and while away the morning with you, but duty calls. See you next time around, Sabrina Tate.”
I watched for a few seconds as Hayden strode toward a pickup parked at the curb, then slipped the laptop case strap over my shoulder and turned in the direction of my car. My mind raced with the events of the morning. I unzipped a pocket on the case to retrieve my phone and check for messages, hoping for one that said Pearl was released from questioning, but it was too soon for that. When I looked up before crossing the street, I spotted Luke Griffin. He leaned against the front bumper of his pickup, parked next to my car. Griffin looked awfully official in his tan game warden uniform. Aviator sunglasses covered his eyes.
“Hi there,” I said when I got closer. “I heard a rumor you’re celebrating a birthday.”
His eyebrows rose. “You get that from Birch?”
“Birch?” I looked back to where Hayden and I had stood a moment ago, a spot in Griffin’s direct line of vision. “No, not from him.”
“What were you two so cozy about?” he said in a testy tone of voice I hadn’t heard from him before.
“Cozy? You may need to have your eyes checked or take off the dark glasses.” I slipped my phone back into the laptop case. “We were anything but cozy, discussing a death.”
Griffin’s expression told me he hadn’t heard about Crystal yet, so I filled him in.
“Man, I’m sorry to hear that.” He removed his sunglasses and stuck them in his shirt pocket. “I apologize for making an assumption about that guy.”
“Don’t worry about it,” I said, “but you almost nixed my offer to make your favorite cupcakes. Assuming it really is your birthday.”
Griffin smiled. “Yes, ma’am, it is. Want to see my license?”
“That won’t be necessary,” I said.
“Good. I’d love some of your cupcakes.”
He grinned, and I couldn’t help smiling back at him.
“I didn’t like seeing you with Birch,” he said.
“We were talking.”
“He was flirting.”
“Last I checked, that’s not against the law.”
“He’s a bad influence,” Griffin said. “Covers it up with jokes, but I’d steer clear if I were you.”
“Bad influence? I’m not twelve anymore, Dad.”
“Just saying.” Griffin pulled his sunglasses out and unfolded the arms. “Think I’ll head over and see if the sheriff needs a hand. Now I know why this street is deserted. Everyone and their cousin is rubbernecking over on Bluebonnet Street.”
“You got that right,” I said.
“I’ll catch up with you later.”
“Oh?”
“For those cupcakes.”
Griffin climbed in his truck and backed out of the parking space. I stood there for a moment, wondering why he thought Hayden Birch was such a bad influence, then tossed my laptop case on the passenger seat of my own car and climbed inside.
Darn, now I have to add baking cupcakes to my to-do list, along with working on the book and wondering what really happened to Crystal.
The men—Birch and Griffin—had distracted me from checking on my main man.
Hitchcock.
I sure hoped I’d find him at home. Even if I did, though, too much time had passed. With his skills as an escape artist, I’d never know for sure where he’d spent his morning.
8
I headed home, eager to see my cat. Before I got there I spotted Glenda on the porch of the Venice cottage. Aunt Rowe’s golf cart was parked near the front door with a basket of fresh sheets and towels on the passenger seat. It was late in the day for Glenda to be dealing with linens. She kept a religious schedule, and I knew from the tangle of sheets she held in her arms something wasn’t right. I pulled over in front of the cottage and jumped out of my car.
“I suppose we have you to thank for the queen of Sheba staying here,” she said as I approached her. “Because of her, my schedule’s all whacked out.”
“Excuse me?”
“
That woman
,” she said. “The lawyer.”
“Oh. Her.” I had pushed thoughts of Rita
I watched for a few seconds as Hayden strode toward a pickup parked at the curb, then slipped the laptop case strap over my shoulder and turned in the direction of my car. My mind raced with the events of the morning. I unzipped a pocket on the case to retrieve my phone and check for messages, hoping for one that said Pearl was released from questioning, but it was too soon for that. When I looked up before crossing the street, I spotted Luke Griffin. He leaned against the front bumper of his pickup, parked next to my car. Griffin looked awfully official in his tan game warden uniform. Aviator sunglasses covered his eyes.
“Hi there,” I said when I got closer. “I heard a rumor you’re celebrating a birthday.”
His eyebrows rose. “You get that from Birch?”
“Birch?” I looked back to where Hayden and I had stood a moment ago, a spot in Griffin’s direct line of vision. “No, not from him.”
“What were you two so cozy about?” he said in a testy tone of voice I hadn’t heard from him before.
“Cozy? You may need to have your eyes checked or take off the dark glasses.” I slipped my phone back into the laptop case. “We were anything but cozy, discussing a death.”
Griffin’s expression told me he hadn’t heard about Crystal yet, so I filled him in.
“Man, I’m sorry to hear that.” He removed his sunglasses and stuck them in his shirt pocket. “I apologize for making an assumption about that guy.”
“Don’t worry about it,” I said, “but you almost nixed my offer to make your favorite cupcakes. Assuming it really is your birthday.”
Griffin smiled. “Yes, ma’am, it is. Want to see my license?”
“That won’t be necessary,” I said.
“Good. I’d love some of your cupcakes.”
He grinned, and I couldn’t help smiling back at him.
“I didn’t like seeing you with Birch,” he said.
“We were talking.”
“He was flirting.”
“Last I checked, that’s not against the law.”
“He’s a bad influence,” Griffin said. “Covers it up with jokes, but I’d steer clear if I were you.”
“Bad influence? I’m not twelve anymore, Dad.”
“Just saying.” Griffin pulled his sunglasses out and unfolded the arms. “Think I’ll head over and see if the sheriff needs a hand. Now I know why this street is deserted. Everyone and their cousin is rubbernecking over on Bluebonnet Street.”
“You got that right,” I said.
“I’ll catch up with you later.”
“Oh?”
“For those cupcakes.”
Griffin climbed in his truck and backed out of the parking space. I stood there for a moment, wondering why he thought Hayden Birch was such a bad influence, then tossed my laptop case on the passenger seat of my own car and climbed inside.
Darn, now I have to add baking cupcakes to my to-do list, along with working on the book and wondering what really happened to Crystal.
The men—Birch and Griffin—had distracted me from checking on my main man.
Hitchcock.
I sure hoped I’d find him at home. Even if I did, though, too much time had passed. With his skills as an escape artist, I’d never know for sure where he’d spent his morning.
8
I headed home, eager to see my cat. Before I got there I spotted Glenda on the porch of the Venice cottage. Aunt Rowe’s golf cart was parked near the front door with a basket of fresh sheets and towels on the passenger seat. It was late in the day for Glenda to be dealing with linens. She kept a religious schedule, and I knew from the tangle of sheets she held in her arms something wasn’t right. I pulled over in front of the cottage and jumped out of my car.
“I suppose we have you to thank for the queen of Sheba staying here,” she said as I approached her. “Because of her, my schedule’s all whacked out.”
“Excuse me?”
“
That woman
,” she said. “The lawyer.”
“Oh. Her.” I had pushed thoughts of Rita
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