your cookies.” Fiona turned up her nose in a snooty way, and Granny made a sound like she’d given her the raspberries, or her Metamucil was kicking in. It was hard to tell these days. “Besides, how does that relate back to Bernadette’s death?”
“Don’t you listen to anything? Like I said, hard work leads to a hearty appetite. You heard the captain. He said Bernadette’s turnovers were to die for.”
“Oh, for the love of—”
“Ladies, this isn’t a game of clue,” Mitch interjected, rubbing a hand over his whiskered face and rolling his head on his neck as though trying to stop an impending headache. Too bad it did nothing to stop mine.
“No, it’s the Granny and Fiona Show,” I corrected him, making a mental note to buy more pain medicine.
“About that, I think the Fiona and Gertie Show has a better ring,” Fiona said, making me change my mind about the pain medicine. It had to be five o’clock somewhere, and I needed a drink.
“Fiona and Gertie? Hardly,” Granny said. “I think…”
“You see?” I raised my brows at Mitch, pulling him into the living room as they continued on their new rant.
We sat on the heavily upholstered overstuffed sofa, sporting a uniquely shaped and curved back. I took a moment to breathe deeply and try to relax. Sunlight streamed through stained-glass windows draped in heavy fabrics of deep reds, greens, gold, and rich browns. They blended perfectly and were lined with lace and pulled back with heavy cording and tassels. I pulled a needlepoint pillow onto my lap and played with the fringe and cording as I listened to Mitch talk.
“Yeah. While you were gone, they gave me a twenty-minute lecture on how it was taking me way too long to do my job. And that, without your help, it was going to take me forever to solve this case.”
“Maybe they have a point.”
“Sunny, we’ve been over this.”
“No, you’ve been over it. I still think there’s a way for me to help if you’d just listen to me.”
He ignored that comment and continued, “I tried to point out that today was only the first day, but according to them, they have a truce. They’ve decided to work together and solve this murder themselves.”
“This is their idea of a truce?” I sputtered.
“Apparently.” He sighed, looking tired, but I was too frustrated with him to even attempt to comfort him. He tried to take my hand, but I picked up the pillow once more.
“So, any leads?”
“Nothing substantial.” He rubbed the back of his neck with his hand. “I’m just following up with the people closest to Granny and Fiona and even Bernadette.”
“So, no new information or persons of interest?” I dug a little deeper, wondering if he was going to reveal anything like he’d promised.
He studied me carefully before finally speaking. “No. Why? Did you find something out?”
“Don’t be silly.” I busied myself with straightening a few knickknacks on the table in front of us, not quite meeting his eyes. “How could I find out anything? I’m not supposed to be working this case, remember?”
“I do.” He stilled my hand with his own until my gaze met his, and then he raised a thick black brow. “Do you?”
“Do you also remember you’re supposed to be keeping me in the loop?” I pulled my hand out from under his and folded them in my lap. “You promised to keep me informed. That’s all I asked.”
“And I will just as soon as I discover anything.”
“Then why do you look like you’re hiding something?” I thrust my chin up and watched him closely as he answered.
“Why do you?” He leaned into me, nearly touching my nose with his.
Morty let out a loud meow at our feet, and we jumped apart.
“He’s the one who’s hiding something.” Mitch eyed him warily.
“Oh, please, you big scaredy cat.” I pulled the carnival flyer from Morty’s mouth and dusted his flour paw print off of the Animal Angels logo. Granny must be baking again. “He gets into things
“Don’t you listen to anything? Like I said, hard work leads to a hearty appetite. You heard the captain. He said Bernadette’s turnovers were to die for.”
“Oh, for the love of—”
“Ladies, this isn’t a game of clue,” Mitch interjected, rubbing a hand over his whiskered face and rolling his head on his neck as though trying to stop an impending headache. Too bad it did nothing to stop mine.
“No, it’s the Granny and Fiona Show,” I corrected him, making a mental note to buy more pain medicine.
“About that, I think the Fiona and Gertie Show has a better ring,” Fiona said, making me change my mind about the pain medicine. It had to be five o’clock somewhere, and I needed a drink.
“Fiona and Gertie? Hardly,” Granny said. “I think…”
“You see?” I raised my brows at Mitch, pulling him into the living room as they continued on their new rant.
We sat on the heavily upholstered overstuffed sofa, sporting a uniquely shaped and curved back. I took a moment to breathe deeply and try to relax. Sunlight streamed through stained-glass windows draped in heavy fabrics of deep reds, greens, gold, and rich browns. They blended perfectly and were lined with lace and pulled back with heavy cording and tassels. I pulled a needlepoint pillow onto my lap and played with the fringe and cording as I listened to Mitch talk.
“Yeah. While you were gone, they gave me a twenty-minute lecture on how it was taking me way too long to do my job. And that, without your help, it was going to take me forever to solve this case.”
“Maybe they have a point.”
“Sunny, we’ve been over this.”
“No, you’ve been over it. I still think there’s a way for me to help if you’d just listen to me.”
He ignored that comment and continued, “I tried to point out that today was only the first day, but according to them, they have a truce. They’ve decided to work together and solve this murder themselves.”
“This is their idea of a truce?” I sputtered.
“Apparently.” He sighed, looking tired, but I was too frustrated with him to even attempt to comfort him. He tried to take my hand, but I picked up the pillow once more.
“So, any leads?”
“Nothing substantial.” He rubbed the back of his neck with his hand. “I’m just following up with the people closest to Granny and Fiona and even Bernadette.”
“So, no new information or persons of interest?” I dug a little deeper, wondering if he was going to reveal anything like he’d promised.
He studied me carefully before finally speaking. “No. Why? Did you find something out?”
“Don’t be silly.” I busied myself with straightening a few knickknacks on the table in front of us, not quite meeting his eyes. “How could I find out anything? I’m not supposed to be working this case, remember?”
“I do.” He stilled my hand with his own until my gaze met his, and then he raised a thick black brow. “Do you?”
“Do you also remember you’re supposed to be keeping me in the loop?” I pulled my hand out from under his and folded them in my lap. “You promised to keep me informed. That’s all I asked.”
“And I will just as soon as I discover anything.”
“Then why do you look like you’re hiding something?” I thrust my chin up and watched him closely as he answered.
“Why do you?” He leaned into me, nearly touching my nose with his.
Morty let out a loud meow at our feet, and we jumped apart.
“He’s the one who’s hiding something.” Mitch eyed him warily.
“Oh, please, you big scaredy cat.” I pulled the carnival flyer from Morty’s mouth and dusted his flour paw print off of the Animal Angels logo. Granny must be baking again. “He gets into things
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