"Your chicken and dumplings tastes even better than it smells," Josie said. "There's a reason why they call it comfort food." She was ladling herself a second helping when her cell rang. She checked the display and said, "It's Ted. Maybe he can still join us for dinner."

She opened her phone. By the way Ted said her name, Josie knew he wasn't calling with good news. "What's wrong? Did Audrey die?"

"She came through her surgery just fine," he said. "I hope I also removed her taste for ribbons. I was getting ready to lock up and leave when I saw Molly's Beetle in our parking lot again. I'm here by myself."

"Did you call the police?" Josie asked.

"After the way they laughed at me this morning?" Ted said. "What good would that do?"

"Can she get in the clinic?"

"No, I locked the doors after Kathy left an hour ago. I can see Molly's VW parked next to my Mustang. It's right under the security light."

"Is she getting out of her car?" Josie asked.

"No, she's sitting in the front seat, watching the door."

"Stay right there," Josie said. "I'll come get you and walk you to your car. Then you can follow me to my house. Amelia's made chicken and dumplings."

"I can't wait," Ted said. "Her dumplings are the best."

"I agree," Josie said. "Amelia's dumplings are the best."

Amelia grinned.

"And I can't wait to get to the clinic and give bridezilla a piece of my mind."

"What if Molly attacks you?" Ted said. "She's crazy."

"I'm armed," Josie said.

"You don't have a gun, do you?" Ted asked.

"No, I've got that pepper spray you gave me for protection," she said. "Stops rabid dogs and berserk brides. I'm on my way."

She punched her phone shut. "Did you hear that, Amelia? The stalker bride is lurking in Ted's lot. I'm picking up Ted and telling that nut bar to leave my man alone."

"By yourself?" Amelia asked. "Shouldn't you take Grandma? Or me?"

"I can handle her," Josie said. "I'll have Ted with me. Just keep the chicken and dumplings warm, and we'll be right back."

Josie combed her thick brown hair, slashed on fresh lipstick, and dragged on a clean white blouse, wondering why she was dressing up to confront a stalker. Because I'm meeting Ted, she decided. And I want Molly to see he's mine.

She ran out into the warm October night and wished the weather would be as good on their wedding day. Too bad St. Louis weather was as unpredictable as Amelia's moods.

The clinic was only three minutes away, a practical cube embedded in a parking lot. The lot was deserted except for Ted's '68 Mustang and Molly's Beetle, bronzed by the security lights.

She saw Ted's tall, muscular frame outlined in the clinic doorway. Josie parked on the other side of Ted's tangerine car. She glanced at Molly sitting upright in her Bug, eyes aimed at the clinic door. Ted was outside, already locking the door and setting the alarm.

Josie ran straight to him and gave him a fierce kiss, making sure Molly could see them. They walked hand in hand to Ted's Mustang.

"I'll follow you back to my flat as soon as I talk to her," Josie said.

"It's useless, Josie," Ted said. "She won't listen."

"I can at least try," Josie said.

"Then I won't leave until you're back in your car."

Josie kissed Ted's cheek, then turned toward Molly. The stalker ignored her. Molly kept staring straight ahead. Josie was prepared to pound on Molly's window, but it was rolled down. No surprise on a warm October night.

"Molly Ann Deaver," Josie said. "You can fool that h.o.r.n.y old judge, but you can't fool me. You aren't engaged to Ted and you know it. He's marrying me."

Silence. Molly didn't move.

"I said, do you understand Ted's marrying me? Are you going to leave him alone?"

More silence. Josie could hear her car's engine pinging as it cooled.

"ANSWER ME!" Josie shouted.

The silence grew louder. Now even Josie's car was quiet.

A furious Josie bent down to get a better look inside the car. Molly still ignored Josie. Her eyes were fixed straight ahead. In the dim light, Josie saw Molly wore her seat belt and a dress splashed with pink roses. She had a dark flower behind her ear.

"Molly?" Josie said.

Her car smelled funny-like iron and something worse.

"Molly!" Josie screamed, and shook her. Molly slumped forward. That wasn't a red flower in her hair. She had a b.l.o.o.d.y wound blooming by her ear.

Molly Deaver had a bullet in her head.

Chapter 12.

Wednesday, October 24 Molly Ann Deaver was murdered.

The bullet wound was a deadly bloom of dark red that spattered down her pink dress.

Josie made a thin mewing sound that morphed into a straight-out scream. Ted leaped out of his car and said, "Josie, what did she do to you?"

"Nothing," Josie said, her voice flat. She felt as if she were watching herself from a long distance. The bronze glow of the mercury-vapor lights added to the effect, as if Josie were looking at a sepia-tinted photo taken long ago. "She's dead. Someone shot her in the head."

Ted gathered Josie into his arms. Something shattered inside when she leaned her head on his shoulder. She caught his work smell-coffee, disinfectant, and dog hair-and cried. "I wanted her gone for good and now she is, but not this way."

"Me, either," Ted said.

"What's going to happen to you?" Josie wept. "First that terrible TV show. Then that stupid judge. They're going to blame you."

"Sh!" Ted said, holding her. "I'll be fine. I didn't kill her. I was inside when it happened. Are you sure she's dead? Maybe I should check."

"She's definitely dead," Josie said. "Don't touch her! You don't need to get your fingerprints on her car."

"Her eyelids look bruised," Ted said. "I wonder if she was beaten first? She must have been shot at fairly close range. I can see the black gunpowder marks on her skin. The blood has clogged and the top stuff is dry, but the thicker stuff is still wet."

"Stop!" Josie said. "It's horrible standing out here discussing her dead body. We need to call the police."

With fear-numbed fingers, Josie punched in 911 and blurted that she'd found a dead woman in the clinic lot. The 911 operator tried to keep her on the line, but Josie hung up and called her mother.

"Mom, I only have a few moments before the police get here," she said. "I'm with Ted. Molly Deaver's been shot in her car and the police are on their way. Will you make sure Amelia gets to bed on time? Yes, Ted and I are fine. No, we weren't hurt. The only-"

Josie's sentence was interrupted by the sirens. "The police are here," she said. "I've gotta go, Mom. Love you."

Josie thought she was frightened when she found the body.

But her fear grew when two Rock Road Village police arrived on the scene. She and Ted didn't recognize the officers.

She thought the officer who interviewed her was somewhere in his forties, but later she couldn't recall his name or his face. All she remembered were his hands: strong, calloused, with a gold wedding band and a deep scratch on his right thumb. He used those hands to pat down Josie for a weapon. She didn't like a strange man touching her, but he was quick and professional. He searched her for trace blood, examining her clothes and making her take off her shoes. He also swabbed the front and back of her hands with little test-tubelike collection doodads with sticky tops.

"I'm testing for GSR, ma'am," he said.

Gunshot residue, she figured out later.

They didn't find any on Josie or Ted. Josie's officer told her to sit in the back of his car.

"Can I call my mother?" Josie asked.

"Not until the homicide detective gives permission, ma'am," he said. "He's on his way." He locked the door to his car.

A bald, baggy-faced officer took charge of Ted. He was a stickler for procedure. "Empty your pockets, sir," he said, his voice neutral.

"Where should I put my things?" Ted asked.

"On the hood of your car, sir."

Ted set his cell phone, keys, wallet and pocket change on the Mustang's hood. The officer gave Ted a cautious but thorough pat-down.

Ted's phone barked. "Can I answer my phone?" he asked.

"No."

"What if it's a patient?"

"Don't you have a partner?"

"Yes, but-"

"Let your partner take the call."

After Ted's clothes and shoes were checked for blood spatter, the officer told him, "You can sit in that car and wait until the homicide detective arrives."

All that was bad. But when a Dodge Charger pulled into the lot and the homicide detective stepped out, Josie felt something claw her heart. It was Detective Richard Gray, the man who thought she'd murdered Amelia's father, Nate. The same man who'd once thought Ted was a killer, too.

He was wrong both times. Now Josie and Ted were together, and there was another murder.

Detective Gray dressed like his name: gray suit, darker gray tie, silver gray hair, eyes like chips of dirty ice and just as cold. His last name was so perfect for him, Josie thought he must have felt complete when his hair finally grayed.

"Miss Marcus," he said. "We have to stop meeting like this." His voice was mocking.

"But wait, you're not alone. You have a partner in crime now. It's my old friend, Ted. As I recall, you were a person of interest in one of my cases, Dr. Ted." He made Ted's t.i.tle into a sneer.

"Why am I not surprised that you and Miss Marcus have joined forces and the result is another victim? A famous one, too. The little blonde you left at the altar, Dr. Ted. Shot in the head. Miss Molly Deaver is-or should I say was-a nice-looking woman. That TV show made her into a jilted bride, but I didn't believe it. If Channel Seven says the sun is shining, I look out my window to confirm it."

A wave of relief washed over Josie when she heard that.

"I talked to Officer Edelson and he said Miss Deaver was a stalker. He told me stalkers don't get better with treatment. Your only escape is to move away and hope they'll fixate on someone else.

"But this clinic says you've got a major investment in the area. Looks like you took the sure-fire route to freedom: I'm going to read you and Miss Marcus your rights." He began the familiar chant.

"Am I being taken into custody?" Ted asked. Josie was too afraid to speak.

"Not yet," Gray said. "But I want to make sure I have the bases covered. Are you going to call your lawyer?"

"No. I didn't kill her and I can prove it," Ted said. "Kathy, our receptionist, was the last person to leave the building at five thirty today. I locked the door after her and used my code to turn on our security system. None of the clinic doors was opened again. I noticed Molly in our lot at six thirty, sitting in her car. I thought she was watching the door, and so I called Josie. She got here about ten minutes later. That's when I opened the clinic door. Check our security system. It will prove I'm right."

"You got a camera on the lot here?" the detective asked.

"We do, but it wasn't working last night. Kathy called it in today. The company will be out tomorrow to fix it."

"Very convenient."

"You can check that with the security company, too," Ted said.

"Why didn't you call the police when you saw Miss Deaver?" Gray asked.

"Did that this morning," Ted said. "The patrol officers treated my complaint like a joke."

"New hires," Detective Gray said, and shrugged.

"Since I knew the Rock Road Village police wouldn't help, I called Josie."