As Marco Rivera's cold body lay in the front garden of Holy Family Chapel, the townspeople of Dollyville went about their business, blissfully unaware that there was a vicious murderer in their midst.

             On the corner of Country Lane and Shady Pines, Tessa Peppers scuttled about her sunny kitchen, preparing a morning snack.  The cookies she had just taken out of the oven were cooling on the table, and she hurried to get the water boiling for her tea.  She hoped she had enough English Breakfast for a full pot.

            "Now where in the hell did I put the box with dry goods?  It was here yesterday."  She looked around the room in disgust, and sucked on her teeth.  She  had decided over a month ago to remodel this kitchen, and here it was, June 11th, and the place was still in disarray.  The new tile was forever out of stock, and the stinking wallpaper guy had not been back in over a week.

            "I don't know why I listened to that stupid Jenny Hoffman anyway! That woman doesn't know her ass from a hole in the ground! It was her idiotic suggestion that I should contract Dolly Depot to remodel my kitchen.  Now, I'm fussing around here waiting for them to finish the job they started 3 weeks ago! The whole thing is turning into one big pile of shit!"

           Tessa slammed the pot on the stove and turned up the gas. She dug through the box of dry goods and found the box of English Breakfast.  Flipping the lid, she discovered the tin was almost empty.

             "Damn it!  Nothing is going right for me today!  Now I'll have to drink that damn Earl Grey my cheap ass nephew bought me at Christmas.  Stuff tastes like cat piss."

            Stamping about the kitchen, she glanced up at the clock above the fridge.  "9:20 already?
I better get into my favorite spot."  She grabbed a pair of expensive binoculars off the table, and headed to the kitchen window in the far west corner of the room.  Pushing the lace curtains to the side just a bit, she had a perfect view into a window next door.

           As if on a schedule, Mr. Scutney whistled his way into his bathroom.  "Well good morning, Mr. Scutney", Tessa murmured to herself, "lovely day for a shower isn't it?  Green boxers today?  How charming!"

         Mr. Scutney went about his business in the house next door, totally unaware that he had an audience.  While he was soaping up to some obscure Italian opera, Tessa's cell rang.  "Damn it to hell!  Who's bothering me at a time like this?"  She glanced at the phone's screen, and with a grimace noted it was the impossible Jenny Hoffman.  For a minute, she contemplated letting the call go to voice mail, but decided she really wasn't fond of Italian opera anyway.

        "Hello Jenny.  Well, yes, you did rather catch me at a bad moment.  Slow down and put your teeth in...I can't understand you!  A what?!  Where?!  The church garden?  Marco Rivera?  You don't say!  That's just awful!  A person's not even safe in church anymore!  Ok Jenny, you go put a compress on your head and lie down.  Yes dear, I can imagine it was quite a shock.  I'll stop by later and see how you're doing.  No, no problem. You rest now dear.  Bye bye."

        Tessa hit the end button, and slipped the cell phone back into the pocket of her robe.  A slow smile spread across the wrinkled face, and with a relieved sigh, she went back to watching Mr. Scutney rinse off.