Old Bones: a Hetty Fox Cozy Mystery (Hetty Fox Cozy Mysteries Book 2) Read Online Free Page B

champ.”
    “It is odd that he never noticed his aunt missing.”
    “There are miles and miles separating Hendricksville and Chicago. If she never made an effort with Damon before her death, I could understand his indifference toward her later.”
    “But she was killed here.”
    “I know.”
    “Do you think the killer was local, or did the murderer follow her down from Chicago?”
    “How would a stranger to town have slipped her body into an attic belonging to a local couple? What are the odds against that?”
    “You’re right. it’s more likely the killer was from here.”
    “Besides, we’re better off if that person lives here. We wouldn’t have any chance of catching a killer from out of town.”
    “So do you have a plan?”
    “First, I need to know more about Eva. Who her friends were. What her relationship to that house and its owners might have been. As Oberton has indicated, it’s doubtful she climbed into that trunk on her own.”
    “How are you going to do that?”
    “I’ll start at the high school. The yearbooks should give me a clue about who was in her class. Some of those students should remember her. Then, I’ll see if any of them will talk with me. This is a small town. Someone should be able to fill me in.”
    “What about me?”
    I smiled. “Believe it or not, you can help. I want you to tour the taverns. Pick up what the men of Hendricksville are saying about her murder — if anything.”
    “That’s a brilliant idea,” Andrew said, a big smile spreading across his handsome face. “When do I start?”
    “Anytime you please.”
    And with that, Andrew vanished from the room. Who said happy hour only started at 5 p.m.? Me? I turned to my tea.
     
    ***
     
    Hendricksville High School sat on a plot of ground very near the Illinois River. It looked like most of the schools that were built in the early 1970s. Straight lines. Large swaths of clear glass. No colorful brick. No decorative touches. At least someone had planted some shrubs and evergreens at various locations. They improved the appearance of the square, squat building somewhat.
    I pulled my car into the parking lot and headed for the entrance. On the inside, signs pointed me to the office. They told me that all visitors had to register there. I followed the arrows and soon found myself in a reasonably-sized room.
    Muted sunshine drifted through the broad windows. Dust mites danced on the air. A healthy-looking philodendron sat on the counter. Two middle aged women were huddled over their desks. The younger of them looked up, saw me, and smiled. She wore about twenty extra pounds and a floppy top, but she had kind eyes. “May I help you?”
    “I hope so. I was wondering if it would be okay if I took a look through your old yearbooks?”
    “And you are?”
    I offered up a smile. “Sorry, my name is Hetty Fox. I’m relatively new to town.”
    “And what’s your interest in our yearbooks?”
    “There’s a woman who attended classes here decades ago. I’d like to learn more about her.”
    “Who is that?”
    I grabbed a quick breath. “Ah... Eva Langdon.”
    The woman’s eyes widened as realization dawned. “That’s the woman who was murdered.  The mummy. I heard all about it on the noon news.” Suddenly, her eyes narrowed into suspicious slits. “Are you a reporter?”
    “No. It’s just that Eva was apparently related to a family member of mine.”
    “Who’s that?”
    “Damon Langdon.”
    “Eva’s nephew?”
    Did everybody but me know who was related to each other here? I smiled sweetly. “I hope it’s okay if I go through the yearbooks?”
    She glanced at her officemate, a mature looking woman with neatly trimmed salt-and-pepper hair and a pastel cardigan. “I can’t see why not,” she said. “Go back down the hall the way you came. Turn right at the first corridor. You’ll see the library entrance from there. Walk straight ahead and you can’t miss it.”
    I thanked the women and beat a hasty