“A cup of green tea for me, also with lemon,” said Gussie.

“I think I’d better have a Johnnie Walker Red. Straight up,” said Jim.

“She did,” Gussie confirmed. She pressed her lips together. Hard.

Jim sat up straighter, as though preparing himself. “What this time?”

“She’d conferenced in Abigail, the florist. She’s planning to decorate the pews with large pink-and-white bows. And candles. And add an arch at the front of the church covered with more bows. And flowers.”

The waitress brought their drinks. “Would you like to order now?”

“Not yet,” said Gussie.

Jim took a deep swallow of scotch.

“Pink-and-white bows, Jim. An arch in front of the altar.”

“She did mention something about a surprise.”

“You knew about this?” Gussie looked across the table as though she couldn’t believe her ears. “You knew Lily was planning to decorate the church as though it were a birthday cake?”

“She said she was going to add a little to the flowers you’d ordered. I didn’t know about everything.”

“Well, I can’t have it. I cannot have her going behind my back anymore, changing plans we’ve already made. No more ‘surprises.’”

“All she said was, she’d looked at the church on the Internet and it was a little plain.”

“Plain! It will be full. Of people. Of joy! Not of pink bows! Or of candles the church’s insurance won’t allow! If it hadn’t been for the insurance issue Reverend Palmer might not even have told me.”

“Can’t we keep a little something she wanted?” Jim suggested. “What about the bows?” He looked across the table at his bride-to-be. “Maybe white bows? But it’s your call. I’ll talk to her.”

Gussie sighed. “Oh, all right. White bows. Medium-sized white bows. That don’t drape on the ground so anyone would trip on them or they’d get caught in my wheels. And only on the pews. No arch.”

“Maybe you could add a white bow to your bouquet, so everything would match?” Maggie dared suggest.

Gussie glared at her. “I’ll think about it.”

“Would you all like to order now?” suggested the waitress with a smile. “Crab cakes are our special today, but we also have fried clams, or a New York sirloin.”

“I’d like the crab cakes,” said Maggie.

“I’ll have the steak,” said Gussie. “Rare. I want to see the blood.”

Chapter 11

Red Astrachan.Hand-colored lithograph of bright red apple of Russian origin from The Agriculture of New York, by Dr. Ebenezer Emmons, 1851. Two views; one sliced in half to show seeds and stem. Both apples upside down. At its publication this book included all varieties of apples produced in New York; today most are considered heirlooms. The sweet Red Astrachan, however, is still grown in New York. Lithograph on heavy paper, toned at edges. Unmatted. 9 x 11.5 inches. Price: $40.

The rest of lunch went more quietly. Nothing more was said about church decorations, and no one mentioned murders, bodies, or the morning’s visit to Cordelia on Apple Orchard Lane. Jim told some funny stories about growing up in Georgia which ­Maggie suspected Gussie had heard dozens of times before, and Gussie asked her if she’d like to have her hair done before the wedding; she and Ellen and Lily all had appointments at Lucky Ladies on Saturday morning, and she’d had them hold an appointment for Maggie, too.

“I don’t think so,” Maggie said. “My hair’s so long I’ll just wash it, let it drip dry and pin it up.”

When Gussie looked disappointed she added, “But if they do manicures, I could use one of those.”

“I’ll see if I can get you an appointment,” Gussie agreed. “It would be fun to have all of us there primping together.”

Maggie had the distinct feeling Gussie was thinking “safety in numbers.”

By the end of the meal both the bride and groom were a lot more relaxed. “Sorry you had to see that little scene, Maggie,” Gussie admitted. “This getting married has been a true test of love. It’s been something new almost every day since Lily found out about the wedding.”

“She wants to help. She really does,” agreed Jim. “But her system is to push everything one hundred miles further than anyone wants. I’ll call her this afternoon and make nice, and tell her she’s over the top about the church, but offer her the compromise about the bows. I’m sure she’ll retreat. Bows on the pews were probably what she wanted in the first place.”

“Dealing with her sounds exhausting!” said Maggie. “How did you manage to grow up sane?”

“I moved to the Cape as soon as I was old enough to get on a bus,” Jim grinned. “Or something like that.”

“I’m trying hard,” Gussie added. “But I may really explode before the wedding if she comes up with any more of her brilliant ideas. You have no idea how glad I am you convinced her to stay in Atlanta until just before the wedding, Jim. If she were here I think I’d be ready to jump off a cliff by now.”

“I’ll try to keep her busy and under control when she arrives. Not to worry.”

“Jim, what happened with Diana this morning?” Maggie asked. “Is she going to be all right? Do you think she needs a lawyer?”

“I’m not sure. But she did need someone to talk with. I’m now on record as representing her, and I told her not to answer any questions beyond what the police know already. I don’t think that’s a problem; she clammed up right after she got in my car. Her father’s murder scared her. She wouldn’t talk about their life in Colorado.”

“Are you going to follow up with her?” asked Gussie.

“Not unless she asks me to do something specific, or I hear from Ike that she’s part of his investigation. At the moment I think he’s focusing on what Dan Jeffrey was doing here in Winslow, not on what he did when he was Roger Hopkins in Colorado. I’m not sure Ike even knows about that part of the man’s life yet. We have so much to do with the house and the wedding, Gussie, I don’t have time to take on a young woman who needs a surrogate family right now.”

Maggie was silent for a moment. “I’m worried about her. Maybe it’s because I spend so much time with students her age. If you can spare me—” she looked over at Gussie, who clearly wasn’t thrilled with what she was saying—“I know, I just got here, but I’d like to check up on her, and maybe get her out of that house a few times while the police are investigating. She said she’d like to help with the wedding. Maybe she could help us with the move, too. Could we offer to pay her a little?”

“Maggie, why is it you’re always getting involved with young people in trouble of some sort?” Gussie sighed. “But we could use some young muscles at the house. And I have a feeling Cordelia wouldn’t mind if we borrowed Diana. Jim, would that be a problem for any legal reason?”

He shrugged. “None I can think of. If she can help you out, and it keeps her busy, sure, why not? We can pay her a few dollars. That’ll make it look as though we aren’t looking for free labor.”

“We’re going to pack at your place this afternoon, right?” said Maggie.

Gussie nodded.

“I’ll take my car and go back to Cordelia’s and see if Diana’s interested. If she is, I’ll bring her back with me. I won’t be gone long.”

Within twenty minutes she’d pulled her van up to the house at Apple Orchard Lane. Diana’s Volkswagen was still outside.

After several minutes’ wait, Cordelia answered the door. “Good afternoon, Cordelia. Could I speak with Diana for a few moments?”

Cordelia looked surprised, but went to a small table near the staircase where there were several books, a lamp, and a cowbell, and rang the bell. A minute later Diana came down the stairs.

“Oh, it’s you, Maggie. I wondered what Cordelia wanted.”

“Sorry to disturb you. But you mentioned helping with Gussie’s wedding. This isn’t directly wedding-related, but Gussie and Jim are trying to consolidate their households and move into their new home and get Gussie’s shop set up before their wedding. I know you have a lot on your mind, but if you’d like to earn a few extra dollars, we could use some help packing this afternoon.”