Page 38 of Miss Wolcott’s Ghost

Ruth leaned closer to Gabri. “I wouldn’t drink that lemonade if I were you.”

“Armand called and wanted to know more about Brian, and the artist woman who came a week or so later,” said Clara. “You two were in Paris at the time.”

“I asked about him first,” said Ruth.

“And why did you?” asked Clara. “Have you been deputized?”

“Drinking?” murmured Myrna.

Ruth stared at her, as though at a stranger. “Shouldn’t you be cleaning someone’s house?”

“Shouldn’t you be pushing up poison ivy?”

Ruth returned to Clara. “Deputized, no. Clouseau should be so lucky. I’m asking because as the fire chief, I have a duty to investigate.”

“Fires,” said Myrna. “Not murders. Besides—”

At vigorous motions across their throats by both Reine-Marie and Clara, Myrna stopped herself from pointing out that Ruth was not actually the fire chief anymore.

“One of Armand’s agents thinks he recognized the name Brian Fillmore,” explained Ruth. “Something to do with genealogy.”

“Of course his visit had something to do with genealogy,” said Clara. “That’s how he found me. He discovered the Morrow connection. He must’ve signed up at a site. Millions do it every day without being suspicious. He sent the family tree and…”

She described it at some length. “… and this is interesting…” It was not.

She finally stopped when Ruth had dropped her head onto Myrna’s shoulder. And Rosa made a sound like a snore. But it couldn’t have been.

Could it? wondered Reine-Marie.

“Hey, you asked.” Clara went to prod Ruth, but Myrna stopped her.

“What do you think you’re doing?” she hissed. “You know the rule. Let sleeping Ruths lie.”

“Ironically, that’s the only time she doesn’t lie,” said Gabri.

Myrna checked for breathing.

“Still alive?” Clara asked.

“As alive as she’s ever been.” Myrna took a sip of iced tea. “I’ve never understood why you invited that cousin into your home in the first place. You’d never even met him. It’s not like you.”

Clara had asked herself the same question. What was it about that overture that interested her? That made her invite a strange man into her home and even to stay the night?

Could it be that she was lonely? This Brian seemed interesting and interested. And—okay, admit it—he wanted to talk about Peter. Clara didn’t get many opportunities anymore to talk about her late husband.

After all this time, was she still missing him?

Had this Brian known that? Was this some scam? Were her friends right? Had Brian Fillmore mocked up a genealogy, creating a family tree designed to appeal to a lonely widow?

But to what end? She had nothing to offer a thief.

Then she remembered her phone. Someone hacked it … stole her contacts, her identity. Used it to call Armand and … report a body.

What did Brian Fillmore’s visit have to do with a dead man in Lost Nation? What did she have to do with it?

Once back in the village, Armand took Dr. Lagacé and Miss Wolcott’s Ghost to his back garden.

“Do you need anything?”