CHAPTER 72 Gossip
Joy
I groaned, waking up to the sound of my rm.I needed more sleep, but I wanted to be where the
people were, so I could get thetest news..
I dressed into my favorite pair of ripped jeans, a button-down blue and white striped blouse, hid my
long hair in a white cap and paired everything with white sneakers. After putting all my things in a white
tote bag, I exited my home and drove off to Bo’s.
The folks of New Salem woke up to a dreary Sunday as the news of the death of the beloved owner of
the town’s pharmacy spread. When I walked into Bo’s, I was shocked to find Xavier surrounded by a
group of middle-aged women who I assumed were friends of the deceased. They were consoling him,
telling him he wasn’t to me.
I walked over to an aisle, pretending to mind my own business while I did some eavesdropping.
Xavier’s s eyes were bleak and bloodshot. His face appeared mournful and grief-stricken while he
narrated the events leading up to Cynthia’s death.
“I-I called 911, but the ambnce didn’t get there in time to save her. I told her to hang on, but she lost
so much blood,” he said, before blowing his nose into his handkerchief. “It feels like it’s my fault. I
should have done more to save her.”
“Bo, it’s not your fault,” a woman wearing a fitted ck blouse and skinny jeans said, rubbing her hand
along Xavier’s back. “The Sheriff made a statement there’s an ongoing manhunt. He believes someone
may have entered New Salem while tracking a coyote or a fox, shot at it, but missed, hitting the
McDowell residence instead.”
“Sweetie, you shouldn’t be working after what happenedst night, another woman said. “You should at
least take the day off.”
“I can’t. I met Cynthia here,” Xavier murmured, a tear falling from the corner of his eye. We both took
acting lessons in California and his performance would have earned him an A from our instructor. “I’d
like to remember her smiling face as she walked through these aisles.” The group of women sighed,
feeling very sympathetic to the grief Bo was experiencing.
“We understand, Bo,” the woman in the ck blouse said, while she rubbed her hand continously on
Xavier’s back. “There’s a viewingter tonight at the funeral home while a
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CHAPTER 72 Gossip
funeral service will be held tomorrow at ten in the morning. Then, she’ll beid to rest at
New Salem Memorial.”
“I’ll have Chip or Dome with meter tonight,” Xavier said, fighting back tears. “If you’ll excuse me,
I need to ssh some cold water on my face.” He quickly left the group of
women… to their utter dismay.
Their friend just died and now they werepeting against each other for Bo’s attention. Judging from
the small smiles on their faces, they didn’t feel any grief for their friend. They actually looked quite
relieved now their supposed queen was dead.
I was looking for chips and dip when someone tapped me on my shoulder. I turned around to find Lisa.
She was wearing a simple gray t-shirt and denim shorts while she hid her eyes
behind a pair ofrge sunsses.
“Hey, Virtue! I knew that was you. There is no one in this town that looks that good in baggy jeans and
a cap,” she said, smiling. “I want to apologize aboutst night. I suddenly felt sick and drove myself
home.”
“You poor thing,” I said, knowing she was lying to me. “You should have asked me to drive you. What if
something happened to you along the way?”
“Well, my house isn’t far from the pub and I obviously got home in one piece,” she said. “Anyway, did
you hear about Cynthia McDowell?”
I nodded my head. “Noah called to tell me Pete is going to take some time off.”
“Are you going to the waketer tonight?” Lisa asked.
“Where will the viewing be held?” I asked ying dumb.. This is the property of N?-velDrama.Org.
“At Chimes Funeral Homes at eight,” Lisa answered.
“I’ll try toe and pay my respects… For Pete, I said. “But if I can’t make itter tonight, I’ll definitely
go to the funeral. Do you know when the funeral service will be?”
“Tomorrow morning at ten. I keep forgetting you’re new here. Did you ever meet Pete’s mom?” She
asked.
“Not formally. I saw her with Bost night, before, you know…,” I tried to exin.
“Well, if not for Pete, go for Bo,” she suggested. I saw him earlier. He looks really distraught.
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I guess they might have had a deeper rtionship than we all thought. I’ve already heard someone say
Bo and Cynthia have been seeing each other secretly before their official date as a couplest night,
and that Bo was even going to propose before the, uhm, unfortunate incident. Now this could y to
our advantage.
I lowered my head in sorrow, averting my eyes from hers. “It’s really heartbreaking for him, Lisa. He
broke downst night when we picked him up from the Sheriff’s station. He really cared for her.” I heard
Lisa sigh.
“Instead of a wedding, we’re going to a funeral. Things like these rarely happen in New Salem, so you
know why people are talking about it. Anyway, I have some grocery shopping to do. If I don’t see you
later, I’ll just see you tomorrow then.” She was about to push her cart away when I stopped her.
“By the way, did you ever get hold of Cris?” I asked, appearing concerned.
“Yeah. He attended a bachelor’s party of one of his college buds. His phone ran out of battery and he
forgot to bring his charger. Right now, he’s nursing a really nasty hangover at home,” Lisa quickly
mumbled, then waved goodbye, practically running away from me.
After grocery shopping and listening to all the gossip, I went to check on the progress of my boutique. I
was surprised to find Noah inside doing some measurements. He was wearing a fresh shirt and
appeared to have showered. My eyes quickly surveyed the parking area.
His pick-up truck wasn’t parked anywhere nor was Nicole’s Volvo..
Who did you drive with today, Noah?
“Noah! Fancy seeing you here on a Sunday,” I greeted him.
“I’m just doingst minute measurements for the clothes racks, shelves and cabs. I’ll have them
installed on Tuesday, since my crew and I will be attending the funeral tomorrow. Will you be going?”
Noah asked casually while he fixed the stand for the window disy.
“Yes, I will. Poor Pete, he must be really heartbroken.”
“He is. He put in a request for leave and I approved it,” he answered, looking at the painted walls and
light fixtures. “We’re almost done here.”
“After the shelves, racks and cabs are installed, will everything be done?” I asked excitedly.
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“Yes. I just need to install the refrigerator in the small dining area in the back and we’re
done with construction. Then, I’ll have my crew clean up everything and put in the furniture, then you
can start unpacking and disying your merchandise. By the way, I was wondering, if you would-”
Suddenly, my phone rang.
“Great,” I mumbled while rummaging through my tote bag to find my phone. It was Liam. “Excuse me
for a sec,” I told Noah and answered, “Hi Liam! What can I do for you?”
“Hi Virtue! I know this is out of the ordinary, but I wanted to ask you if you would like toe with me to
Cynthia McDowell’s funeral tomorrow?” Liam asked. “I’lle pick you up around nine- thirty.”
“Sure, Liam. I’d like that,” I answered. Being with him wouldn’t make me look like a sore thumb. “Will
you be going to the viewingter tonight?”
“No. I have some business to attend to,” he answered. “Why? Are you thinking of going? You don’t
have to, Virtue. Attending the funeral is enough for you to pay yourst respects to Cynthia and offer
your condolences to Pete.”
I heard a tinge of anxiousness in his voice. Was he afraid of the possibility of something happening to
me… at a wake?
“Okay, if you say so,” I said. “I’ll see you tomorrow then, Liam. Take care.”
“You too,” he replied. “Call me if you need me. See you, Virtue.”
“What did Liam want?” Noah asked once I hung up. My brow furrowed, not expecting the harsh tone in
his voice.
“Oh, he asked me to go with him to the funeral tomorrow,” I answered. “So, what were you saying
before we were interrupted?”
“Ah, I was going to-”
The door of my boutique swung open and a woman with long jet ck hair and luminous
een eyes walked in. Her face was very f
I’ve seen her on many posters announcing
her candidacy for mayor.
Sarah Hughes.
72 Gossip
Sarah Hughes,” she introduced herself and extended her hand. I quickly took her in mine and shook it.
“I, uhm, I came to check if Noah was done, so he coulde with me to give me an estimate for an
office I’m having renovated.”
She seemed warm and inviting, but since I grew up with her, I knew she was a snob. Her mother and
father were both physicians who both came from a family of physicians. They always had money and
were one of the first families to ever live in Hignd Oaks.
She was of average height, slim and pale. She had beautiful green eyes, but a beaky nose which
earned her the nickname “Beaky Sassy” when we were growing up.
Her lips were long and thin and she had perfect white teeth. However, just like Theodore Cohen, her
bright smile didn’t quite reach her eyes.
“Sarah Hughes? The same Sarah Hughes running for mayor? Oh wow, it’s a pleasure to make your
acquaintance,” I said, pretending to fawn. I’m Virtue. Virtue Sullivan.”
“Nice to meet you, Virtue. I can see what the people say about you is true,” she said, releasing my
hand.
“And what’s that?”
“That you look like a celebrity,” she smirked. “People say you’re really pretty. Now that I’ve
met you, I can say it’s true.”
She didn’t like me. Why am I not surprised? She must have a thing for Noah.
“I’m done here,” Noah announced harshly, grabbing Sarah’s arm and pulling her towards the door.
“Virtue, I’ll see you tomorrow. Come on, Sarah. I need to speak to Dom before we go see that office.”
He opened the door and ushered Beaky Sassy outside.
“You better hurry up then,” Sarah said, exiting the boutique. “He’s about to leave. Something about a
date.”
Sebastian had a date with Ma. Xavier had to go to Cynthia’s viewing. And Cristos, he said. he would
be with Dan to attend church.
I closed the blinds of my store, locked the door and took out the device Big Man Lou gave
to check for bugs and spy cams.
Pete was busy mourning the loss of his mother. Jack and Sheriff Combs were conducting a manhunt.
Theodore and Liam Cohen were probably discussing the missing money.
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No one was watching me.
Time to clean my boutique of bugs.
Chapter Comments
Luna-Mom
brilliant chapter
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