A Myrtle Clover Christmas

Chapter Fifteen

People at several tables turned to look at them now. The news would definitely be making the rounds.

"I guess the news hasn't quite made it around town yet, which is certainly surprising. Perhaps it's because everyone has Christmas on the brain. Yes, Miles and I were with Belinda Clark this morning when Nash was found. It was all most disturbing." Myrtle took an unconcerned bite of her pimento cheese dog.

"I was with Lucinda Barrett all morning," said Holden slowly. "I guess that's why I haven't heard."

Myrtle scoffed. "Lucinda Barrett could have someone directly telling her about Nash to her face and she wouldn't hear it. She's deaf as a post." She paused. "I suppose Red will be paying you another visit."

Holden paled. "Will he?"

"He typically follows up with everyone he spoke with the first time. It's procedure, of course. But perhaps you have an alibi?"

Holden looked vastly relieved. "Yes. Lucinda Barrett, as I just mentioned."

"I believe the alibi probably needs to be for last night. From what we could tell, anyway. Miles was the one who actually handled the body, of course."

Miles was looking at his salad with complete disinterest now.

Holden said, "I was home with Faith, of course. I guess we'll just be the alibis for each other. Surely Red doesn't think we had anything to do with Nash's death. You mean it was a murder? Somebody killed Nash Moore?"

The various ears at the other tables pricked up again, and it became silent in the busy diner.

"Terrible, isn't it?" asked Myrtle.

Holden nodded wordlessly.

"Did you know him?" asked Myrtle, with her most innocent of expressions. "I suppose you must have spent time with him, considering he was seeing Glynis."

"Not really," said Holden slowly. "I mean, I met him a couple of times when I was picking up Faith from Glynis's house when we were dating."

Wanda looked thoughtful at this assertion.

"What did you think of him?" asked Miles, pushing his meal aside.

Holden shrugged. "He was pretty intense. Real smart, but that's not a surprise. He was a surgeon and everything."

Myrtle noticed Holden wasn't looking them in the eye anymore. She frowned.

Just then, the waitress came back with Holden's plate. He seemed grateful for the distraction.

"Anyway," he said, "I'm hoping Red is going to wrap this case up pretty fast. It's been real hard on Faith. It's kind of a rough way to start out a marriage." Holden finally looked Myrtle in the eye again. "I was wondering if you were on the case. Maybe you can pick up on things that Red can't."

Myrtle was pleased as punch to hear this. "Why, yes. Yes, I am on the case."

Holden relaxed a little. "Faith told me you were an investigative reporter for the paper. I hope you figure it all out soon. I'll give you as much information as I can to help you out. Like I said, Faith has been a real wreck lately. She feels guilty about Glynis because the last few weeks were rough with the wedding planning and all. I think I mentioned that to you last time."

"Weddings are always stressful," said Myrtle in the tone of someone who has been to scads of them over the course of eighty-plus years.

"Yeah, that's what everyone has been telling Faith. But she feels bad because she felt like things weren't real good between Glynis and her. The guilt is eating her up. I was just thinking, if somebody could figure out who did this, Faith can divert all those feelings to the killer."