Mulch ado about nothing

It really was nice. Such a surly-looking, hulking man, taking such good care of his wife.“
    “When did she die? He mentioned her in class in the past tense,“ Jane said.
    Miss Winstead thought for a while. “Maybe five years ago. Possibly four. I imagine he was devastated.“
    “And Stefan Eckert?“ Jane asked.
    “I know very little about him, although we’ve worked together over the years. He’s an assistant to the man who runs the community relations at the junior college, and always full of ideas to pull the public into taking an interest and supporting the school. He often consults with me when he bags a big name, so the library can get the author’s books in before the activity.
    Jane said, “He told us he was the head of community relations.“
    “Wishful thinking, perhaps,“ Miss Winstead said.
    “You sound a bit like you’re damning with faint praise,“ Shelley said.
    “I must be more transparent than I thought,“ Miss Winstead said with a chagrined smile. “Ste-fan’s charming, but can be a bit aggressive about soliciting funds and grants. But he gets speakers for next to nothing that other, richer schools can’t get to speak. I shouldn’t say this, but I don’t think Stefan is above a couple little white lies if it suits his aim. Ms. Jackson was one of the speakers he got, and I’ve tried to get her to speak at the library many times and she always said she didn’t feel comfortable giving talks. But he got around her somehow. It’s a pity she was injured. I was looking forward to hearing about her job.“
    “Do you know anything about Julie Jackson’s life?“ Jane asked.
    “I see notices in the paper about high-society fund-raising parties, and she is always there on the arm of some rich, eligible man. Always a different one. I suppose it’s because it’s the ‘done thing’ in those circles to have an escort.“
    “Do you know anything about the investigation of the attack on her?“ Shelley asked.
    “Not a thing. It seems to me an example of a random act of violence.”
    Jane and Shelley exchanged looks. When Jane nodded, Shelley said, “I’m not sure how much you know about the attack. There are aspects of it that weren’t in the papers. The person who attacked her came through the house, where there were plenty of things to steal, but took nothing, and went straight to the basement she had set up as an office.”
    Miss Winstead thought this over and said, “That’s very peculiar, isn’t it? If it was a robbery, why go straight to the basement? Did she have a safe or something down there that a repair person might know about?“
    “We don’t know,“ Jane said. “But the man I date is the investigating officer and he didn’t mention a safe. I would think if there was one, he would probably have mentioned it.”
    Miss Winstead frowned for a long moment, then said, “You don’t think... No, of course not...“
    “What?“ Jane and Shelley said in unison.
    “No, it’s absurd. But I just wondered if it might have anything to do with her being scheduled to teach this class.“
    “How could it?“ Shelley asked.
    Miss Winstead shrugged elegantly. “I don’t know. It just popped into my mind because you were asking me about the people in the class.”
    Jane and Shelley both looked stunned. “I suppose in the back of my mind, I was thinking that,“ Jane admitted. “For no good reason except it happened so close to her giving a talk to this group.“
    “You think she might be in a position to reveal something about one of them?“ Shelley asked.
    Jane said, “Maybe. But what could that be? And why wouldn’t she sort it out with the person in private instead of in front of witnesses? No, I don’t think that would fly.“
    “But none of us know her personally,“ Miss Winstead said primly. “I think it’s rash to make assumptions. It just as well could be that one of the escorts took himself too seriously, and she rejected him. A crime of passion that has nothing to do with her job.”
    The younger women felt like they’d been put in their place, and Jane reverted to what little she knew of the investigation. “Mel, that’s the man I know who’s the investigating detective, says it was a violent attack, and appeared that the attacker might not have expected her to be there.“
    “How on earth did he come to that conclusion?“ Miss Winstead said with an air of criticism.
    “Only because Geneva Jackson left the house with her husband earlier. The