A Body to Spare (The Odelia Grey Mysteries) by Sue Ann Jaffarian Page B

her. “You can travel more and do the things you’ve always wanted to do.”
    “Hmm,” she said again, but this time it wasn’t her thinking hum but her skeptical grunt—another tune I was familiar with up close and personal. Being put out to pasture was not going to be easy for this supermom.
    “In the meantime,” I told her, returning to the topic of the dead body, which seemed an easier problem at the moment, “Greg and I are squeezing every inch of our brains trying to remember anything and anyone we’ve crossed paths with who might have a connection to this, but so far nothing.”
    “Are you sure it’s not one of Elaine’s…um…projects?” Zee asked.
    “She’s smarter than that,” I said, meaning it. “Elaine knows the cops are aware that we have a connection. Leaving that body in my trunk would immediately put the spotlight on her, and that’s the last thing she and her business would want. If there’s one thing the police, Clark, and Greg and I all agree on, it’s this.” I paused. “It would be more likely that someone is trying to flush out either her or Willie with this action, but even that isn’t a good fit to my thinking. But either way, we’re looking into all angles.”
    “Can you get in touch with Willie to ask him?” Zee asked. Zee didn’t know about Clark’s connection to Willie’s legitimate business, and neither did Seth—at least that we knew of. They just knew that Clark headed up security for a company in Arizona, and Greg and I agreed on keeping them in the dark about it. It was one lie, or careful omission, I didn’t feel guilty about.
    “We’re trying, but that’s pretty hit or miss,” I said. “Especially with the cops watching me so closely now.”
    “Good,” Zee said with such bluntness that I knew without seeing it that a determined jerk of her chin went along with the statement. “Maybe with the police keeping such a tight rein on you, you’ll stay out of trouble this time.”
    I groaned with frustration. “I didn’t ask for this, Zee. Trouble came to me, packed nice and neat in the trunk of my car along with a calling card.”
    “And it’s an invitation you don’t need to accept, Odelia.”
    I wasn’t going to win this battle. I could argue with Zee all day long about how, in spite of her warnings, she liked to tag along on some of my fact-finding missions, but I knew it would only net me more argument. I could dispute and manipulate facts and situations with the best of them, but Zee was at the top of the class. It was one of her supermom talents. She would have made a great litigator. So instead of responding, I stuffed my mouth with a big bite of scone and mumbled something about having to get back to work.

six
    “I’m guessing you folks have already heard the news,” Dev said after our drink order was taken by our waiter. “I know you’ve had another run-in with Andrea Fehring.” He was sitting across the table from me and looked directly into my eyes when he said the last bit. His face showed no emotion—not sad, amused, angry, or even concerned. It was a craggy, blank canvas.
    “Just to clarify, Dev, it was not a run-in.” I stared right back at him as I spoke. “I was simply brought in for questioning in a matter.”
    This time Dev’s face didn’t remain expressionless. It broke into cracks and crevices as he tilted his head back and laughed. The people at the next table glanced over at the noise. On either side of me, Clark and Greg were also chuckling. I’m sure glad they found my situation so funny, because I sure didn’t.
    “Boy, I’m sure gonna miss you guys,” Dev said as he wiped a tear from his left eye. The tear, I’m sure, came from his laughter, not my predicament or his pending news. “You’ve certainly made these last several years interesting.” He stopped laughing, and his face fell back into place and returned to somber. “Seriously, Odelia, and you too, Greg, even though there were times I came close