mostly been Bernadette rubbing off on her. I really was rooting for Mimi to come out of her shell and be a part of our town.
She flushed, but I could tell she was pleased. But then just as quickly, she frowned as she scanned the room, looking nervous. “Your feller ain’t lurking about, is he?”
“No, ma’am. Detective Stone is working.” She really didn’t like men. “I just stopped by to wish Abby and Chuck congratulations.”
“Abby’s a good girl. She deserves to be happy, even if that means getting hitched to the enemy.” Mimi scowled at Chuck and stepped closer to Abby.
Chuck rolled his eyes but didn’t say anything, since Abby obviously adored Mimi. That was proof right there of how much Chuck must adore Abby.
“You deserve to be happy, too,” Abby said, looping her arm through Mimi’s. “Didn’t my cousin do a fabulous job?” She beamed proudly. “Mimi looked wonderful when she gave me away.” Abby and Mimi walked into the office, chatting away, not waiting for a response from me.
Chuck sighed, throwing up his hands in defeat, andreturned to balancing his books. I was trying to think of a way to meet Ophelia Edwards when she walked through the lobby. I followed her outside and into the parking lot.
“Ophelia, hi.” I stuck out my hand. “I don’t think we had a chance to officially meet yet.”
She narrowed her eyes at me, refusing to shake my hand. “I know who you are. You’re Gertie’s granddaughter. The fortune-teller.”
I lowered my hand. “That’s right. My name is Sunny.”
“I don’t care what your name is. I already answered all that detective’s questions this morning. Same as I told him, I might not like Fiona, but I sure wouldn’t resort to murder just to set her up. I don’t want to be president that badly.”
Wow, so Mitch had known who he was going to talk to first, yet he had played dumb just to keep me from getting involved. Fine. Two could play at this game. If he wasn’t going to share with me, then I wouldn’t share with him. Stubborn man. We could accomplish much more if we worked together.
“I’m not sure I know what you’re talking about,” I hedged, focusing back on Ophelia so I wouldn’t miss any clues.
“I’m not stupid, Miss Meadows. You’d do anything to take the suspicion off your grandmother. I get that. And it’s no secret I don’t much care for Fiona, but I got no beef with your grandmother. If you really want to look at someone who has a reason to set those two up, then you might want to talk to that Sewing Sister.”
“What Sewing Sister?”
“Hazel Kissinger. The one in charge of the auction who your granny and Fiona yelled at. It’s so obvious Hazel has the hots for Captain Walker. And heck, she’s more his age than either Granny or Fiona, but he doesn’t give Hazel the time of day. He talks more to Fiona and Granny, and shoot, he even talked to Bernadette herself, but not a word to Hazel. Maybe she got rid of her competition in one fell swoop. Kill Bernadette and frame Fiona and Granny. Makes sense to me.”
“You might have a point.”
Her face hardened. “Tell that to the police. No one will listen to me, and now I’m stuck here. All the other Nanas got to leave, but not me. I can’t help it I’m no good at baking. I didn’t go to Trixie’s the night of the bakeoff. I stayed in my hotel room and watched movies, but no one saw me. Just because I don’t have an alibi, I have to stay in town. That just don’t seem right.”
“I’m sorry,” I said to Ophelia’s retreating back.
“Tell it to the judge. I’m through with all of you.” She kept marching toward her rental car, with her long red hair flying rebelliously in the afternoon breeze.
Well, that was a waste of time. I should have known the Sisters would blame the Nanas, and the Nanas would blame the Sisters. Looks like I was back to square one.
* * *
I pulled into my driveway and cut the engine, staring at Mitch’s squad car
She flushed, but I could tell she was pleased. But then just as quickly, she frowned as she scanned the room, looking nervous. “Your feller ain’t lurking about, is he?”
“No, ma’am. Detective Stone is working.” She really didn’t like men. “I just stopped by to wish Abby and Chuck congratulations.”
“Abby’s a good girl. She deserves to be happy, even if that means getting hitched to the enemy.” Mimi scowled at Chuck and stepped closer to Abby.
Chuck rolled his eyes but didn’t say anything, since Abby obviously adored Mimi. That was proof right there of how much Chuck must adore Abby.
“You deserve to be happy, too,” Abby said, looping her arm through Mimi’s. “Didn’t my cousin do a fabulous job?” She beamed proudly. “Mimi looked wonderful when she gave me away.” Abby and Mimi walked into the office, chatting away, not waiting for a response from me.
Chuck sighed, throwing up his hands in defeat, andreturned to balancing his books. I was trying to think of a way to meet Ophelia Edwards when she walked through the lobby. I followed her outside and into the parking lot.
“Ophelia, hi.” I stuck out my hand. “I don’t think we had a chance to officially meet yet.”
She narrowed her eyes at me, refusing to shake my hand. “I know who you are. You’re Gertie’s granddaughter. The fortune-teller.”
I lowered my hand. “That’s right. My name is Sunny.”
“I don’t care what your name is. I already answered all that detective’s questions this morning. Same as I told him, I might not like Fiona, but I sure wouldn’t resort to murder just to set her up. I don’t want to be president that badly.”
Wow, so Mitch had known who he was going to talk to first, yet he had played dumb just to keep me from getting involved. Fine. Two could play at this game. If he wasn’t going to share with me, then I wouldn’t share with him. Stubborn man. We could accomplish much more if we worked together.
“I’m not sure I know what you’re talking about,” I hedged, focusing back on Ophelia so I wouldn’t miss any clues.
“I’m not stupid, Miss Meadows. You’d do anything to take the suspicion off your grandmother. I get that. And it’s no secret I don’t much care for Fiona, but I got no beef with your grandmother. If you really want to look at someone who has a reason to set those two up, then you might want to talk to that Sewing Sister.”
“What Sewing Sister?”
“Hazel Kissinger. The one in charge of the auction who your granny and Fiona yelled at. It’s so obvious Hazel has the hots for Captain Walker. And heck, she’s more his age than either Granny or Fiona, but he doesn’t give Hazel the time of day. He talks more to Fiona and Granny, and shoot, he even talked to Bernadette herself, but not a word to Hazel. Maybe she got rid of her competition in one fell swoop. Kill Bernadette and frame Fiona and Granny. Makes sense to me.”
“You might have a point.”
Her face hardened. “Tell that to the police. No one will listen to me, and now I’m stuck here. All the other Nanas got to leave, but not me. I can’t help it I’m no good at baking. I didn’t go to Trixie’s the night of the bakeoff. I stayed in my hotel room and watched movies, but no one saw me. Just because I don’t have an alibi, I have to stay in town. That just don’t seem right.”
“I’m sorry,” I said to Ophelia’s retreating back.
“Tell it to the judge. I’m through with all of you.” She kept marching toward her rental car, with her long red hair flying rebelliously in the afternoon breeze.
Well, that was a waste of time. I should have known the Sisters would blame the Nanas, and the Nanas would blame the Sisters. Looks like I was back to square one.
* * *
I pulled into my driveway and cut the engine, staring at Mitch’s squad car
Similar Books
