BESTSELLERS & BEST FRIENDS
My book publishing blog, with murder mysteries woven through it.
If this is your first visit, be sure to start with “1. Let’s do it!”
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There will be no joke today. This isn’t funny. At all. Damn it!
I stayed at the Ramada Inn. (Yep, same place where the annual Ligonier Writer’s Conference is held.) I slept in. Then grabbed a coffee and muffin at Abigail’s and sat, peacefully, on a bench in the “Diamond.” (Which is known as the “Town Square” everywhere else.)
I looked around. The memories were nearly overwhelming. I grew up in such goodness and innocence. We used to joke around, referring to our hometown as“Mayberry.” And high school friends, Jennifer and Jane, called it “Brigadoon.”
Ligonier, PA
Just look at it! This photo is the view from where I’ll be buried. Not bad, eh? In the photo’s center you can spot the town’s green-ish gazebo which sits smack in the middle of the Diamond and right next to the bench where I was enjoying this morning’s coffee. It was very peaceful. And just minutes before everything went to absolute hell.
At 9:57 a.m. I took a last bite of my muffin and a last sip of my coffee and headed over to Second Chapter Books to sign the five copies of Olphabet. Laurie opens the store at 10 a.m.
I walked past a police car parked on the Diamond. It’s often there, as the criminal activity in Ligonier is mostly about folks not coming to a full stop when entering the Diamond.
Police Chief Jim was in the car, window down. We smiled and shook hands. Jim, the son of a high school buddy, and I had spent a lot of time together recently. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, head back to my posting for Blog 20.
Jim started talking about the Clark girl who was running around with the Horrell boy, the one who lived out by the Marker farm—
“Excuse me, Jim. Laurie’s expecting me.”
I walked into Second Chapter Books and there was Laurie. On the floor. So much blood. No need to check for a pulse like they do on TV. She was very dead. It was horrible. I can see it now. Worse yet, I can’t not see it.
I backed out of the store and threw up. Then staggered back down the street to the police car.
Tomorrow: I have no idea what will happen tomorrow.