Dying to Be Murdered

Chapter 1 "A thousand dollars?" Jennifer Marsh pressed one ear shut with her thumb and shook her head as though to rattle it. Maybe that sore throat she had had last week had spread to her ears because she surely must have heard wrong. "I'm sorry. I thought you said some woman wants to pay me a thousand dollars a week to chronicle the end of her life." An exasperated Monique Dupree let out a rush of air across the phone line. "That's exactly what I said." Jennifer plopped down onto one of her dining chairs, the cord from the wall phone wrapping itself loosely around her neck and tangling in her long taffy brown hair. "What's the matter with her? Is she terminally ill?" Cradling the phone between her shoulder and her ear, she let the last crust of jelly toast fall from her hand, back onto the plate. Absently, she brushed the crumbs from her fingers and pushed away her greyhound, Muffy, who seemed to think that maybe just this once Jennifer would let her eat from the table. Jennifer obviously needed to give this discourse more attention than she usually afforded her conversations with Monique, which typically required no more than an "uh-huh" dropped strategically here and there. "I wouldn't know what her problem is. The last time I saw her she did look a little pale, but she certainly didn't act ill," Monique told her, sounding miffed. "I agree it's nuts, but the woman is Mary Bedford Ashton, one of Macon's most prominent matrons. At least she was. She's slowed down somewhat this past year. Anyway, she's certainly got the money." "What, exactly, does she want?" "A straightforward daily accounting, sort of like a diary, as best I could tell." "She could do that herself." "I told her that." "So why" "Why you?" Jennifer gave in and tossed the last of the toast to Muffy, who was nuzzling her arm mercilessly. The dog caught it in midair. "I'm not even a published writer," Jennifer reminded her. "Not yet anyway. With money like that she could hire almost anybody." "She read about you in the newspaper. She knows you're a mystery writer, that we critique each other's work, and that you've been involved in solving some local crimes." "What's that got to do with a diary?" "I have no idea. She said she prefers someone from Macon." Jennifer could imagine Monique shaking her head. Mrs. Ashton had asked specifically for Jennifer when Monique was a published author, at least in science fiction. "She's family, Jennifer," Monique confessed. "Her husband was my third, no, maybe fourth cousin removed I don't know how many times. He was a close friend of my parents. She asked if I'd contact you, so that's what I'm doing." That explained a lot. "Besides," Monique went on, "I know you can use the money. I told her about Muffy, and she said you can bring her with you." "Bring Muffy? Why would I need to bring my dog?" "She expects you to stay with her in the house." "Overnight? Oh, no, no." Jennifer was on her feet, heading, plate and coffee cup in hand, down her tiny slit of a kitchen to the sink. "I couFitzwater, Judy is the author of 'Dying to Be Murdered' with ISBN 9780449006405 and ISBN 0449006409.