Lady Rena folded her hands together, her elbows propped up on the arms of the rocker. "You know about Marcella’s son…" It was a statement rather than a question. She didn’t have to be a rocket scientist to know that Deputy Danny had told him at their morning coffee klatch.
"I’m sorry about that," Harry responded. "Marcella must be devastated." Even as he mouthed the words, he felt a pang of fear in the possibility that he would never experience the inimitable Marcella in this room again. He looked at Pinkie, sure the big gray cat would miss her.
"None of us will ever see Marcella again," Lady Rena was saying, her eyes clearly moist. She retrieved a monogrammed silk handkerchief with the same dexterity as the snuffbox, and dabbed daintily at her tear ducts.
"What happened?" Harry asked gently. He figured she was outlining the worst case scenario.
"We’re not sure. She intended to stop by the convalescent home as usual because she wanted to find out from the staff what had happened to Reginald. She never made it. Dr. Corbeau arrived to pick her up, and discovered she wasn’t there."
Murder and Marcella A Lady of the Lane Mystery
Elaine Chadwick Clanton
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Murder and Marcella A Lady of the Lane Mystery
Elaine Chadwick Clanton
The imposing estate at the end of Oak Lane in Carteret County, NorthCarolina, is the domain of Lady Rena Laurel Chadwick, a mysterious and eccentric recluse whose wealth, political clout, and nebulous past have made her a favorite subject of local gossip and speculative intrigue. Lady Rena, who dresses in Victorian costumes and speaks with a British accent, lives alone except for six cats; her redoubtable housekeeper, Marcella; and Dr. Corbeau , a graduate of Duke Medical School who enjoys playing a stoic butler.
Not a single resident in the coastal rural community of Williston has seen Lady Rena leave her house in the last thirty years, but Lady Rena has one confidant—Harry Wade, a neighbor who lives down the lane with his wife and faithfully visits Lady Rena. But when Marcella’s son suddenly dies under suspicious circumstances and then Marcella disappears without a trace, Harry, his wife Rosemary, and a sheriff ’s deputy become embroiled not only in an intriguing murder case, but also find themselves facing specters from the past.
In this lively tongue-in-cheek murder mystery, someone - or something - is harboring a secret in Williston, and it is up to the motley crew of detectives to find out what it is.
Coming next: Legend and Lolitta