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“It must be so easy to have a son who’s a cop,” said Scarlett admiringly.

“Sometimes,” said Vesta, “it is and sometimes it isn’t.”

The line had moved and it was Vesta’s turn. Rory Suds, the grizzled pharmacist who looked like a stick figure, eyed her expectantly. “Vesta? What can I do for you?”

“It’s not about what you can do for me, Rory,” she said, “but what I can do for you.” She gave him her most engaging smile, which made her cheeks hurt. She wasn’t used to smiling, and it didn’t exactly come natural. “Scarlett and I are launching Hampton Cove’s first neighborhood watch, and we’d like you to be one of our informers.”

Rory blinked.“Is that so?” he said cautiously.

“Yeah, that is so,” said Vesta, losing the smile. She liked to see nothing but excitement about her new endeavor, and the pharmacist’s guarded expression told her he was anything but excited. “Look, it’s pretty simple. If you see or hear anything that strikes you as odd, you tell us. We all want Hampton Cove to be a safe and pleasant place.”

“Oh, sure, sure,” said Rory, nodding as his eyes shifted between Vesta and Scarlett, as if unsure of what he was seeing and hearing right then. “So it’s true, then, is it?” he asked.

“What is true?” asked Vesta, massaging her cheeks and slightly displacing her dentures.

“You two are friends now?”

“Yeah, we’re friends,” said Scarlett. “In fact Vesta and I are best friends.”

Rory grinned.“It’s just that… frankly I never thought I’d see the day.”

“Well, you saw the day,” Vesta snapped. “Now are you going to help us or not?”

Rory’s smile disappeared and he swallowed. “What do you want me to do?”

As Vesta and Scarlett exited the pharmacy, Scarlett said,“That went well.”

“I was expecting more excitement,” Vesta grumbled. “He didn’t look excited.”

“Not everyone has a penchant for fighting crime,” said Scarlett. “They’re not all cut from the same cloth as you and me.”

“Yeah, I suppose so. So who’s next?”

Scarlett pointed in the direction of Main Street.“Wilbur Vickery. Nothing happens in this town that Wilbur doesn’t know about.”

“I swear to God, if he starts hemming and hawing I’m gonna smack him in the snoot.”

“Better not,” said Scarlett. “People don’t like it when you smack them in the snoot, even if you’re doing it for all the right reasons.”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” Vesta grumbled.

They passed the offices of the Gazette, and Vesta was surprised to see an ambulance parked out in front and a stretcher being carted in by two paramedics at a gallop. Immediately her attention was snagged. Galloping paramedics had that effect on her.

“Now what the hell is going on over here?” she asked.

“Let’s find out,” said Scarlett, as chipper as a newly self-appointed crime fighter could be.

“Hey, you!” Vesta yelled to the driver of the ambulance. “What’s going on?”

“Lady was killed,” he said, only too eager to spill the beans. Now that kind of behavior was what Vesta liked to see. Not Rory Suds’s annoying reticence. “Head bashed in with a garden gnome if you please,” the guy added with a wide smile. “Ain’t that something?”

“Head bashed in with a garden gnome?” asked Scarlett. “Isn’t that the kind of thing the neighborhood watch should get involved with?”

“Nah, we don’t do murder and mayhem. That’s for my son and granddaughter.”

They both watched as Alec and Odelia walked out, along with Chase Kingsley. The three of them looked appropriately concerned, and when finally Dan Goory joined them on the sidewalk, it was obvious something had rattled the editor to the bones. He looked even more gaunt than usual, and his face had taken on the same pallor as his beard.

“What happened?” asked Vesta, unable to restrain herself. She might only be in the habit of fighting the softer types of crime, but couldn’t resist finding out about the tougher stuff as well.

“Yeah, what happened?” asked Scarlett, tripping up on her high heels. “As neighborhood watchers we have a right to know what’s going on in our town.”

“A woman was murdered,” said Odelia. “And that’s pretty much all we know right now.”

“So you don’t know anything,” Vesta said. “You disappoint me, honey.”

The paramedics came galloping out again, this time carrying the victim on their stretcher. Vesta caught a glimpse of some hot young blonde, looking decidedly dead.

“Don’t you have somewhere you need to be?” asked Alec a little gruffly. “Like at the doctor’s office?”

Vesta made a dismissive gesture of the hand.“Tex doesn’t need me. Besides, making sure Hampton Cove is crime-free is more important than playing receptionist. So do you want my professional opinion?”

“No, but I have a feeling you’re going to give it anyway,” said Alec with a sigh.

“Crime of passion,” said Vesta, gesturing with her head to Dan, who stood talking into his phone now, presumably to secure himself a good lawyer.

“What are you talking about?” asked Odelia.