A Justified Murder (Medlar Mystery 2)

“Ha! That place is as cold as Chicago. She’ll return as soon as she realizes that you don’t have to shovel sunshine.”

With a grin, Jack looked out. “It’s Megan Nesbitt.”

“What in the world does she want?” Sara flung open the door. It was a good thing she was strong or else Megan’s forward leap into her arms would have knocked her down. The young woman clung to the shorter, smaller, older Sara as though she were a life preserver.

Megan was crying so hard into Sara’s shoulder that they couldn’t make out what she was saying. “Kyle...witch...prison...he’ll die...the boys...”

Kate took one arm and Jack the other as they pulled her off Sara, led her into the family room, and sat her down on the big couch. Sara handed her a wad of tissues.

“Tea or booze?” Kate asked.

Megan had her face buried in the pillow of tissu

es.

“Both,” Sara said.

Kate went to the kitchen; Jack went to the wet bar.

Minutes later, the coffee table was covered with hot and cold drinks, and Megan’s tears had calmed enough that she might be able to talk. She downed half of Jack’s rum and Coke in a single gulp, then looked at them. They were patiently waiting for her to explain.

“My brother, Kyle, is going to be arrested for Janet Beeson’s murder.”

Kate didn’t take her eyes from Megan’s. If she looked at Jack and Sara, I told you so might appear on her face.

But Megan guessed. “You know, don’t you?” The tears started again.

Sara, sitting beside her, put her arm around Megan, and drew her head down to her shoulder. “We heard that someone was going to be charged, but not who. Why would it be Kyle?”

“Because everyone in town knows that Kyle was the reason Mrs. Beeson put up that giant fence. They all saw what had been done to her.”

Jack looked as though he was running out of patience. “I’ve lived here all my life but I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Megan sat up and blew her nose. “Oh, Jack, you live here, but you don’t. You’re always running off to New York, and besides, you have such major father issues that you don’t see anything else.”

Jack’s eyes widened at that and Kate had to suppress a laugh.

Sara said, “I haven’t lived here in years so why don’t you tell me the whole story?”

It took Megan a while to get her breath. She finished the rum drink and hastily drank a cup of tea. “My brother, Kyle, and his wife, Carolyn, used to live next door to Janet Beeson.”

“In that three and a half bath with the beveled glass door?” Kate asked. “Or the other side, the four bedroom with the Moorish facade?”

Both Sara and Jack gave her looks to stop it.

“Sorry,” Kate mumbled. “Job hazard.”

“Glass door. They loved their house. Kyle did a lot of work on it. He added—” Megan waved her hand, then took a breath. “My brother is a wonderful guy but he does have a bit of a problem with...uh, jealousy.”

“Raving lunatic or a snide sulker?” Sara asked. “Spies on her? Suspicious of her every move?”

Megan nodded. “Yes. All of it. But it’s understandable. You see, our mother—” She broke off. “I guess it doesn’t matter why, just what is.”

“Tell us what happened with Janet Beeson,” Sara prompted gently.

“Kyle and Carolyn had been fighting for weeks. He thought she was having an affair.”

“Was she?” Kate poured another cup of tea.