Mike was thinking of her. She picked Quincy up and danced around the small room with him, being careful not to stomp her feet too heavily so Anna wouldn’t come up and ask what she was doing. Quincy seemed puzzled by the activity, but went along with it, although he flattened his ears a bit.
Anna had offered to do the books again. Chase hoped there wouldn’t be more money missing tonight.
After a light supper and another attempt to convince Quincy that his diet food was delicious, she tried Julie again. Still no answer.
As she crawled into bed with a book she was sure she wouldn’t be able to concentrate on, her cell rang. She saw Julie’s ID. At last!
“I have so much to tell you,” Chase began.
“I have some news, too, but you go first.”
“You want the good news or the bad news first?”
“Bad,” said Julie. “Get it out of the way.”
“This isn’t
too
bad. We had a violation on the health inspection, but it’s an easy fix—just the sign missing that tells us to wash our hands. Stupid regulation anyway. Here’s the good news. Sort of. I think Quincy’s vet might like me.”
Quincy raised his head and blinked at the mention of his name. Chase scratched the short, soft fur between his ears and he closed his eyes, purred, and leaned into her fingers.
“You’re not sure that it’s good news?”
“Not really. He aggravates the heck out of me. He’s so critical of Quincy.”
“Chase, I think he’s trying to keep your baby healthy. That’s not a bad thing.”
“I suppose. Now, what’s your news?”
“I have a new case, a big one.”
“Ooo, great! Can you tell me about it?”
“Not yet. It’ll be a high-profile trial, so you’ll read about it. I’m excited!”
“Are you going to be superbusy?”
“Probably. Why? Do you need something?”
“How can you tell?” Chase smiled. Her anxiety must have been transmitting through the phone waves. “I was wondering if you could find out what the police file says about me. Detective Olson told me not to leave town. He said mine were the only fingerprints on the murder weapon.”
“There you go! You didn’t murder Naughtly. This is the proof.”
SEVEN
A s Chase walked slowly down the stairs to the shop on Friday morning, she pondered what Julie had said. Why hadn’t she thought of the fact that Gabe’s prints should be on the knife? That is, they should be on it if he’d used it to, say, slice onions or bell peppers for his meatloaf. If the killer had pulled it from a drawer or a knife block, and had used gloves, then sure, hers would be the only prints. Could she get the lab to test the knife for traces of onion? Didn’t everyone put onion in meatloaf?
At least Julie said she would try to access the files and see if there was anything in the parts available to her that she could pass on to Chase. Julie was such a good friend. Not only didn’t she have time to do this right now, she shouldn’t be poking around in cases she wasn’t working on. If only Julie were in criminal defense, instead of prosecution. Except she wouldn’t be able to spy for Chase if she were.
Quincy purred in her arms as she reached the bottom of the steps and reached for the door into the kitchen. She hesitated a moment. Anna hadn’t come up to say good-bye last night and they hadn’t parted on good terms earlier. Chase determined to patch things up today.
She threw the door open and sang a cheery “Hi” to Anna, who was on a stool at the island.
Anna’s chin was in her hands, elbows propped on the granite surface, a glum expression on her face. The expression was so unusual, Chase wondered at first if the woman dressed in Anna’s bright yellow T-shirt and wearing Anna’s shiny gray hair, staring at the bars on the baking pan that sat on the counter in front of her, was really Anna.
“How’s it going?” Chase asked, regretting her wording the moment she said it. It was obviously not going well. “What’s the matter?”
“Taste
Anna had offered to do the books again. Chase hoped there wouldn’t be more money missing tonight.
After a light supper and another attempt to convince Quincy that his diet food was delicious, she tried Julie again. Still no answer.
As she crawled into bed with a book she was sure she wouldn’t be able to concentrate on, her cell rang. She saw Julie’s ID. At last!
“I have so much to tell you,” Chase began.
“I have some news, too, but you go first.”
“You want the good news or the bad news first?”
“Bad,” said Julie. “Get it out of the way.”
“This isn’t
too
bad. We had a violation on the health inspection, but it’s an easy fix—just the sign missing that tells us to wash our hands. Stupid regulation anyway. Here’s the good news. Sort of. I think Quincy’s vet might like me.”
Quincy raised his head and blinked at the mention of his name. Chase scratched the short, soft fur between his ears and he closed his eyes, purred, and leaned into her fingers.
“You’re not sure that it’s good news?”
“Not really. He aggravates the heck out of me. He’s so critical of Quincy.”
“Chase, I think he’s trying to keep your baby healthy. That’s not a bad thing.”
“I suppose. Now, what’s your news?”
“I have a new case, a big one.”
“Ooo, great! Can you tell me about it?”
“Not yet. It’ll be a high-profile trial, so you’ll read about it. I’m excited!”
“Are you going to be superbusy?”
“Probably. Why? Do you need something?”
“How can you tell?” Chase smiled. Her anxiety must have been transmitting through the phone waves. “I was wondering if you could find out what the police file says about me. Detective Olson told me not to leave town. He said mine were the only fingerprints on the murder weapon.”
“There you go! You didn’t murder Naughtly. This is the proof.”
SEVEN
A s Chase walked slowly down the stairs to the shop on Friday morning, she pondered what Julie had said. Why hadn’t she thought of the fact that Gabe’s prints should be on the knife? That is, they should be on it if he’d used it to, say, slice onions or bell peppers for his meatloaf. If the killer had pulled it from a drawer or a knife block, and had used gloves, then sure, hers would be the only prints. Could she get the lab to test the knife for traces of onion? Didn’t everyone put onion in meatloaf?
At least Julie said she would try to access the files and see if there was anything in the parts available to her that she could pass on to Chase. Julie was such a good friend. Not only didn’t she have time to do this right now, she shouldn’t be poking around in cases she wasn’t working on. If only Julie were in criminal defense, instead of prosecution. Except she wouldn’t be able to spy for Chase if she were.
Quincy purred in her arms as she reached the bottom of the steps and reached for the door into the kitchen. She hesitated a moment. Anna hadn’t come up to say good-bye last night and they hadn’t parted on good terms earlier. Chase determined to patch things up today.
She threw the door open and sang a cheery “Hi” to Anna, who was on a stool at the island.
Anna’s chin was in her hands, elbows propped on the granite surface, a glum expression on her face. The expression was so unusual, Chase wondered at first if the woman dressed in Anna’s bright yellow T-shirt and wearing Anna’s shiny gray hair, staring at the bars on the baking pan that sat on the counter in front of her, was really Anna.
“How’s it going?” Chase asked, regretting her wording the moment she said it. It was obviously not going well. “What’s the matter?”
“Taste
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