Arsenic And Old Books

Words cannot express the sickness and horror I feel over the acts of betrayal perpetrated by one so dear. The blessing became a curse, one which we must keep to ourselves. The shame, if the truth should ever be known, is unthinkable. Already Father Long looks ill, and I fear that his heart cannot withstand this. Already weakened by the loss of his wife, my own dear mama-in-law, he cannot sustain such a blow. I can write no more for fear that my tears will soak the ink from the very page.

The entry ended there. Rachel sounded as if she were upon the point of utter despair.

What terrible thing could have happened? I wondered.

The phone rang and startled me, and I uttered a word I thought I had excised from my vocabulary.

THIRTY-SIX

I sounded none too cordial when I answered the phone. I could have screamed in frustration at the interruption.

“Catch you at a bad time?” Kanesha said coolly into my ear.

“Sort of,” I said. “Sorry if I sound grumpy, but I’m reading the pages that were missing, and I was just about to find out something important when you rang.”

“Sorry about that,” Kanesha said. “I haven’t had a chance to get to them yet. I did, however, read your e-mail. I wanted to alert you to the fact that I’m sending Turnbull to your office to pick up that library book. I am also trying to track down Kelly Grimes. I think it’s time I had another chat with her.”

“Did I sound like a rambling fool in the e-mail?” I asked a bit nervously. “I gave you more questions than facts, I think, but this is the screwiest case I’ve ever seen.”

“I was able to follow it,” Kanesha said. “It is a screwy case, but I’m beginning to see my way clear. As soon as you’ve finished reading those pages, call me.” She disconnected.

She was beginning to see her way clear, she’d said. I wanted to bang something on the desk. That meant she was pretty sure she knew who killed Marie Steverton. I knew I couldn’t really expect her to confide in me before she was ready to make an arrest, but still, it was annoying.

I shrugged that off and went back to the computer. I scrolled down until the beginning of the next entry, dated three days later, was at the top of the screen.

I have been far too heartsick, and too worried about the state of Father Long’s mind and general health, to sit and write. I have no one in whom I can confide, for we cannot allow anyone to know what has befallen us. Though my heart at first rejoiced to have my husband returned to me, and whole of body, if not of spirit, it soon thudded painfully in my breast when my husband confessed his actions.

My eyes went back to that phrase whole of body. According to Angeline Long, Major Andrew Long had been so grievously disfigured by his injuries he would allow no one to see him.

The explanation came in the next paragraph.