The Scent of Murder Read Online Free Page A

Gerri Richmond began twisting her diamond ring around her finger. It was a good sized diamond, a little larger than the dictates of good taste demanded. “We were going to make a new start when she came home from the hospital, only it didn’t work out that way.” She sighed. “I should never have listened to her therapist,” she murmured to herself.
    â€œSometimes they just make things worse,” I volunteered, thinking of mine.
    But Gerri Richmond didn’t want to chat about therapists or anything else. Instead of answering, she glanced at her watch, making sure that I noticed what she was doing. “Listen,” she told me, “I’m sorry, but you really have to go. I have things I have to do.”
    I stood up. “Can I ask you something?”
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œHow did you get my number?”
    â€œI thought I told you. I found it.” Gerri Richmond brushed a lock of hair out of her eyes. “It was written on a scrap of paper that was lying on Amy’s nightstand.”
    The phone started ringing again. “Aren’t you going to get that?” I asked.
    She waved a hand in the direction she’d come from before. “The answering machine will.”
    I was close enough to smell her perfume. It was Le Dix. I’d worn that when I was married to Murphy and working at the paper. Now I couldn’t afford it anymore. The fact bothered me, even though it shouldn’t have.
    She gestured towards the door. “If you don’t mind.”
    â€œJust one more thing.” I took a deep breath and asked the question that had brought me up here. “Does the name Murphy mean anything to you?”
    Gerri Richmond’s face folded in on herself. “Why should it?”
    â€œBecause your daughter mentioned it when she came to see me.”
    â€œI don’t understand.”
    â€œShe told me he told her to see me if she were ever in trouble.”
    â€œLook, I don’t know Amy’s friends. She never brings any of them home, which is probably just as well because ...”
    I interrupted. “He wasn’t one of your daughter’s friends. He was my age.”
    She wet her lower lip with the tip of her tongue. “I already told you, I never heard of the man.”
    I studied her face. “You’re sure?”
    She returned my gaze. “Absolutely.” And she rose.
    She was lying. I don’t know how I knew it, but I did. I wondered why she was, as I stood up. I snuck a look at her as she walked me to the door. It occurred to me that for someone whose husband and child were both missing, she seemed remarkably composed. Or maybe she was just good at hiding her feelings. I wondered which it was, as I walked back to the cab.
    Tim was starting to close up by the time I returned to the store.
    â€œDid you go and see the girl’s mother?” he asked.
    â€œYes?”
    â€œAnd?” He abandoned doing cool.
    â€œShe didn’t say much, except that she didn’t want the ferret back.” I pulled Mr. Bones out of my backpack and scratched him under the chin.
    â€œWhat about Murphy?”
    â€œShe claims she never heard of him.”
    â€œDo you believe her?”
    I shook my head. “No. No I don’t.” I thought about the way Gerri Richmond’s face had blanked out when I’d mentioned his name. “She knew him all right. The question is how?” I didn’t spell it out, but then I didn’t have to. Tim knew I was wondering if Gerri Richmond and Murphy had gone to bed together. God only knows, he’d gone to bed with everyone else: a fact everybody but me had evidently known about. I still don’t know which bothers me more: my willful blindness or his conduct.
    â€œEven if he had, that still doesn’t explain the girl’s coming in,” Tim pointed out.
    â€œNo. You’re right. It doesn’t.”
    Tim nodded towards the ferret. “What are you