A Body at Book Club: Myrtle Clover #6

Chapter Seventeen

While everyone was arranging to either walk home or have Maxine take them, Myrtle thoughtfully watched Maxine.

Only Miles took Myrtle up on her offer of a ride home. And she had a feeling that Miles had only agreed because he thought she'd be mad if he didn't. "How are you feeling?" asked Myrtle, glancing at Miles as he sat in the passenger seat. "You've been very quiet the whole time."

"Alcohol makes me sleepy," he said with a sigh. "Or, at any rate, liquor makes me sleepy. I don't have the issue with wine as much." He clutched his door with a tight grip.

Myrtle decided to graciously overlook the fact that Miles was nervous at being a passenger with her. "Well, our plan was a success, anyway. Aren't you glad about that?"

A grin spread across Miles's face. "I am. I really am. It was hard not to grin like a crazy man when Maxine announced that I had the winning bid. Faulkner! We get to read Faulkner in book club." He beamed.

"Yes, indeed, a tremendous success. A good thing, because you know we'll never be able to pull that off again. Ever. Now that they know you're on Team Myrtle, even if they do have another silent auction, they'll be bidding up into the stratosphere to ensure that you and I are shut down. So we'd better enjoy our Faulkner. The best we can hope for is that they see the error of their ways after they read The Sound and the Fury and start adding more classical literature into the mix." Myrtle carefully pulled up into Miles's driveway. "How much did you have to invest to ensure the highest bid?"

Miles looked a bit glum once again. "Fifty-five dollars."

"Well." Myrtle cleared her throat. "That's a nice donation to a worthy cause."

"Did we ever find out what the cause was?" asked Miles, looking sideways at her.

"Uh...no. No, we didn't. But I'm sure it's something good. Good causes usually are good, after all."

Miles nodded. Then he rubbed his forehead. "I'm already starting to get a headache. How ridiculous. I'd have been eating more hors d'oeuvres if I'd thought I was actually drinking." He sighed, and then glanced over at Myrtle. "So what did you find out? I saw you talking with Erma. I knew if you kept talking to her, it must mean you were getting some information. And I didn't see you scratching your head."

"Yes. She remembered very clearly, apparently. Maxine sat on Naomi's other side. Although apparently, she was out of her seat a lot. I guess she was talking with other garden club members or going to the ladies room or getting more drinks or something."

"Is that what you really think?" asked Miles, gazing at her.

Myrtle shook her head. "No, unfortunately. I rather like Maxine, but I think she was up and down and walking around so that people would have a harder time remembering that she sat there. To put some distance between herself and Naomi."

"Who would put Naomi and Maxine next to each other anyway?" grunted Miles. "I thought they couldn't stand each other."

"I think that's the point," said Myrtle slowly. "I think that's what Claudia was saying in her very vague way. Maxine rearranged those place cards. No one in their right mind would put those two next to each other."

Miles was quiet for a few moments, taking it all in. "Why else would she want to rearrange the place cards? What other reason would she have to want to sit next to Naomi Pelter?"

Myrtle looked at him. "I can't think of any."

Miles nodded. "But of course we have no proof. So we can't call Red and tell him what you're thinking. So this seems like a good time...for a nap."

"I might even put my feet up, myself. Here, I'll leave the car here in your driveway and walk home. Got my cane right here."

Miles frowned. "Weren't you carrying something with you when you arrived at book club?"

Myrtle tilted her head to remember and then growled, "The silly dip and chip dish. I leave that thing every time I go anywhere. Oh well, I guess I'll get it back later."

"Someone must have dropped you off. You wouldn't have been able to walk over there with a dip and chip dish in one hand and a cane in your other."

"Elaine did. On her way out to run errands. We figured you'd just give me a ride back. It's okay. I won't need the container until next book club anyway." Myrtle climbed out of the car and headed briskly home. "See you later," she called over her shoulder. "Be sure to drink water!"

Myrtle fed Pasha, who seemed pleased to see her. Then she decided to indulge by reading some of The Sound and the Fury. She just happened to have a well-worn copy beside her bed. Pasha decided to curl up next to her leg as she put her feet up to read.

She'd made it through the first fifty pages when her doorbell rang. Pasha growled and Myrtle frowned. "Who could that be? Seems like I saw everyone I knew at that book club meeting."

Pasha ran under the bed as Myrtle grabbed her cane and moved to the door. She peered out the side window and saw Maxine there. Maxine saw her and smiled and held up the dip and chip dish. Myrtle hesitated. She did think that Maxine was behind Naomi's death. But wouldn't it seem even odder if Myrtle didn't open the door? Wouldn't that make Maxine even more suspicious? After all, Maxine didn't really know she was onto her. She was going to be prepared, though. "One second, Maxine! One second." She seized her cane.

Where was her pepper spray? Myrtle's breath hissed out in an angry sigh as she checked her pocketbook and on the bedside table. Nothing. Must have laid it down somewhere. She hurried to the kitchen and grabbed a knife, instead. Then she returned to the front door.

Myrtle forced a smile and slowly unlocked the door. "Maxine," she said in as friendly a voice as she could muster. "That's awfully kind of you to bring my dish by. But you didn't have to—I could have gotten it later on." She propped her cane against the wall and held out that hand for the dish.

Maxine moved forward, "Oh, I'll bring it in, Miss Myrtle. I wanted to have a little visit."

"Now isn't a good time," said Myrtle firmly. She pushed back. "But thanks for the dish." She kept her hand stretched out for the dish.

"I think it's a good time," said Maxine. And the younger woman pushed her way through into the house, closing the door behind her.

"A Body at Book Club" is completed and available now on Amazon (at https://tinyurl.com/o6wn4sk ), Nook, Kobo, CreateSpace, and other major retailers. All my Myrtle Clover mysteries are also available on Amazon India: https://tinyurl.com/ohdbffq . I'll post a chapter each Wednesday, but if you can't wait, please visit one of the listed retailers for the completed book. Follow me on Twitter (elizabethscraig), sign up for my newsletter for a free ebook at http://eepurl.com/kCy5j , or visit my website at Elizabethspanncraig.com for more information. Hope you'll enjoy the book. Please vote on the chapter if you enjoy it.