A Body in the Trunk : Myrtle Clover Book 12

Chapter Seventeen

Myrtle suppressed a shudder with some difficulty and gave Erma a grimacing smile. "No thanks. I want the exercise. It's good to take a walk and clear my head, too." There was a brush up against her leg and she glanced down with a smile to see Pasha rubbing up against her. "Besides, I think Pasha wants to stroll with me."

Erma gazed in horror at Pasha. She'd had many bad run-ins with the feral black cat. Pasha seemed to sense Erma was allergic to her and chased her relentlessly.

Myrtle recapped, since Erma didn't seem to be leaving, "So I'll just stretch my legs and walk along with Pasha for company."

Erma's eyes grew wide. "You'll want company with you, for sure, especially with all the murder on our street. If something happened to you on your walk, I'd never forgive myself. And what would Red say? You don't need the exercise that badly. Of course, I would love to walk, but I'm having this problem with my bunions."

Myrtle raised a hand and closed her eyes. "Enough with that. And you're quite wrong, Erma. There have been no murders on our street. The murders all took place elsewhere. It just happens that the two victims were our neighbors."

Erma shrugged. "Whatever. It's still our street. But if you want to take risks, go ahead. I guess you're trying to add adventure to your life or something. See you at book club tomorrow." She drove off.

Myrtle winced at the thought of enduring Erma's presence two days in a row. Perhaps her bunions would somehow make it impossible for her to attend.

Pasha strode beside Myrtle as they wended their way to the Piggly Wiggly grocery store. A few people in cars waved at Myrtle as the confident cat and the equally-confident octogenarian walked briskly down the sidewalk.

When Myrtle reached the store, she looked down regretfully at Pasha. "I'm afraid this is the end of the line for you, Pasha. These silly people don't allow animals in their store."

Pasha's expression seemed to say more fool them. She curled up against the brick wall of the store where she could keep a wary eye on the grocery carts and glare at customers as they came in. She would wait for Myrtle to come back out again for a return stroll home.

Myrtle walked into the store. "Breakfast," she muttered. "Suppose I should head for the dairy section."

"Everything okay, Mrs. Clover?" asked a voice behind her.

Myrtle turned to see Adelaide standing in the produce section. She smiled. "Yes, except that I have an early book club meeting tomorrow and forgot I was supposed to bring some sort of breakfast item."

Adelaide said, "I have to bring breakfast stuff for school functions sometimes, in the staff room. I just bring their muffins. They're good and there is even a variety pack if you can't decide between banana nut muffins or blueberry muffins."

Myrtle beamed at her. "What an excellent idea! And easy to transport, too." She paused. Miles had had such a reaction to the thought of going back to a basketball game that perhaps Myrtle should simply question Adelaide here in the grocery store.

"I suppose you've heard the news about poor Lyle?" asked Myrtle. "I swear, I don't know what this town is coming to."

Adelaide looked solemn. "Yes, I did hear. Do you think that it's a different murderer than the one who killed Neil?"

Myrtle noticed that Adelaide seemed to more easily mention Neil's name this time around. Perhaps her heart was starting to recover. "Oh, I don't think so, do you? Hard to imagine two unrelated murders in the tiny hamlet of Bradley. I know you're driving around early to go to school—did you see anything suspicious?"