by Jinty James
“Why didn’t Ed tell us that Rebecca found the bo – Nellie?” Zoe burst out in a hushed tone.
“Maybe he didn’t know,” Lauren offered, steaming the milk.
Zoe watched her, shifting from foot to foot.
“You mean Rebecca didn’t tell him?”
Lauren concentrated on making a swan on Ms. Tobin’s micro foam, and then one for Martha, although the design would be altered with the addition of the marshmallows.
“I guess Ed is the only person who knows,” Lauren finally said.
“Or Rebecca.” Zoe’s tone grew thoughtful.
Lauren carried the beverages over to Ms. Tobin and Martha, who shared a table with Annie.
“Thanks.” Martha grinned, grabbing her mug. “Lots of marshmallows – goody.”
“What a beautiful swan,” Ms. Tobin praised. “Thank you, Lauren.”
“Would you like a cupcake?” Zoe offered. “Lauren’s made super vanilla, lavender, and orange poppyseed today.”
“Thank you,” Ms. Tobin replied, “but I don’t want to stay too long. I need to get back to my little girl.”
Zoe looked puzzled for a second. “Oh, your kitten.”
“Yes.” Ms. Tobin nodded. “I haven’t settled on a name yet.” She turned to Annie. “What do you think, Annie? What is a good name for her?”
“Brrt,” Annie said thoughtfully.
“Martha.” Martha chortled.
Zoe giggled, but Ms. Tobin didn’t seem so amused.
“We’ll leave you to it.” Lauren hurried back to the counter.
“Come with me.” Zoe tugged on her hand when they were near the swinging kitchen doors. She barged into the commercial kitchen.
“What’s up?” Ed lifted his head as they entered.
“Why didn’t you tell us Rebecca found Nellie – dead?” Zoe demanded.
He flushed bright red.
“I would have, if you’d asked me where she was at the time.” He fidgeted. “I was trying to protect her.”
“Oh.” Lauren couldn’t be miffed with him. She’d wondered yesterday if there was a beginning of a romance between him and Rebecca. Were her suspicions confirmed?
“From us?” Zoe asked in a wounded tone.
“From anyone who doesn’t really know her,” he admitted. “But I told her it was better to be upfront if anyone asked her about it – otherwise, if they found out later she was at the scene, people might wonder why she lied about it – like you are.”
“I’m sorry,” Lauren replied. “It’s really none of our business.”
“Yes, it is,” Zoe insisted, turning her wide-eyed gaze to Lauren. “You know we’re awesome investigators. How many murders have we solved now?”
“Helped to solve,” Lauren corrected. “And it’s—”
“Eleven,” Zoe finished triumphantly. “So I think we have a pretty good idea of what we’re doing. Ed should invite Rebecca down here and we can grill – ask her questions. We could help her.”
“I don’t think ...” Lauren was reluctant to get involved. Rebecca – and Ed – might not welcome their interference.
“I think you should.” Ed nodded.
“Really?” Lauren stared at him.
“Yeah. Zoe’s right. You two actually care about finding out who did it.”
“Mitch does.” Lauren defended her boyfriend.
“True,” Ed replied. “But you’re not the only ones who don’t like – or trust – Castern.”
“Huh.” Zoe sounded pleased.
Lauren dug out her phone. Mitch hadn’t returned her text.
“We’ll give her a latte on the house,” Zoe declared. “Tell her to drop in anytime today.”
“Not during the lunch rush.” Lauren put her phone away.
“Yeah, you’re right,” Zoe conceded.
“I’ll tell her.” Ed nodded. “Thanks.”
LATER THAT MORNING, Mrs. Finch entered the café.
“Brrt!” Annie ran to greet her as she waited at the Please Wait to be Seated sign.
“Where should I sit today, Annie dear?” she asked the feline.
“Brrt.” This way. Annie slowly led her to a small table near the counter.
“Hi, Mrs. Finch,” Zoe greeted her. “What can we get you?” She zoomed over to the table.
Usually, people were asked to order at the counter but they relaxed this rule for the elderly, infirm, or harried.
“A nice cup of tea would be just right today,” Mrs. Finch said. “English breakfast or Earl Grey.”
“Coming right up.” Lauren had joined them.
“What about a cupcake?” Zoe asked. “It’s craft club tonight. Wait until we tell you what happened this morning!”
“Tell me now,” Mrs. Finch requested with a smile.
They filled her in on what they had learned about Nellie’s death.
“My goodness.” Mrs. Finch shook her head. “I don’t know what to say.”
“Neither do we,” Lauren replied.
“We’ll find out more when Rebecca stops by,” Zoe promised.
“You three will be careful, won’t you?” Mrs. Finch glanced at all of them, including Annie.
“Brrt.” We will.
“Yes, we will,” Lauren promised.
REBECCA ARRIVED HALF an hour later, looking a little flushed. She walked up to the counter.
“Um, Ed said I should talk to you?” She looked at Lauren. “Is this a good time?”
“It’s a great time.” Zoe zoomed over to them. “Just before the lunch rush.”
“Why don’t we sit at a table?” Lauren suggested.
“Brrt!” Annie trotted over to them.
“Annie will show us where to sit.” Zoe followed her.
“Really?” Rebecca gazed after them. “Ed told me about Annie’s abilities, but I was busy yesterday looking after the kittens, and Annie was with them.”
“Yes, I think she was helping them find new homes.” Lauren smiled, not caring if she sounded strange. She’d seen Annie finding the calico kitten a home with Ms. Tobin with her own eyes.
“It’s a shame we couldn’t locate homes for all of them yesterday.” Rebecca followed Annie and Zoe to a rear table.
“Do you get a lot of visitors to the shelter on the weekends?’ Lauren asked, remembering Ms. Tobin’s comment earlier.
“Yes, we do.” Rebecca brightened. “Maybe they’ll all get forever homes this weekend. Wouldn’t that be wonderful?”
“Definitely.” Lauren studied Rebecca out of the corner of her eye. She didn’t see this woman as a killer, but that didn’t mean much. She’d liked murder suspects before, and unfortunately, they’d been guilty of the crime.
“Where’s Ed?” Rebecca asked as they sat down at a four-seater.
“In the kitchen, whipping up his awesome Danishes,” Zoe told her.
“Oh, I haven’t asked if you’d like something to drink,” Lauren half rose. “I could make you a latte, or a cappuccino—”
“Or a mocha or a hot chocolate,” Zoe took over. “Or hot tea, like Mrs. Finch has sometimes. On the house.”
“Oh, no, thank you.” Rebecca waved away their offer. “I’m fine.”
“You don’t look it.” Zoe scrutinized her.
“It was such a shock,” Rebecca admitted, looking down at the table.
“Why were you over at Nellie’s house this morning?” Zoe asked.
“Zoe,” Lauren warned. Sometimes her cousin had a tendency to dive straight in.
“Brrt?” Yes, why?
“It’s okay.” Rebecca lifted her head. “Ed said I should be totally honest with you.” She took a deep breath. “I live around the corner from Nellie. I felt guilty about the kitten incident yesterday and I wanted to apologize.”
“How is he?” Lauren asked.
“He’s the cutest little thing.” Rebecca’s expression lightened.
“What did you call him?” Zoe asked.
“Oliver.”
“I love it,” Zoe approved.
“So you went to Nellie’s house this morning,” Lauren prompted, attempting to get them back on track. Her gaze flickered to the glass and oak entrance door – no new customers. For once, she was glad.
“Yes.” Rebecca nodded. “I knocked on the door, and there was no reply. I knocked again, because Nellie’s car was in the garage. The garage door was halfway open, and I could see her vehicle in there.”
“You know what sort of car she drives?” Zoe queried.
“Yes, it’s orange, and pretty new. Whenever I bumped into her at the supermarket, she’d tell me about it.” She pressed her lips shut, as if trying not to say something.
“What is it?” Lauren asked
“I think Nellie told everyone about her new car,” Rebecca answered. “But I wasn’t sure if I should tell you that. I don’t want to sound like a horrible person.”
“I don’t think you’re horrible,” Zoe told her. “And it’s important to tell us everything you can think of.”
“Okay.” Rebecca nodded. “Ed said I could trust you.”
“He did?” Lauren allowed a little smile.
“Brrt,” Annie said approvingly.
“So you knocked on the door twice,” Zoe pressed.
“Yes. And then ...” she hesitated.
Lauren and Zoe looked at her, their eyebrows raised.
“I turned the door handle. The door opened. I went inside,” Rebecca finished in a rush.
“What did you see?” Zoe asked in a hushed tone.
“Nellie was lying on the floor – in the living room. The front door opens right into that room. She was on the carpet. I ran over to her, but she looked dead.” Rebecca’s face puckered and she looked like she was going to cry. “There was,” she gulped, “blood. I shook her gently, but she didn’t stir. So I called 911.”
“Then what?” Zoe asked.
“They told me to wait, and I did. But I stepped back because I realized I might have disturbed something – evidence, you know? I have a habit of watching a lot of crime shows. Sometimes that’s all that seems to be on TV.”
“I do, too.” Zoe looked at her in approval.
“The police arrived quickly, and after that, it’s all sort of blurred together. This horrible man questioned me – he said he was a detective – and when I told him I lived around the corner, he said he could continue to question me at home or at the station. Of course I didn’t want to go down there—” her tone made it sound like the depths of a very bad place “—so we went back to my house, and now I wish I hadn’t chosen that option.” Her voice shook. “Oliver was scared of him and ran under my bed and wouldn’t come out. And he said – he said ...” Her shoulders shook.
Lauren, Zoe, and Annie all looked at each other.
“Did Detective Castern question you?” Lauren asked. She was sure Rebecca couldn’t be describing Mitch. And Ed had told them it had been Castern.
“That’s what he said his name was. He even gave me a card.” Rebecca dug into her brown purse and pulled out a crisp white card. She placed it on the table.
“Yep, that’s Detective Castern.” Zoe scanned the card. “He is such a jerk.”
“Zoe,” Lauren cautioned. She agreed with her cousin’s statement, but thought they should be careful in what they said. They didn’t know Rebecca at all, although Ed had vouched for her.
“What did he say?” Lauren asked gently.
“That he can’t wait to find evidence that proves I did it.” She buried her face in her hands.
“Brrt,” Annie said softly, gently placing a paw on Rebecca’s arm.
“Annie’s trying to make you feel better,” Zoe remarked.
“Thank you.” Rebecca sniffled, giving Annie a trembling smile.
“What about Nellie’s husband?” Lauren asked, remembering the henpecked man who had picked her up yesterday.
“He wasn’t there this morning.”
“Did the police mention him?” Lauren pressed.
“No.” Rebecca shook her head. “That horrible detective just said it was very suspicious I found Nellie. He kept asking me these awful questions, until I finally admitted I’d adopted the kitten Nellie wanted. Then he said that was obviously my motive for killing her, because I was afraid she would snatch Oliver from me.”
“Either Detective Castern has a very vivid imagination or he was trying to scare you,” Zoe said.
“It worked.” Rebecca’s shoulders shook, and she covered her eyes. “I called Ed, and he came over, and I phoned the shelter to tell them I was going to be late for my shift because of ... because of ...”
“It’s okay,” Lauren soothed.
“I think you definitely need a little treat.” Zoe stood abruptly. “Back in a sec!”
Annie patted Rebecca’s arm again, until the sobs finally came to a shuddery halt.
“This is exactly what you need.” Zoe carried over a big, steaming mug of hot chocolate, crammed with mini pink and white marshmallows. “Maybe we should call it the Martha special.”
“Good call.” Lauren smiled at her cousin.
“I don’t think I could ...” Rebecca started to protest, then absently stirred the spoon into the mixture. “Well, maybe just a little sip.”
They sat with her while she drank the chocolatey concoction, the color coming back into her cheeks.
“I knew that would hit the spot,” Zoe said in satisfaction.
“You were right.” Rebecca gave her a watery smile. “Thank you.”
A few customers walked in, catching Lauren’s attention.
“I’m afraid we have to get back to the counter,” she said apologetically.
“Oh, of course.” Rebecca looked over at the middle-aged couple waiting to be seated and the person standing behind them.
“Brrt.” Annie patted Rebecca’s arm once more, then jumped down from the chair and trotted over to the Please Wait to be Seated sign, resuming her hostess duties.
“If you think of anything else to tell us, call us right away,” Zoe told her. “Or call Ed and he’ll contact us.”
“I will,” Rebecca promised.
“Why don’t you go home and snuggle with your kitten Oliver?” Lauren suggested. “Some kitten magic might help you feel better.”
“Kitten magic – I like that.” Rebecca smiled. She waved goodbye to them, looking a lot happier as she left.
“Your hot chocolate was a good save,” Lauren murmured to her cousin as they started on the orders.
“Thanks – it was the only thing I could think of.” Zoe plated a super vanilla cupcake.
The lunch rush kept them busy for nearly two hours – by the time Lauren was able to take a break, her stomach growled so loudly she was worried the customers would be able to hear it.
Annie scampered down the private hallway as they entered the cottage kitchen. Zoe had gotten her lunch break first. Now the customers had thinned out, Lauren was sure her cousin could handle the café for a short while.
“Brrt?” Annie looked hopefully at her lilac food bowl.
“Of course.” Lauren spooned chicken and gravy, one of her favorites, into her fur baby’s bowl.
She decided to be healthy and grabbed a bag of salad leaves, which she mixed with a small can of tuna. Mitch said he liked her curves, but she was guilty at times of treating herself to one too many taste tests of her cupcakes. On the other hand, Zoe seemed to be able to eat whatever she liked, including tons of cupcakes, and remained slim.
She dug out the phone from her pocket while she ate.
A missed text from Mitch. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw his name on the phone. She didn’t think she’d ever get tired of seeing or hearing his name. She just wished he wasn’t so busy with work.
He confirmed their double date tomorrow night with Zoe and Chris.
Good.
“Want to come with us tomorrow evening when we visit Chris for dinner and a movie?” she asked Annie.
“Brrt!” Yes! Annie jumped on the chair next to L
auren’s and bunted her arm.
“I’ll bring your food with you because we’re having chili.”
“Brrp.” Annie’s nose wrinkled a bit at the sound of the dish.
“Yes, it will be spicy.” And a lot of people food wasn’t good for cats.
After she finished her lunch, she hurried back to the café, Annie by her side.
“Everything’s under control,” Zoe informed her. Annie glanced at the entrance for a new customer to help, but no one was there. She ambled over to her cat bed.
“Thanks.” Lauren told her Mitch had confirmed their double date.
“Awesome. Chris is looking forward to it.”
“Maybe it should be called a double and a half date because Annie would like to come, too.”
“Yep, that’s what I figured.” Zoe grinned. Annie had accompanied them before to Chris’s house. “Chris might be disappointed if she didn’t.”
Lauren knew that Annie and Chris liked each other, and she’d often thought that Chris had an affinity for cats. Sometimes she wondered why he didn’t have one of his own, but he could work long shifts as a paramedic.
A few customers trickled in, including Deborah, Nellie’s mother-in-law.
“Look.” Zoe nudged Lauren in the ribs.
Lauren’s eyes widened as the neatly dressed woman walked into the café.
“Brrt?” Annie greeted her, ready to lead her to a table.
“Thank you.” Deborah nodded to the feline.
“We have to take her order.” Zoe snatched up a notepad. “And get the scoop!”
“I thought we got that from Rebecca.”
“Yes, but Nellie’s husband is Deborah’s son.”
Lauren conceded that made sense.
“Hello, girls.” Deborah looked a little wan. Annie had departed, off to seat another customer.
“We heard about Nellie,” Lauren said awkwardly. “I’m sorry.”
“Me too.” Zoe nodded.
“Thank you. I thought maybe I should stay home after receiving the dreadful news, but the four walls were closing in on me. I thought some fresh air would do me good, and then I found myself walking over here.”
“Did the police question you?” Zoe asked.
Lauren shot her a warning look.
“Yes. A gentleman by the name of Detective Castern. He seems to know what he’s doing.”
