Vera left the Von Beaverpelt mansion, her mind swirling with thoughts. The idea of the robber killing Julia was tempting to believe—it exonerated Joe and it meant that no one in Shady Hollow was guilty of the crime. Yet…something didn’t fit. What was it?
As always, Vera sought out Lenore what she had questions like this. The raven listened very carefully to Vera’s report, then sat a long time. Vera kept quiet herself, knowing that Lenore was a deep thinker. She tried not to fidget.
“No,” Lenore said at last. “Let’s remember the method, the personality of the victim, and the killer.” Lenore was a devoted reader of mysteries, and was now applying all this knowledge to the problem. “Julia was buried. Buried deep. Think about it. A robber who’s just passing through wouldn’t care if a body turned up. If he killed Julia for whatever she was carrying with her, he’d have just taken it and gone on his way. But we know he didn’t kill her for her suitcase, because we found it where it was hidden. Anyway, he wouldn’t bother to conceal the crime.”
“I knew something didn’t fit!” Vera cried. “Thank you. The burial implies either a need to conceal, or a feeling of regret, or both. That robber wouldn’t have had either of those impulses.” Then she realized something else. “Lenore!”
“What?”
“Something else doesn’t fit. We found Julia’s suitcase in the eastern woods. That’s nowhere near the orchard, and there’s no reason to think a creature would have—or could have—dragged the body all the way to the Cold Clay Orchards just to bury it. Julia didn’t have the suitcase with her. Even if she planned to leave that night, she still hadn’t actually gone through with it at the time she was killed.”
“So she must have gone to the orchard on purpose,” Lenore concluded. “Either to meet someone, or to find something. In any case, she had a reason for being there, and if you find out that reason, you’ll be closer to knowing who killed her.”
“I’ll figure it out.” Vera nodded confidently.
“One thing, Vera,” the raven warned.
“What’s that?”
“Maybe let folks think that the robber is still the killer. We found out how ugly it got when neighbors were eyeing each other up after the murder of Otto Sumpf. We don’t want that again.”
“But what if the murderer is a resident? Someone living in Shady Hollow all this time?”
“Then all the more reason to make them think that you don’t suspect anyone in town.” The raven was a very clever bird. “It’ll put them at ease. Then you can investigate with less worry that someone’s going to try to silence you…like last time!”
“Oh, stop with that. It turned out all right,” Vera said.
“Because I was there to see it, and Orville came to rescue you and carry you back home for medical treatment! Speaking of that, how’s Orville?” Lenore’s eyes bored into hers.
“Er…we haven’t really spoken since the newspaper came out.”
“You should. You’re stronger together. Solving the case will go faster if you combine your talents. And I want you to be happy,” Lenore added softly.
“Thank you for that. I guess I should go talk to him. It’s not anyone’s fault, after all…other than Gladys’s.”
“There you go,” Lenore said. “Go make up with your beau. You’ll feel better.”
“I will, though not immediately. I think I have to stop by Octavia’s school to set up my classes for that silly story.”
“Faster you get it done, the faster you never have to do it again.”
Vera nodded, recognizing the sense in that. “I’m off. See you later!”
She left the bookshop feeling far more optimistic than she had going in. She had a new direction for her investigation, and new hope for her relationship with Orville. Fighting was beneath them both, she decided.
But first she had to set up some class times with Octavia. Vera found the door to the etiquette school unlocked, so she opened it and went inside. There was no one at the front desk, but music was wafting down from the upstairs, where the bulk of the school was. She proceeded up the stairs to the spacious room above, hearing a laugh echo down the stairs along with the musical notes. Octavia was in a good mood, apparently.
The music grew louder—some sort of waltz coming from a record player, perhaps. Vera hummed along with the tune until she reached the doorway. There, she stopped short in total shock.
Octavia, the silver-coated mink, was dancing…with none other than Orville! This was no class, either. The two creatures were the only ones in the large room, and they appeared to be having a wonderful time. Vera didn’t even think Orville knew how to dance, let alone enjoyed it. And yet, here he was, waltzing along with a fashionable new face. Clearly he didn’t feel a need to talk to Vera about the gossip column. He’d already moved on.
Vera retreated from the doorway, and fled down to the street level again. She couldn’t have moved any faster if the place had been on fire. A mouse was at the reception desk now.
“Oh, Miss Vixen!” she squeaked. “Did you want to sign up for your complimentary class?”
“No!” Vera howled as she dashed out the door. She didn’t need a class from Octavia Grey! She needed to get as far from town as possible.
In fact, Vera sped away from the Hollow blindly, until she had to slow down and catch her breath. Among the brilliant autumn leaves of the woods surrounding her, she calmed down…slightly. After a few moments, she realized that she was not that far from Professor Heidegger’s. It was already late afternoon. The time of year means swift sunsets—the owl may already be stirring inside his lofty home.
Vera took a gulping breath. Her personal life might be a mess, but that didn’t change the fact that she was the only one in town who was trying to solve Julia’s murder. She would speak to Professor Heidegger. With luck, the nocturnal bird might be able to supply a clue.