I didn’t know the answers to any of these questions, so I turned my thoughts to the one thing I could do—figure out a way to tip Augusta off to the navy blue cape hanging in Ophelia’s closet.

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Fifteen

The next morning, I wasn’t any closer to figuring out how to tip Augusta off about the blue cape. Maybe the best course was to tell her I’d seen the fiber on the embosser and then let her know that Ophelia had a blue cape. I didn’t have to mention that Lavinia had told me about a cape or that I’d searched Ophelia’s closets. I could just pretend I’d seen Ophelia wearing it.

Of course, it would be better if I knew Ophelia’s motive. I made a mental note to check in the library for the bronzes. If one was missing, then all I would need to do would be to find out who had it and I’d have the killer. Hopefully, I would see it in Ophelia’s house. I didn’t recall seeing one on my visit, but I guess if I killed a librarian and stole a valuable bronze, I’d hide it somewhere, too.

But first, I had to head out to Barry’s and pick up those books. Lavinia’s funeral was in the afternoon and I planned to catalogue some of the books at the store before that, so I threw on my jeans and a pink sweater, then tossed my black wrinkle-free polyester dress, black sheer nylons and pumps into a bag to change into later.

I usually didn’t bother too much with my hair, but I tried to force the curls into waves that framed my face instead of the unruly red mop it usually arranged itself into. It was, after all, Lavinia’s funeral and I wanted to look halfway decent.

Pandora and I did our usual morning routine of cat food and corn flakes, then got into the Jeep and headed out to Barry’s.

The air was crisp, the light blue sky dotted with clouds. The heavy clouds had rolled out after the overnight rain, but at the edge of the horizon it looked like a new storm was coming. As I drove the mountain roads, I noticed the birds and squirrels actively foraging in the woods for nuts and seeds as they usually did before a storm. I kept watch on the sides of the roads for moose or deer. They often crossed the road at this time of morning and an accident with one of them could be fatal for either one of us, so it paid to keep one’s eyes open.