Chapter 17 - If She Stayed

Kate pulled her car into Patricia Dunham’s driveway, preparing herself for the first of what would be two or three interviews to close out the day. Patricia lived in a small brick ranch house on Elmwood Circle, a home that looked quaint but rather dated despite careful maintenance. The property was modest but well-tended, with foundation plantings of azaleas and boxwoods. A concrete driveway led to a single-car garage, and the front yard was dominated by a large maple tree.

Kate parked at the curb and noted the ceramic wind chimes hanging from the small front porch, along with a welcome mat that had seen better days. The house number was displayed in brass numerals beside the front door, and lace curtains covered the windows facing the street. Kate knocked softly, but even that light sound seemed too loud amid the peace of the neighborhood.

Patricia answered the door ten seconds later. She was a heavyset woman in her late sixties with graying brown hair that rested in the shoulders of her floral-patterned blouse. Her expression immediately showed concern when she saw Kate standing on her porch.

"Oh my goodness, Kate, isn't it? From last night's meeting?" Patricia's voice carried the same slightly breathless quality Kate remembered from the book club gathering. "What are you doing here?"

"Mrs. Dunham, I'm actually Agent Wise with the FBI. I was at the book club meeting last night as part of an investigation into Margaret Carlisle's death. I'd like to speak with you about some additional developments in the case."

Patricia's hand flew to her chest, and Kate could see genuine shock register across her features. "FBI? But Eleanor said you were considering joining the group because you might be moving to the neighborhood."

"I apologize for the deception, but it was necessary for the investigation. May I come in? I have some serious matters to discuss with you."

Patricia stepped aside, clearly flustered by the revelation that she had unknowingly spent an evening with a federal agent. "Of course, please come in. I'm sorry, I'm just so surprised. Should I call Eleanor? Does she know who you really are?"

Kate followed Patricia through a small foyer into a living room that reflected the same modest comfort as the house's exterior. The furniture was older but well-maintained, with a floral sofa and matching armchair arranged around a coffee table that held several magazines and a half-finished crossword puzzle. Family photos covered the mantelpiece above a brick fireplace, and a bookshelf in the corner contained what appeared to be a mix of mysteries and romance novels.

"Mrs. Dunham, Eleanor is aware of my identity, and she's been very helpful with our investigation. But I need to speak with you about some new developments." Kate settled into the armchair while Patricia perched nervously on the edge of the sofa. "I'm afraid Jennifer Haynes was found dead in her home this morning."

Patricia's reaction was immediate and dramatic. She gasped audibly, her hand returning to her chest as if she was having trouble breathing. "Jennifer? Dead? But she was just at the meeting last night. She seemed perfectly fine… just very emotional about Margaret."

"Mrs. Dunham, Jennifer appears to have been murdered, and we believe her death is connected to Margaret's murder. We're investigating the possibility that someone is targeting book club members specifically."

The color drained from Patricia's face as the implications sank in. She was somewhere between shock and denial; the next few moments would likely make the decision for her. "You mean someone is killing people from our book club?”

“We don’t know that for sure, but—”

“But why?” Patricia demanded, apparently not even hearing Kate’s comment. “We're just a group of women who like to read." She looked almost offended at the notion.

Kate watched Patricia's response carefully, looking for any signs that her shock might be a performance rather than genuine surprise. What she saw was a frightened older woman who seemed genuinely devastated by the news of Jennifer's death. "That's what we're trying to determine. Mrs. Dunham, at the meeting, you seemed particularly emotional when discussing Margaret. You mentioned how intimidating she could be initially, but that you eventually came to appreciate her passion for literature."

Patricia nodded, dabbing at her eyes with a tissue she'd pulled from a box on the coffee table. "Margaret was very intense about books, but once you understood that it came from a genuine love of literature, you could appreciate her dedication. She pushed all of us to think more deeply about what we were reading."

"It seemed like you developed a personal connection with Margaret beyond just the book club meetings."

"Well, yes, I suppose so. Margaret and I occasionally chatted after meetings, and she was always willing to recommend books if you were looking for something new to read." Patricia paused, seeming to consider her words carefully. "My husband and I had Margaret and her husband, Harold, over for dinner a few times. They're lovely people, very cultured and well-read."

Kate felt a spike of interest. "You and your husband socialized with Margaret and Harold outside of book club activities?"

"Just occasionally. Maybe three or four times over the past two years. Harold enjoys talking about history, and my husband is retired from teaching high school social studies, so they had a lot in common."

"Mrs. Dunham, during these social interactions, did Margaret ever confide in you about personal matters? Health issues, family concerns, anything that seemed to be weighing on her mind?"

Patricia's expression became guarded, and Kate could see her struggling with whether to share information that might have been told in confidence. "I'm not sure I should discuss Margaret's private affairs. She was a very private person, and I don't want to betray her trust."

"Mrs. Dunham, Margaret was murdered. Any information you can provide might help us identify her killer and prevent additional deaths."

Patricia was quiet for a long moment, clearly wrestling with her conscience. Finally, she spoke in a voice barely above a whisper. As soon as she started speaking, tears flowed from her eyes. "Margaret had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. She told us during dinner about six weeks ago, when we'd all had quite a bit of wine. She… she made us promise not to tell anyone else because she hadn't decided yet how she wanted to handle the situation. I don’t think she would have said anything if she hadn’t been a bit tipsy."

Kate felt pieces of the puzzle shifting in her mind, as well as a considerable part of the case changing shape. Margaret's cancer diagnosis was supposed to be a secret known only to her and Harold, but Patricia and her husband had also been aware of it. "Did Margaret seem frightened about the diagnosis? Concerned about her prognosis?"

"She was devastated, naturally. The doctors had given her maybe a year, possibly eighteen months if she pursued aggressive treatment. But Margaret was more angry than frightened, if that makes sense. She felt like she’d finally reached the point where she had the time and the means to enjoy her retirement and reading, and then this diagnosis took all of that away. She was… I mean, she was righteously pissed about it."

Kate considered the implications of Patricia's knowledge about Margaret's cancer. If word of the diagnosis had somehow spread beyond the Dunham household, it might have created opportunities for someone to exploit Margaret's vulnerability.

"Mrs. Dunham, did you or your husband share this information with anyone else? Other book club members, family, friends?"

"Absolutely not," Patricia said emphatically. "Margaret specifically asked us to keep it confidential, and we respected her wishes completely. As far as I know, no one else in the book club was aware of her situation."

Kate shifted her approach, moving from information gathering to more direct questioning. "Mrs. Dunham, it may seem out of the blue… but I need to ask you about your whereabouts on Tuesday evening when Margaret was killed, and last night when Jennifer died."

Patricia's nervous energy increased visibly as she realized the conversation had taken a more serious turn. But there were no signs of anger on her face. If anything, there was a bit of determination chiseled there, as if she wanted to make certain she could help in any way possible. "Tuesday evening, I was home with my husband. We had dinner around six-thirty, watched television until about ten o'clock or so. I messed around on a crossword puzzle for a bit and then went to bed… maybe around 10:45. And my husband can confirm all of that."

"And after the book club meeting?"

"I went straight home. My husband was already in bed when I arrived around nine-thirty. I made myself some tea, read for about an hour, then went to sleep."

Kate noted that Patricia's alibis were weak but not impossible to verify. A husband's confirmation of his wife's whereabouts wouldn't carry much weight if the wife was actually guilty. But the timeline was tight enough that Patricia would have had to move very quickly to commit Jennifer's murder.

"Mrs. Dunham, have you noticed any tensions within the book club recently? Any conflicts between members that might have escalated beyond normal disagreements?"

Patricia considered the question for a moment, taking her time because she was still struggling with emotion. "There have always been some personality differences within the group,” she admitted. “Margaret and Sandra could be quite critical of members who they felt didn't take the reading seriously enough. Some of the newer members found that intimidating, I think."

"How did you feel about those dynamics?"

"Honestly? Sometimes I felt like I was being judged. During discussions, Margaret would ask questions that made it clear she expected you to have analyzed every detail of the book. If you gave an answer she considered superficial, she would correct you in front of everyone. She sometimes took this group that was supposed to be fun and turned it into… I don’t know… something more serious."

"Did that make you resentful toward Margaret?"

"Resentful? No, I wouldn't say that. Nervous, maybe. I started preparing much more thoroughly for meetings because I didn't want to look foolish in front of her. It became almost like some weird kind of homework." Patricia paused and when she started again, her tone had softened to little more than a whisper. "But I understood that she wasn't trying to be mean, she just had very high expectations."

"What about Jennifer? Did you have any conflicts with her?"

"Jennifer could be overly dramatic about her emotional responses to books, which sometimes derailed our discussions. But she was enthusiastic and well-meaning. I can't imagine anyone wanting to hurt her. She was… God, she was such a sweetheart."

“Last night, Sandra Morrison mentioned that newer members had been trying to change the book selection process, pushing for more popular fiction rather than literary classics,” Kate revealed. “How did you feel about those conflicts?"

Patricia's expression became more animated as she warmed to the subject. "I think Sandra and Margaret had valid concerns about maintaining the intellectual quality of our discussions. When you start selecting books based on popularity rather than literary merit, you risk turning a serious book club into a social hour."

"Did you support Sandra and Margaret's position on book selections?"

"Generally, yes. I joined the group because I wanted to read challenging material and engage in thoughtful discussions. If I wanted to chat about whatever book happened to be trending on social media, I could do that anywhere."

Kate noted the alignment between Patricia's views and the alliance Sandra had described between herself and Margaret. Patricia seemed to share their frustration with newer members who wanted to change the group's focus.

"And you think these conflicts over book selections created enough tension to motivate violence?"

Patricia looked genuinely shocked by the suggestion. "Violence? Over book choices? That seems completely disproportionate. I mean, yes, people had strong opinions, but we're talking about literary discussions, not life-and-death matters."

Kate studied Patricia's face, looking for any signs of deception or concealed anger. What she saw was a woman who seemed genuinely bewildered by the suggestion that book club conflicts could escalate to murder.

"Mrs. Dunham, is there anyone in the group who you've ever felt uncomfortable around? Anyone whose behavior seemed concerning or unstable?"

Patricia thought for a moment before shaking her head. "Everyone in the group has always seemed perfectly normal to me. We're all educated people who share a love of reading. I can't imagine any of us being capable of murder."

Kate felt the same frustration she'd experienced with Eleanor. The book club members seemed genuinely unable to conceive that someone within their trusted circle might be responsible for the murders. Kate doubted seriously that Patricia was the killer, but she wasn't ready to eliminate her entirely as a suspect. After all, she had access to information about Margaret's cancer diagnosis that supposedly only the Carlisles and Dunhams knew. She had weak alibis for both murder timeframes. And she clearly shared Sandra and Margaret's frustration with newer members wanting to change the book club's focus.

Could Patricia be an unhinged murderer, killing people to gain a better foothold in the book club's social hierarchy? It seemed far-fetched, but Kate had seen people commit murder for motives that seemed equally trivial to outside observers.

"I think that's all I need for now," Kate said. "But I need you to be very careful about your personal safety over the next few days. Don't open your door to anyone you're not expecting, and consider varying your routine if possible. And if you absolutely must go somewhere, please try to have your husband or someone else go with you."

"Do you really think I'm in danger?"

"I think everyone associated with the book club should be taking precautions until we identify the killer." Kate stood up and handed Patricia her business card. "If you think of anything else that might be relevant, or if you notice any unusual activity, please call me immediately."

Patricia nodded as Kate got to her feet and started for the door. The poor woman looked like she’d just survived a hurricane, her face a mix of shock relief, and sadness.

As Kate left Patricia's house, she found herself uncertain about the woman's potential involvement in the murders. Patricia had seemed genuinely shocked by news of Jennifer's death, and her emotional responses appeared authentic. But her knowledge of Margaret's secret cancer diagnosis and her alignment with Sandra's views about book club standards kept her on Kate's list of potential suspects.

It seemed highly unlikely that Patricia was the killer, but Kate had learned never to underestimate the depths of human resentment and the extremes people would go to in pursuit of what they perceived as justice or recognition.

Human emotion was tricky as hell, and she didn’t think book clubs were immune from it.