Tuesday morning, Katie could barely focus on her patients. Her mind was on Ellen Riley, Nick, and Christopher. Her clinic was overbooked again because they were closing early to attend Ellen’s memorial service. Katie ran late all morning, and by the time she’d seen the last patient, everyone but Debra had left for lunch and the memorial.

Debra offered to drive them both, and Katie gratefully accepted. She didn’t want to walk into the reception alone. She felt like it was still somehow her fault that Ellen was dead. As if she should have known that Ellen’s life was going to be cut short. Logically, she knew she wasn’t to blame, but facing a room full of Ellen’s friends and family was daunting.

Going to the ceremony with Debra could also support her plan to observe the mourners and gather more information on the people close to Ellen. Debra knew everything about everyone, and for once Katie was hoping to hear some gossip.

Debra led her to a small Ford sedan. The passenger seat was cluttered with takeout bags, magazines, and a worn stuffed dolphin. Katie waited while Debra scooped everything up and dumped it in the back seat, where a toddler’s car seat and more childcare clutter awaited. Katie gingerly sat down and buckled her seat belt.

Debra put the car in drive and screeched out of the parking lot. Katie gripped the door handle until her knuckles turned white.

Debra’s life was truly an open book. She was more upset when people didn’t know her business than when they did. She began to fill Katie in on her list of concerns.

“So I said to Sean, ‘We have got to have more sex.’ I mean, we all have needs, right?” Debra turned to Katie for affirmation.

Katie gestured at the road. “Stop sign.”

Debra slammed on the brakes and apparently assessed the cross street with her peripheral vision before zipping into the intersection. “So he’s mad now and says I’m pressuring him. It’s not like I’m asking for multiple times a day. Although there was a time . . .”

Katie coughed.

Debra stopped and looked at Katie again. “Is this one of those things?”

Katie nodded. She had tried to instill the concept of “need to know” in Debra.

“Okay. But do you think I went too far? I mean, medically, I’m just wondering what’s normal. He thinks I’m over the top, but I just told him how I felt . . .”

“That’s always the best way,” Katie interrupted. “Tell him how you feel and try to reach a compromise.”

Debra nodded. “I know I’m a bit of an oversharer. I guess it comes from being the youngest in a big family—if I didn’t tell my parents I was there, they’d have forgotten all about me.”

“If this is something that is really bothering you, I can give you a list of therapists to talk to. It’s not something we can solve in a five-minute car ride.”

“I don’t think I need that!” Debra said. “But I’ll let you know if I change my mind.”

Thankfully, they arrived at the funeral home, and all conversation stopped as they got out of the car and headed inside.

Soothing watercolor prints adorned the gray walls in the large room. Soft classical music played from speakers mounted to the ceiling. The mourners quietly filed in. Christopher, Beth, and a young man stood at the front of the room accepting condolences.

“That’s Dan, Christopher’s son,” Debra said. “I could tell you a few stories about him . . .” Just then Debra’s attention was distracted by her good friend Lois from the Clip ’n’ Curl, Baxter’s other main source of information distribution.

Katie walked to the front and leaned in to hug Beth. As she did, Beth whispered in her ear. “I need to talk to you. This afternoon, maybe?”

Katie whispered back, “Call me later.”

Katie shook hands with Christopher and offered her condolences. She then turned to the young man standing next to Christopher.

“Dr. LeClair, this is my son, Dan. I don’t think you’ve met. He lives in Chicago.”

They shook hands and nodded, and Katie moved on. As she walked away, she felt someone watching her, and when she turned, Dan was staring right at her as if he didn’t like her. He quickly looked away and greeted the next person in line. It gave Katie a chill. She turned and bumped into Todd. “Sorry,” she said. “I wasn’t looking where I was going.”

“No worries,” Todd said. “It’s pretty crowded.”

Katie looked around for Emmett. He had promised to meet her here.

After saying hello to several patients, she spotted her partner at the back. Making her way over to him wasn’t as easy as it seemed. She was stopped several times to acknowledge the people vying for her attention. She wasn’t sure where the interest came from and cynically decided that they wanted to talk to anyone who had been closely involved with Ellen. So few of Baxter’s residents had accepted Ellen in their midst that—even after two years—she was still considered a newcomer. Katie wondered how long it would take them to accept her.

Cecily Hawkins sat next to Emmett and bestowed a frosty smile on Katie as she sat down on his other side. Nick rushed in and took a seat next to Cecily just as the service began. Cecily sat stiffly and stared straight ahead. Katie couldn’t decide if she was saddened about Ellen’s passing or just upset to be there at all.

The service was brief but appropriate. Christopher’s comments were cut short by emotion, which surprised Katie, since he always seemed so controlled. Maybe she was wrong to suspect him. When Christopher left the podium to sit down, Katie glanced down her row. She was shocked to see tears streaming down Cecily’s face. Emmett handed her a handkerchief, and Nick tried to hold her hand, but she pulled it away and crossed her arms. Katie remembered that Ellen and Cecily had been close until just recently. With her suspicions of Nick at the forefront of her mind, she now wondered if Cecily could be involved. Could she have killed her friend out of jealousy? Cecily probably could have gotten into the clinic without much trouble. Katie’s fingers were itching to add ideas to her notebook, but she would have to wait.

Beth walked to the podium and said a few words about her mother’s work and how close they had always been, and that was the end. Everyone filed into the next room for coffee and dessert.

Katie followed the crowd, hoping to pick up clues about Ellen’s life and death. She recognized staff members from Riley’s restaurant who were there to support their boss. There was a group of women standing together by the coffee urn, patting each other’s backs and weeping quietly into tissues. Neighbors? Colleagues? Katie wasn’t sure and wished she knew more of the people in town.

She’d headed in their direction when an overheard line stopped her short.

“. . . can’t believe she’s here after the huge fight they had.”

“Cecily only sees things from one point of view—hers,” came the catty reply.

“I’m sure you’re right. Do you think there’s any truth . . .” The two women moved out of earshot and, short of following them around the room, Katie had to let that little tidbit go.

She’d just put a couple of cookies on a plate when someone bumped into her, and the cookies fell to the floor. She turned to see who had knocked into her and saw the whole crowd had scattered to the corners of the room. Todd’s nose was bleeding profusely, and he swung wildly at Dan. Christopher pushed his way through the crowd and stood between the two men.

“Both of you, stop it!” Christopher said. His face was red and contorted in anger.

Beth rushed up to Todd with a handful of napkins. Dan shook off his father’s hand and pushed his way through the crowd and out the door.

Katie had no wish to linger now that a fight had broken out.

She spotted Emmett across the room and moved through the crowd to tell him that she was leaving.

“What was that about?” she asked when she reached him.

“I have no idea.” Emmett shook his head. “Emotions always run high at funerals, but you don’t often see fisticuffs.”

The crowd began to disperse, and Marilyn appeared at Emmett’s elbow. Katie stiffened. This was the first time she had seen Marilyn since Lynn had told her about Eric. She knew it wasn’t fair, but some part of her blamed Marilyn. Had she abused Eric, and he perpetuated the violence in his own family?

“Hello, doctors,” she said. “Dr. Hawkins, Mrs. Williams was looking for you. It was something about the church dinner.”

Emmett hurried off in search of Mrs. Williams. He had been put in charge of the fundraiser again, and he said there were always hundreds of last-minute emergencies to attend to.

Katie turned toward the door just as Marilyn said, “It’s interesting that Dan came to the service. He and Ellen never got along. In fact, he and Christopher hardly get along. I think Christopher was in Chicago getting him out of trouble on the night Ellen died.”

Mrs. Peabody’s claim that she had seen Christopher that night flitted across her mind.

“I thought it was a business meeting for another restaurant opening,” Katie corrected her and then realized she should have just stayed mute on the subject. It wouldn’t be good for people to think she had any special interest in the Riley family.

“Is that what he said? He’d just been there for the opening the week before. At least, that’s what Ellen said when I was there cleaning. I must be mistaken. None of my business anyway.” She shrugged and directed a rare smile at Katie.

Katie marveled again at how the daughter of one friend and the son of another could have grown up in the same town with such different results. Maybe Marilyn had not had the same kind of support that Christopher had. Marilyn seemed to carry the whole world on her shoulders and never expected more from life than what it handed her. Christopher took what he could from every opportunity that passed by.

“It looks like Dan has made another enemy after that fight,” Katie said.

“Fight?” Marilyn looked at her, surprised.

“Didn’t you see the fight? Dan and Todd Talbot just had a brawl. Christopher had to separate them.”

“I was in the other room,” Marilyn said. “Was Todd all right?” Marilyn stood on tiptoes and scanned the crowd.

Katie nodded. “I think so; he went off to another room with Beth.”

“That’s good. She’ll take care of him.”

“I should get back to the office and finish up some paperwork.”

“I’m heading that way myself,” Marilyn said. “Do you need a ride? I noticed you came here with Debra. She won’t want to leave until the last cookie is gone.”

“That would be great, thank you.”

Marilyn led her to a car that was heavily rusted. Katie figured she must use the van only for cleaning jobs. The passenger door had to be slammed shut from the outside and then quickly locked to keep it closed. The inside was worn but tidy, and Katie settled back for the ride.

After their conversation at the funeral home, Marilyn didn’t have much to say, and Katie didn’t feel like making an effort. The ride was short, and she thanked Marilyn as she turned to open the door.

“Dr. LeClair, I don’t mean to speak out of turn, but . . .”

“What is it, Marilyn? You can tell me.”

“I know Mrs. Riley really liked you. She told me it was hard to move to such a closed community, and you were very kind to her. It takes people here a while to trust newcomers. And no one likes to dredge up old issues.”

“Old issues? What do you mean?”

“I mean everyone has a skeleton or two in their closet. It doesn’t do anyone any good to bring them out into the light.” Marilyn shrugged. “Just something to keep in mind. I think Mrs. Riley thought she was being helpful, but some things are better left alone. She didn’t mention anything to you?”

Katie shook her head. “I can’t really discuss a patient with you. But what do you mean?”

Marilyn held up her hand. “Of course, sorry. No worries. I don’t mean anything by it.” Marilyn put the car in gear.

“Thank you for the ride, Marilyn.” Katie wasn’t sure what else to say.

Katie stepped out and slammed the door. Marilyn leaned over and pushed the lock button.

Marilyn pulled away, leaving Katie shaking her head in exasperation. Of all the strange conversations. Marilyn had barely said more than hello in the whole time Katie had worked with Emmett, and now she gave her a cryptic message. Katie was still mulling it over as she unlocked the building and then relocked the door.

After her last debacle with the coffeemaker, she heated up some water in the microwave and dunked a tea bag in the mug. She flipped open her notebook to update her note on Ellen. She had crossed out “diazepam overdose” and changed it to “Demerol.” She was still concerned about who had written the prescription, but it took a back seat at this point to her list of suspects. Nick and Cecily might both have motives. She wasn’t sure whether Dan had a motive, but he certainly had a violent streak. Christopher was seen at the house when he claimed to be in Chicago. But after his emotional speech, Katie moved him lower on the list. She didn’t like the idea that one of her partners continued to float to the top of her suspect list. And she added that Marilyn had warned her about old secrets. What old secrets? Katie was now even more curious about Ellen’s activities in the weeks leading up to her death. She closed her notebook with a sigh and steeled herself to get her paperwork done.

She took her tea and her leftover lunch back to her office and started writing the morning’s charts. This was the mind-numbing boredom part of her job that she hadn’t been aware of when she started on this path. All the TV shows depicted lots of action and lifesaving. They almost never showed the hours of paperwork: disability forms, insurance forms, notes, case summaries, procedure notes, and physical forms. Katie was just finishing the last chart when she heard a noise at the front desk.

She walked to the front of the building and looked around. The front door was still locked. She must have been hearing things. She turned to walk back to her office and ran full force into Debra, who was coming out of the file room with a stack of charts.

They both screamed, and Debra dropped the top four or five files as she steadied herself.

“I didn’t know anyone was here,” Debra said. “You scared me, Dr. LeClair.”

“You scared me first,” Katie replied. They both laughed.

“I looked for you after the service, but someone said you left with Marilyn. Is she here?”

These people didn’t miss a thing, did they?

“No, she just dropped me off. I had to finish charting.”

“That’s what I came to do too. I didn’t get a chance to pull charts for tomorrow.”

“Okay, let me know when you leave.”

Katie started to walk away and then turned.

“Debra, do you know what happened today between Todd and Dan?”

Debra stepped closer to Katie, her eyes bright. She looked up and down the hallway even though they had just established that they were alone in the building.

“I heard that Christopher just put Todd in charge of the Chicago restaurant as well as the one here. Dan is the acting manager in Chicago, and he’s furious. Christopher has always been really supportive of Todd, and Dan thinks Todd is taking advantage.”

“Hmm. That doesn’t seem like something they need to beat each other up over.”

“Apparently, Dan said something about how now that his protector is dead, Todd would have to prove himself.”

“Todd threw the first punch?”

Debra nodded. “I saw the whole thing start. I couldn’t believe it. One second they were standing there talking, the next Todd had decked Dan, and then there was a full-on fistfight.”

“Thanks, Deb. It’s going to take me awhile to understand all the relationships in town.”

Katie wandered back to her office thinking of all the connections in this small town. It was impossible to stay anonymous, but somehow one of these people had been able to kill Ellen and not get caught—yet. She thought of how so many small decisions could lead to such big changes, good and bad. Katie had picked up a Frisbee and met Justin. Beth came here to be closer to her mother and had met Todd. ER doctors saw the results of small decisions going horribly wrong every day. Ellen, deciding to move from Chicago, certainly never suspected it would lead to her death. She probably thought she would be safer in a relatively rural community as compared to the urban sprawl of Chicago. But she had made a decision that must have threatened someone, and now she was dead.

Debra interrupted Katie’s reverie by bouncing into her office to announce that she was headed home for the day.

“I shut off the phones and locked up the front. Just set the alarm at the back door when you leave, okay? You aren’t going to be here long, are you?”

Katie glanced at her watch and shook her head. “No, I should be finished soon. See you tomorrow.”