Reading Up a Storm by Eva Gates

named Williamson. Is that right?”
    â€œYes. I saw him. Most of his face was covered by a cap, but it was the same guy who came to book club last night. Butch confirmed it.”
    â€œStephanie’s father?”
    â€œIt must be. I noticed a strong family resemblance between them last night, but thought nothing of it. As soon as Pat said he was back from Alaska, I knew it had to be the same man. How awful. Poor Stephanie finally found her father, and now he’s dead.”
    â€œSounds like no loss to anyone,” Bertie said. “Have you told the police this?”
    I thought of Charles and the book cart. “No. Should I?”
    Bertie let out a long sigh. “I don’t see how we can’t, honey.”
    â€œBut it doesn’t have anything to do with Stephanie or Pat. Pat told us in complete confidence. She’s kept that secret for thirty years. We can’t blurt it out the first chance we get.”
    â€œWhen it comes to the law, we might have to. I don’t like it either. I’d suggest you say nothing, but if you’re directly asked if there’s a relationship between Stephanie or Pat and this man Williamson, you can’t lie.”
    â€œHis death has nothing to do with Stephanie.” I studied Bertie’s face. “It doesn’t. You must know that.”
    â€œHoney, I don’t know what I know. But you can be sure that if I’m thinking it’s a heck of a coincidence that Williamson was murdered hours after Stephanie found out he’s the man who got her mother pregnant and abandoned them to a life of poverty and hard work, you can be sure Watson will think so too.”
    â€œHer learning about him had nothing to do with it. An earlier attempt was made on his life.”
    â€œWhen? Do the police know this?”
    â€œMonday night. I don’t think they know, but I saw the lights.”
    â€œWhat lights? What are you talking about, Lucy?”
    â€œSomeone deliberately misled his boat in the storm, caused it to crash onto the shore. I saw it. The boat was wrecked. Will and Marlene were lucky to survive.”
    â€œWe’re leaving, Ms. Richardson. Now!” Watson bellowed.
    â€œYou have to go,” Bertie said. “I’m heading to Pat’s, and I’ll break the news to her and Stephanie. It’s up to Pat and Stephanie to decide if they want to go to the police with what they know about Williamson. But I have to tell them that lights or no lights, you and I can’t keep this secret for long.”

Chapter 7
    Detective Watson and Connor McNeil were standing in the parking lot beside their cars, each of them tapping away at their iPhones. When I came running up, Watson suggested we all drive into Nags Head together, but Connor said he had to get back to his office as soon as he’d seen Marlene. I leaped into Connor’s car before Watson could object.
    If I was stuck with Watson for more than a minute, who knows what secrets I’d spill.
    Bertie was right, and I knew it. All I could do was hope I wouldn’t be asked a direct question about Stephanie. Not until she had the chance to go to the cops herself.
    I should call and let her know what had happened, but I wouldn’t be able to do that until I got some time to myself. Stephanie had met Will only once. If I was to keep her confidence as long as possible, I couldn’t let on that she had any particular reason to need to know that he had died. Thank heavens for Bertie. She’d sort it all out.
    â€œWhat did Bertie want?” Connor said.
    â€œNothing,” I squeaked. I cleared my throat. “I mean, nothing.”
    â€œYou’re a dreadful liar, Lucy.”
    â€œSo my mother always said.” I slid down in my seat. Connor drove a comfortable BMW sports car. At the moment I wasn’t feeling at all comfortable. My mother told me I gave out a physical signal when I lied, but she would never tell me precisely what that