messed with me and my store. Unless my boyfriend arrested me for Craig’s murder, then the jerk would be laughing from whatever place in the afterlife he’d landed in.
Greg seemed thoughtful when I stopped. “You don’t know what they were fighting about?”
“I’ve got a good guess.” I outlined my conversation with Frank Gleason today, as well. “So you see, if they faked the evidence against the wall, maybe Josh wanted out of the arrangement, but Craig wouldn’t let him?”
“Kind of a long shot. You think Josh could get the drop on Craig? He can’t walk five feet without wheezing. Craig would have heard him coming a mile away. Besides, no way could the man drag Fifi away from The Castle and chain her up as sea lion bait. He’s half-dead himself.”
I hadn’t thought about that. Of course, blaming Josh was the same thing as everyone else was doing to me, pointing their finger at the newcomer. Only one way to find out. “I’ll go talk to Josh tomorrow.”
Greg shook his finger at me like I was Emma. “No. You’ll stay out of the investigation. If I catch you snooping around, this time, I swear, Jill, I’ll lock you up for impeding an investigation.”
“With handcuffs?” I tilted my head, trying to put on a sexy smile.
“Not joking here.”
“Look, I’m not going to sit here while people talk about me. What if they stop coming to the coffee shop because they think I’m a murderer?” I raised my hands. “What do I do then?”
A smile teased the ends of Greg’s mouth. “Most of the town would rather give you a medal. And a little notoriety will probably help business, not hurt it.” Greg shook his head. “Everyone loves a car crash.”
I swatted his arm. “Now I’m a car crash?”
He chuckled. “Honey, you’re an accident waiting to happen. I’ve never seen anyone with the bad luck you have.” He pulled me over to him, leaning my back against his chest, and put his arms around me. “Except for when you met me.”
He couldn’t see my smile so I let it stay on my face. “You think you’re all that, mister.”
His breath ran the length of my neck. “I know it.” And then his attention dropped from whispering to lower, and he nibbled on the curve of my neck, making me want to ignore everything and everyone outside my house. Want to take him upstairs and do bad things to him in my sleigh bed. Or maybe here on the couch? I hadn’t made up my mind when his phone buzzed.
Sighing, he lifted his arm away from me and pulled his phone up to read the text. He keyed in a reply, then kissed me quickly on the head, pushing me off of his lap. “Gotta go, honey. We can talk more tomorrow.”
“Or you could come back after you take care of that.” I pointed to his phone.
Greg shook his head. “I’m heading out to The Castle, again. This time the night watchman has a couple of teenagers locked in his office.” He stood and patted Emma on the head as she stretched. “I think the kids went a bit too far tonight.”
I walked him to the front door and watched the truck pull away from my house, lights flashing. The man loved using his lights. I hummed a bit as I went about cleaning up the living room after our date night. Being in a relationship with a local detective had its advantages at times, like when I needed gossip. But I paid for the ready gossip on nights like this when he could be pulled away at a moment’s notice. Greg’s first wife hadn’t been able to deal with the long hours and since the divorce had been dating a banker. Who, incidentally, also made a lot more money than a small town detective.
Me, I liked my time alone, even if it did get me in trouble at times. Like when I didn’t have an alibi for Craig’s murder. After tossing the pizza box and letting Emma out for one last time, I sat on the back porch in a swing Greg hung last weekend. I’d lit the citronella candles to keep away the mosquitoes and other flying nasties. Using the porch light, I opened my
Greg seemed thoughtful when I stopped. “You don’t know what they were fighting about?”
“I’ve got a good guess.” I outlined my conversation with Frank Gleason today, as well. “So you see, if they faked the evidence against the wall, maybe Josh wanted out of the arrangement, but Craig wouldn’t let him?”
“Kind of a long shot. You think Josh could get the drop on Craig? He can’t walk five feet without wheezing. Craig would have heard him coming a mile away. Besides, no way could the man drag Fifi away from The Castle and chain her up as sea lion bait. He’s half-dead himself.”
I hadn’t thought about that. Of course, blaming Josh was the same thing as everyone else was doing to me, pointing their finger at the newcomer. Only one way to find out. “I’ll go talk to Josh tomorrow.”
Greg shook his finger at me like I was Emma. “No. You’ll stay out of the investigation. If I catch you snooping around, this time, I swear, Jill, I’ll lock you up for impeding an investigation.”
“With handcuffs?” I tilted my head, trying to put on a sexy smile.
“Not joking here.”
“Look, I’m not going to sit here while people talk about me. What if they stop coming to the coffee shop because they think I’m a murderer?” I raised my hands. “What do I do then?”
A smile teased the ends of Greg’s mouth. “Most of the town would rather give you a medal. And a little notoriety will probably help business, not hurt it.” Greg shook his head. “Everyone loves a car crash.”
I swatted his arm. “Now I’m a car crash?”
He chuckled. “Honey, you’re an accident waiting to happen. I’ve never seen anyone with the bad luck you have.” He pulled me over to him, leaning my back against his chest, and put his arms around me. “Except for when you met me.”
He couldn’t see my smile so I let it stay on my face. “You think you’re all that, mister.”
His breath ran the length of my neck. “I know it.” And then his attention dropped from whispering to lower, and he nibbled on the curve of my neck, making me want to ignore everything and everyone outside my house. Want to take him upstairs and do bad things to him in my sleigh bed. Or maybe here on the couch? I hadn’t made up my mind when his phone buzzed.
Sighing, he lifted his arm away from me and pulled his phone up to read the text. He keyed in a reply, then kissed me quickly on the head, pushing me off of his lap. “Gotta go, honey. We can talk more tomorrow.”
“Or you could come back after you take care of that.” I pointed to his phone.
Greg shook his head. “I’m heading out to The Castle, again. This time the night watchman has a couple of teenagers locked in his office.” He stood and patted Emma on the head as she stretched. “I think the kids went a bit too far tonight.”
I walked him to the front door and watched the truck pull away from my house, lights flashing. The man loved using his lights. I hummed a bit as I went about cleaning up the living room after our date night. Being in a relationship with a local detective had its advantages at times, like when I needed gossip. But I paid for the ready gossip on nights like this when he could be pulled away at a moment’s notice. Greg’s first wife hadn’t been able to deal with the long hours and since the divorce had been dating a banker. Who, incidentally, also made a lot more money than a small town detective.
Me, I liked my time alone, even if it did get me in trouble at times. Like when I didn’t have an alibi for Craig’s murder. After tossing the pizza box and letting Emma out for one last time, I sat on the back porch in a swing Greg hung last weekend. I’d lit the citronella candles to keep away the mosquitoes and other flying nasties. Using the porch light, I opened my
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