this woman?”

  “I was killing time until you came to save me.” Rarity moved over to the couch and sank into it. “Can you get her out of here? I’m feeling a little nauseated just having her in my shop.”

  “Your wish.” Drew pulled on Kim’s arm. “Let’s go have a long talk. And don’t think it’s going to be pleasant. You’re making me miss having a cupcake.”

  Sam came around the couch and pulled Rarity to her feet. “Are you all right? Did she hurt you?”

  Before Rarity could answer, Sam pulled her into a bear hug. “I was so afraid. I thought you’d started working again, so I was going to give you grief about not leaving, then I saw the gun she had pulled on you. Drew almost had to restrain me to keep me from breaking down your door.”

  Rarity sank back into the couch. “Crap, my door. What am I going to do about that tonight?”

  “I can help with that.” Archer came into the shop and paused at the couch. “I’ll need to run back to my place and get some wood. First up, are you sure you’re all right?”

  “I’m fine. What are you doing here?” She looked up into his blue eyes.

  “Drew said he and Sam were making a night of it, so I came to walk you home. I guess I was a little late for the party.” He glanced around the room. “Did Killer get out? Don’t tell me that woman hurt him.”

  “No, he’s fine. He’s at home. I didn’t want him here, just in case there was a scene at the book club. Instead, Kim must have waited until Sam and I were in the back, then snuck inside. That must have been the noise I heard that I thought was fireworks.” Rarity met Sam’s gaze. “I can’t believe she’s that far gone. She wanted to know who else thought she was a killer so she could get her list set up first. Like I’d ever tell her.”

  “Well, hopefully Drew will be able to keep her on ice for a while. We need time to figure out how she killed Martha and why.” Sam glanced at the flip chart and picked up a marker. “Maybe I should write this stuff down.”

  A sound came from the doorway and Drew swooped in and grabbed the marker. “Oh no, you don’t. I’ve already had to save one of your book club crew tonight. Give me a week or so before you do any more sleuthing, okay?”

  “I thought you were at the station.” Sam actually blushed as she turned away from Drew.

  “I dropped her off and came back to help secure the bookstore. She’s in a cell, steaming.” Drew looked around the bookstore. “I can’t believe she just snuck in. She sounds a little drunk.”

  “Maybe she needed some liquid courage.” Sam went to stand by where Rarity sat on the couch. “Why don’t I walk Rarity home, and you and Archer can secure her store. Then you can come pick me up at her house and take me home.”

  “Sounds like a great plan.” Drew held out his hands. “Let me help you up, Rarity. Go home, take care of Killer, and by the time we get there, maybe we’ll have a confession out of Kim. She has to want to talk. I think the fact that her husband refused to even come down to the station tonight to try to bail her out is a nice starting point.”

  “You should be at the station, not fixing my door.” Rarity grabbed her tote. “But I’m too tired to fight. Come on, Sam. Let’s go rescue Killer.”

  Sam stood and followed her out of the bookstore. “I can’t believe she just went unhinged like that. Who did she think we’d think of if you disappeared? She didn’t know our friendship if she didn’t think I’d go ballistic when you vanished. She would have been the first one I blamed.”

  A small crowd had gathered around the bookstore. Madame Zelda moved from the group to stand in front of them and block the others. “Is it true? It can’t be Kim from the spa, is it?”

  “I’m afraid it is. She’s the one who killed Martha.”

  The finality of that statement finally hit Rarity, and she hurried away from the group and down the sidewalk. Sam caught up with her. “Maybe Madame Zelda shouldn’t be who you confide in?”

  “That’s a probably true.” She pulled her hair out of the ponytail and then reset it. It was way more complicated than that. She watched the cop car leave the parking lot. “Fame. I can’t believe Kim did all of this to make her husband successful. And keep her doctor wife life. I didn’t even like showing up for a full class in one of those lecture halls when I was in college. Too many people around.”

  Then a long ago memory hit her. She’d stood against the wall during her psychology class until Kevin had offered her his seat. Then coffee. Then his bed. Tears filled her eyes. She must be tired if she was crying over Kevin.

  “What’s wrong now?” Sam reached for her arm.

  Rarity shrugged her off. “Nothing. I’m exhausted, scared, and done letting Fate mess with my life. I want a swim.”

  Chapter 23

  On Monday morning, Rarity had finished getting her boobs squeezed by the torture machine some man had to have invented. Every time the technician squeezed down the plastic paddles “one last time” and told her to take a deep breath, she had to fight off the pain. And when they were done, the technician handed her a pink thank-you card for coming in with her phone number, her supervisor’s name, and the time frame of when she would hear from the department. She tucked the card into her tote and went to change out of the hospital gown and back into her jeans and tank. Pink was not her color.

  She’d liked the new oncologist she’d met at least. The woman was personable and had read through Rarity’s file before the appointment. Of course, the results of the test would decide whether there would be any additional treatment, but for right now, she was told to go home and enjoy her day. Maybe she’d top dinner off with a stop by an ice cream shop on the way back to Sedona and get a cone to ease her emotions.

  Emotional Eaters R Us. Another book club she could set up with her experience. But with the survivors’ club turning into a sleuthing club, what would an emotional eaters’ group turn into? She didn’t even want to imagine. She stepped out into the desert heat and took an involuntary breath. She didn’t think she’d ever get used to this high desert heat, but it was better than the muggy hot weather she’d left in St. Louis.

  Her car was to the left in the patient parking lot. As she walked toward it, a man walked toward her, holding a bouquet of flowers. As she got closer, she realized it was Archer. She didn’t realize this was a hospital too, but he must be here to visit someone. She stepped closer and smiled. “Hey, stranger. Thanks for fixing my door. The locksmith was there first thing Wednesday morning and said you’d just left. You need to let me pay you for the new doors. They’re lovely and probably not cheap.”

  He laughed and nodded. “Not cheap is right. I’ve got the invoice in my truck, but if you need some time, I can wait.”

  “I can buy a couple of doors. I’m not broke—yet.” She nodded to the flowers. “Are you visiting someone?”

  He frowned and looked down at the flowers. “No.”

  “Then why—” The moment she asked the question, she guessed. “Are these for me?”

  “Sam said you were having your first test since beating the cancer, and I thought maybe you might like some flowers to brighten your day.” He held them out awkwardly. “Unless this is a dumb idea, then yes, I’m here to visit a long-lost maiden aunt.”

  She laughed and took the flowers. “I think it’s a lovely gesture. But you could have waited for me to get back to Sedona. You didn’t need to drive all this way.”

  “If you got bad news, you might have needed a driver.” He shrugged. “And if it was good news, I thought maybe you might want to go on a real date with me. We can hit a cantina I know for lunch, then go see a movie. If that works.”

  “That would be awesome.” She leaned into the bouquet to smell the flowers and take a moment to get her emotions together. “I really appreciate you coming all this way.”

  “If I hadn’t had a hiking group this morning, I would have offered to drive you. That way we wouldn’t have to drive two cars back to Flagstaff after our movie.” He took her arm and led her to his truck, where he opened her door. “So, I’m guessing you got good news?”

  “Actually, no news is good news. I didn’t have to have any additional scans, which is a good sign. Someone will call me or I’ll get a letter in the next week or so with my results.” She climbed into the truck and let him close the door. She put on her seat belt, then put the flowers on her lap. She’d have to carry them with her all day if she didn’t want them to get ruined in the heat.

  He climbed in, then reached for the flowers. “May I?”

  She handed them to him and watched as he opened a cooler in the backseat, then put the flowers on a towel on top of ice. “As long as we don’t forget them when we get back, they should stay good for a few hours.”

  “You’ve thought of everything.” She couldn’t help comparing Archer to Kevin, who hadn’t even wanted to come to the hospital with her when she’d had her first surgery. “Thank you for this. It was thoughtful.”

  He smiled at her and leaned back. “I’m guessing I’m freaking you out just a little here. If this is too much for a first date, I can walk you to your car, and I’ll bring the flowers over to you when we’re back in Sedona.”

  “This isn’t too much.” Rarity swallowed, trying to keep the emotion out of her next words. “Thoughtful is perfect. And you just made the day something to remember in a good way. Thank you.”

  “You’re very welcome. So, can we go eat? I’m starving.” He put the truck in gear and backed out of the parking spot. They chatted for a few minutes as he drove them to the restaurant.

  As she was getting out of the truck to go eat, she smiled and thought, No, today didn’t suck at all.

  * * * *

  Rarity was stocking her healthy living shelf with new books about scams in medical treatment for cancer that she’d found when she’d researched Kim and her husband’s spa. The local paper had done an excellent exposé on the place and the questionable medical treatments. She hadn’t found a lot of books on ways to choose a responsible doctor or treatment plan, but the ones she had come across were really good. She’d wished she’d found at least one of them back in the day when she was fighting breast cancer. She wouldn’t have felt so lost in the jargon.

  The bell over the door rang, and she looked up and saw Drew Anderson come into the shop. He picked up one of the books she’d just shelved. “Looks like you’ve been busy researching. Dr. Conrad is still arguing that he truly believes his patent-pending system is the best way to treat cancer. The fact that Kim was doctoring the reports from the original tests is her failure, not his.”

  “So, basically he threw her under the bus.”