LOWCOUNTRY BOOK CLUB by Susan M. Boyer Page A

them.”
    â€œUnless it was a desperate one she’d worked with for a while and felt like she knew. This was an empathetic woman, from everything we’ve learned. She might’ve followed protocols right up until she didn’t.”
    â€œThat’s true enough, I guess.”
    â€œWe’re running against the clock,” he said. “There’s a long list of people to sift through in two weeks. I think me working the volunteer angle makes sense. But that leaves you with a slew of friends and family.”
    Colleen popped in. She sat sideways in one of the wingbacks, her legs draped over the arm. Tonight’s sundress was yellow, no hat.
    Nate startled a bit. “For crying out loud. Could you ring a bell or something to alert us before you just appear like that? Normal people ring the doorbell. How about that? These constant shocks to our systems can’t be good for our hearts.”
    Colleen waved a hand dismissively. “You’ll get used to it. Eventually. You’ve got a strong heart. It’s a shame I can’t go along and help rule out a few of these people. I’m kinda busy right now.”
    I scrunched up my face at her. “With what? Is there something going on here on the island that I don’t know about?” I hadn’t caught wind of any new development plans.
    â€œNothing I need your help with,” she said. “But if I get a free minute, I’ll pop in while you’re interviewing these folks. I can’t promise. But I’ll try.”
    Nate looked confused. “I thought you couldn’t help because there’s no connection to your day job.”
    â€œWeeeell…” she said. “Sometimes if I genuinely have nothing else I should be doing, I might bend the rules and pop in just for a minute. But you can’t depend on that.”
    â€œYeah, I’m abundantly clear on that part,” said Nate.
    â€œI could really use you,” I said. “On the surface, at least, Shelby was a good person. She had nice friends, a nice family. But it would’ve had to’ve been a friend or family member—someone she trusted at any rate, knew well enough to open the door for—who killed her. That points to some extraordinary event, I think. Something went horribly wrong for these folks on an otherwise normal day. No one is going to volunteer this information to me, no matter how sweet I ask. Someone will be lying. Everyone else will be telling the truth. I need you, Colleen, to be my lie detector.”
    She blurred, went a bit transparent. “Your instincts are good. Follow them.”
    I said, “Okay, see? This drives me nuts. Does this mean you’ll be there putting thoughts in my head and I won’t even know it? Are you giving me a cryptic message? Or is that a simple compliment delivered with dramatic effect?”
    Colleen returned to a semi-solid form, shrugged. She looked all innocent. “I just mean you have good instincts.”
    I blew out a breath. “Oh good grief. Where were we?”
    Nate took a long drink of wine. “Lamenting Shelby’s universal popularity, hence this long list of possible suspects.”
    It was my turn to drink. “And her circle of friends crisscrossed through church, neighbors, her book club, and her volunteer work. According to Jane, the only person from outside their circle Shelby has mentioned is Sonny.”
    â€œ Are you going to talk to him again or do you want me to have a go at it?”
    â€œ I’ll do it. But I want to dig a little deeper first. I have no reason to think Sonny wasn’t telling me the truth. I’m going to the Ashley Cooper Book Club meeting with Jane tomorrow morning,” I said.
    â€œ You don’t seriously suspect these ladies in the book club, do you?” he asked.
    â€œOf killing her?” I weighed that. “Probably not. But these women were Shelby’s closest friends. A book club whose