As she drew closer to the row of parked cars, the noise of the humming engine grew louder. It came, she realized, from Sam Miller’s BMW. The navy blue sedan with the SAM-I-AM vanity plates was covered with snow just like the other cars. The only difference was that the engine was running and a black rubber hose neatly capped one of the twin exhaust pipes and snaked around the car to the driver’s window.

Lucy gasped and tried to pull open the driver’s door. It was locked, but she did manage to pull the hose out of the window and then ran back into the building as fast as she could. She arrived in the phone room panting for breath and gesturing frantically with her hands.

“Call the police,” she finally managed to say to the group of concerned women who were clustered around her.

In a matter of seconds Beverly had the police station on the line.

“A suicide in the parking lot,” she repeated after Lucy. “Lucy Stone found Sam Miller’s car running in the parking lot, with a hose pumping exhaust into the driver’s window.” She paused. “No, we’ll stay right here and we won’t touch anything.”

Lucy collapsed on a chair and someone gave her a cup of sweet tea to sip. “Best thing for a shock,” they agreed solemnly.

“Imagine, he had a BMW and a Mercedes,” commented one of the girls.

“And an indoor pool,” added another.

“Really, the fanciest house in town.” They nodded in unison, and then Ruthie ventured to add, “And the fanciest wife.”

“Fancy house, fancy wife, fancy cars. It just goes to show,” said Beverly, “that fancy isn’t everything.”

Then they fell silent, listening for the wail of the police cruiser’s siren.

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER TWO

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Home had never looked so good, thought Lucy as she braked to a stop in the driveway. The familiar shape of the old farmhouse comforted her, and the porch light that Bill had left burning for her was welcoming. The old Regulator in the kitchen read 5:05, too late to make going to bed worthwhile.

While Lucy unbuttoned her coat, Patches, the black-and-white tabby, wove herself around Lucy’s legs.

“You don’t fool me,” said Lucy. “All you want is an early breakfast.”

The cat flicked her tail impatiently and meowed.

“Be quiet,” Lucy hissed as she filled the coffeepot. “You’ll wake everybody up.”