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MURDER SHE WROTE
FOR LOVE AND FRIENDSHIP
Chapter 1
Usually Jessica didn't mind her monthly visits to Loretta's Beauty Parlor. Besides getting a nice trim and blow-out from Loretta, it was a time for her to catch up with some of her dearest of friends, to share recipes or talk about the latest idle gossip.
Except this time it was different.
The time, unfortunately, the conversation centered around her new love relationship with Seth.
As Jessica sat in the styling chair while Loretta did her comb-out, all her friends seemed to be talking at once.
"Well, all I can say," Eve Simpson said excitedly, as she sat at the manicurist section, having her nails done, "is from day one when I first saw Jessica and Seth together, I knew there was instant chemistry!"
Phyllis Grant popped up the huge dome dryer from her head, "Admit it, Eve, you see chemistry in every man!"
Eve looked up, offended, "And what is THAT supposed to mean, Phyllis?"
"Oh, I think you know!" Phyllis gave a playful wink to Jessica.
"Pay Phyllis no mind, Eve," Loretta told her, as she continued to fix Jessica's hair, "so, Jessica, go on with what you were saying about Seth..."
But Jessica had not been able to get a word in edgewise all morning. Jessica gazed at Loretta through the viewing mirror.
"Actually, I hadn't said much of anyth-"
She was interrupted by Ideal Malloy.
"If you ask me, I just think it's absolutely wonderful that you and Seth are finally together!" Ideal swooned as she sat under the dryer, next to Phyllis, "Of course, what I don't understand is how we as your closest of friends, are the last people to know!"
"Last to know what?" asked a confused Beverly, who was Seth's receptionist. She was the third person sitting at the row of pink dryers.
Eve looked beyond frustrated, "That Jessica was the last to know that short people are the last to know when it rains!" she stated sarcastically, "For heaven's sake, Beverly, keep up with us, please! We were discussing that we, as Jessica's dear, dear friends, were the last to be told that Jessica and Seth are an item!"
"Oh, you know how Jessica is," Phyllis added, talking as if Jessica wasn't even there," She's always kept things close to the vest! It's like pulling teeth to get her to say anything about herself!"
Jessica looked puzzled, "But...isn't that usually a good thing?"
"Are you serious?" Eve looked offended, "You keeping secrets from friends, such as ourselves, is almost like lying to us!"
"I agree," verified Beverly, nodding knowingly, "and it's downright unAmerican, too!"
"Well, I certainlywouldn't want to do that!" Jessica said sardonically.
"So then give us the lowdown on you and Seth!" Ideal insisted, "For instance, what romantic place did he take you to on your first date?"
Jessica tried again, "Actually, our relationship is so new and we've been so busy that we haven't even had time to -"
"-Doc favors that Seafood restaurant at Bar Harbor," Beverly, interjected as her face scrunched up, "Oh dear me. What was the name of that restaurant that he liked so much? Starts with a 'G'. Now what was it? I make reservations over there for him from time to time. The name's slipped my mind!"
"Galyn's!" Phyllis snapped her fingers, "He LOVES the lobsters there!"
"He does at that!" concurred Eve, "I remember one time I had a huge birthday bash over there for one of my major clients who, by the way, thought I was just the best real estate agent EVER!...Anyway, Seth was really raving about their food AND ambiance! And, if you don't mind me saying, it's rare that we hear an outright compliment from him!"
"Eve!" reprimanded Loretta, as she turned and pointed her comb at her as she berated her, "You shouldn't be saying any kind of negative things about Doc Hazlitt in front of Jessica here!"
"Oh, that's quite true, isn't it?" Eve said, as her way of an apology.
"I bet you two took a stroll on the wharf afterwards," Ideal added, looking dreamily Jessica's way.
Jessica answered, "No, we didn't-"
"Oh, the Doc does love his strolls," Beverly verified for them, "he says it's good for his constitution! And he especially enjoys walks where he can get a whiff of fresh ocean air at the same time!"
The women all nodded knowingly in unison.
"So during your romantic stroll," Phyllis asked, with a grin, "I bet there was a little lovey-dove hand-holding thrown in?"
Jessica would give it one more try.
"No, Phyllis, there was no romantic stroll," she said slowly and patiently, "and Ladies, I never said we went to Bar Harbor! And we definitely didn't do any lovey-dove hand holding while taking in whiffs of ocean air over there!"
"Well, why not, Hun?" Ideal asked, "I've always thought of you as the outdoorsy type!"
"Me, too!" piped in Beverly.
"Everyone!" Eve announced to the ladies, as if she were the only perceptive one,"You Ladies are not getting what Jessica is trying to put down! So let me be the one to explain it all for you!" she exclaimed decisively, "It's pretty obvious to me that Seth and Jessica did NOT go to Galyn's on their first date because what they did..."the last part she stated suggestively," didn't require being at a restaurant or outdoors at ALL, if you get my drift..."
"Ohhhhhhhhh," all the ladies said in unison, as if now they understood everything.
And then they were all in a titter; giggling and nodding and winking at Jessica.
"Oh, Ugh!" Jessica threw her eyes up at the ceiling in complete exasperation, "for goodness sake!"
#
(An hour later)
Seth was looking questionably at Jessica from across his office desk. Originally, they had planned to have lunch at the local diner. Instead, Jessica had decided to drop by the local deli and brought back two sandwiches, chips and two cookies. Seth had provided two cold glasses of milk. The items were now scattered on his office desk.
"So tell me again WHY we had to have lunch in my office today and WHY we had to keep the door shut?" he asked her.
"Seems we are the talk of the town, Seth!" Jessica was obviously frustrated, "You know how those ladies are, down at Loretta's! They wanted to know all the details of what is happening between us! It just got to be too much!"
"Talk of the town, you say?"
Seth leaned back in his chair, a smile played on his lips.
Jessica was surprised by Seth's reaction.
"Seth! You actually look happy about the news!" she commented.
He stared at her intently for awhile until she found herself getting warm beneath her skin. His chair creaked as he now leaned forward over his desk so he was closer to her.
"Of course I'm happy about it, Woman!" he stated as he reached out and playfully touched her nose, "I'm ecstatic! I LOVE the idea of you and me together and if a bunch o' nosy Cabot Cove folks are talkin' about you and me, I'm gonna be at the front of that line, to make sure that gossip turns to fact permanently!"
How did Seth always know the right thing to say to put her in a good mood?
And the way he was looking at her with such affection made Jessica's heart melt.
"Oh, Seth," she sighed happily.
KNOCK! KNOCK!
Their simple lunch was interrupted by the knocking heard outside Seth's office door.
Seth gave a frustrated sigh.
"People are gonna have to start organizin' their sicknesses!" he told her as he then turned his head towards the door.
"Unless your sickness requires the use of a scalpel," he yelled out, "leave your name 'n number at the desk and I'll have Beverly call you for an appointment!"
Instead, the door slightly opened and Mort poked his head in.
"Sorry, I'm calling on official business," Mort explained, "I'm not disturbing you two, am I?"
"Oh noooo, not at all!" Seth said in a sarcastic tone, "we've been waitin' all afternoon for you, Sheriff! Now our lives are complete!"
"Come in, Mort, we were just having lunch," Jessica countered by openly invited him in, "we have extra drinks here, too. And there's also an extra cookie or an apple, if you like."
"I prefer you take the apple!" Seth loudly suggested.
"No, thanks," Mort stepped in and respectfully removed his hat, "Again, I didn't mean to disrupt you lunch, Doc, Mrs. F., but there's been a death."
That certainly changed the mood in the room.
Seth and Jessica exchanged surprised looks.
"A death?" Seth asked, looking none too happy, "and don't tell me. You're here because you want me to examine the body?!"
"That won't be necessary, Doc."
Seth and Jessica looked even more confused, especially when Mort didn't elaborate.
"Was it a homicide, Mort?" she asked.
"Actually, the answer to both those questions is a resounding 'no'," Mort gave them an enigmatic look, "however, you two might want to come with me..."
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