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Naw.
For one thing, she wasn’t the kiss-and-tell type. For another, Madelyn hadn’t tried to gut him.
Chapter Fifteen
WHEN JACLYN HEARD MADELYN’S VOICE OUTSIDE HER door, with Peach and Diedra’s voices running over each other as they asked simultaneous questions, she paused for a moment to listen harder. Not hearing Eric’s much deeper voice, she huffed out a quick breath of relief and jerked her door open, though she took a quick look around to make sure he was gone before she asked, “What happened?”
“He asked questions about what I was doing yesterday afternoon, and took a lot of notes,” Madelyn replied. “I think he was making certain I didn’t kill Carrie, but there was no way. After we had muffins at Claire’s, I didn’t have time to go back and do the deed, then get to the wedding.”
“You had muffins at Claire’s?” Peach asked.
“Yesterday afternoon, after Carrie fired us,” Jaclyn said.
“Well,” Diedra humphed. “Number one: you could have bought enough muffins for us to have today. I’m just saying. Number two: more than likely, he was verifying that you were where you said you were. Madelyn is your alibi.”
“Maybe,” Jaclyn said unhappily. She should have known he’d have to question Madelyn. If she’d thought of it beforehand she might have been better prepared for the shock. Instead, sudden rage had roared through her like a wildfire, and she was left feeling shaky in the aftermath.
“I don’t know,” Madelyn added. “He asked what I did from three o’clock yesterday afternoon until I got to the wedding, so—” She lifted her shoulder in a “who knows” gesture. “Did anyone get a newspaper this morning? The news on television didn’t give many details. Maybe the newspaper will tell us what time they think the murder happened.”
No one had. “I’ll go get one,” said Diedra. She grabbed her bag and car keys, and hurried out the door.
“I need more coffee,” Peach said. “And another brownie.” She turned and headed toward the kitchen area.
“Why?” Madelyn demanded as she followed. “You weren’t questioned.”
Thinking she needed to soothe her jangled nerves with chocolate more than she needed to worry about the empty calories, Jaclyn decided to join them. She was in time to hear Peach say, “I’m consoling myself because I wasn’t questioned.”
“What?”
“Lord have mercy, Madelyn, are you dead from the w
aist down?” As Jaclyn came through the door, Peach shot her a guilty look. “Sorry, honey. But you do know your mother has a love life—”
“Peach!” Madelyn said in a threatening tone.
“Actually, I do.” Jaclyn poured herself some coffee and got another brownie from the tray.
“See, you don’t have to act as if you’re the Mother Superior in a convent.” Peach gave Madelyn an “I told you so” look and took a bite of her brownie. “As I was saying, that man just oozed testosterone. The chemical reaction almost made me go into heat—and I was mad at him, so just imagine what would’ve happened if I hadn’t been!”
Jaclyn almost choked on a sip of coffee.
“I’m a good twenty years older than the detective, and so are you, Peach Reynolds. I didn’t notice his testosterone and you shouldn’t have, either.”
“Older women can go after younger men now. Personally, I’ve never thought there was anything wrong with it. Old codgers go after young airheads all the time, so why can’t women of our age have a little fun every now and then? It actually makes sense, because we don’t have to worry about getting pregnant. Celibacy should be for the young and stupid, not the mature and wise.”
Run or stand her ground? Spill the beans about knowing Eric—though not about sleeping with him—or keep quiet? Jaclyn had no idea what to do, but she did know she didn’t want to listen to her mother and a woman who was like an aunt to her talk about Eric’s testosterone level. “Uh …” she began, not knowing exactly what she was going to say, but it didn’t matter; she might as well not have made a sound, for all the attention they paid her.
Madelyn planted her hands on her hips. “I have news for you. By the time you’re mature and wise, it’s too late to be celibate. Talk about shutting the barn door after the horse is already out!”
“That’s the whole point! Wise and mature women shouldn’t be celibate; we should go for the gusto, which in this case is younger men.”
“That man is investigating my daughter for murder! Are you out of your mind? I don’t care if he’s the gusto, or the goulash, or the crème brûlée—I didn’t like him!”
“There is that,” Peach agreed after a moment. “I didn’t like him, either, on a personal basis. But on an impersonal basis, tall, dark, and rugged does it for me every time.”
Jaclyn put the brownie down on a paper towel, thinking that she’d choke if she tried to eat it just now. She didn’t know who would be more embarrassed, herself or Madelyn and Peach, if she told them now that she’d had a … a thing with Eric. That was all it was—just a thing—because one night did not a relationship make. But even a thing was too much to talk about in light of everything they’d just said. Not that it mattered, because the “thing” was over and nothing else was going to happen between them, assuming he didn’t end up arresting her for Carrie’s murder on circumstantial evidence alone.
She couldn’t say anything now, because that would be making too big a deal over it, when it wasn’t. Being investigated for murder, on the other hand, was definitely a big deal. She should forget the thing with Eric and deal with the most important issue, though she had no idea how she could be proactive in this situation.
