CHAPTER 10

I caught up with him in the ceiling above the kitchen.

“What was that?” he asked. “First you tell me not to trust humans, then you talk to them?”

“I know, I can’t explain.” I searched for something reasonable to tell him, but I didn’t understand it either. “Apparently, she likes me when I speak like her. Maybe she’s not like the others.”

“Then tell her what you know and let’s leave. Go to another house.”

“Another house?” I was astounded at the idea. Yes, I wanted to be near the ocean, but I always thought that meant living in the beach house I knew, the house my family knew. Where else was there to go?

“I been thinking,” Em said. “When I first got here, I was so scared. I stayed in the house, mostly in that room. Now that I’ve been to the porch and the ocean, and eaten cheese, I feel like I want to see more.”

“Then go.” I gestured toward the outside. “See more.”

“But I can’t go without you, Hazel. You’re the only mouse I know who speaks my language.”

He was right. But did I want to see more?

“Ashley may want to talk to us, but I don’t think she’s the person to tell about Claire’s shorts,” I said. “We need to make the police aware.” He shot me a cross look. “Okay, I need to make the police aware.”

“How do you propose we do that?”

“I don’t know.” I stroked my whiskers and smoothed my fur. “Stay here. If you could find a way to point out the red shorts, do it!” I ran over the beams to the living area, where I found a pinpoint of light in between the ceiling and an overhead fixture.

Brina and Rogers had not changed positions. The young woman was telling the detective she didn’t know anything or see anything or especially not hear anything.

“I’m not certain why I’m even talking to you,” she said. “My father is a lawyer in L.A. you know.”

“You are correct,” Rogers told her. “Our conversation is strictly voluntary, although I would think you’d want to answer routine questions to help find who did this. But if you feel more secure under your dad’s protection, feel free to call him.”

I could hear the anxiety-riddled bravado in Brina’s voice as she said, “I have a call in to his office. I’m sure he’ll be calling soon.”

Jerry burst into the room, his arms full. “I got cameras, Detective.”

“Where were they?” Rogers asked.

“All the bedrooms plus the bathroom.”

“What?!” Brina stood, her face flushed. “Of all the—whoever murdered him deserves a medal!”

“Now, Ms. Templeton,” the detective warned and turned to Jerry. “Let’s try to find what those cameras were hooked to.”

“Detective?” Olivia was standing at the kitchen door. “Excuse me—I’ve been in these clothes since last night.” She pointed down to her dress, a short white bit of material wrapped tightly around her.

“Spandex by the smell of it,” Em said.

“Maybe I could get a change of clothes out of my room?” she continued.

The officer frowned. “Boyd!” he shouted. “Miss Bent is coming in to get a change of clothes.” He nodded to Olivia. “Officer Boyd will chaperone you.”

I ran to Olivia’s room and slipped into the small closet. Her clothes were all neatly hung, organized by garment type and color. It was different from her closet at home, where clothes were barely hung at all. The closet door in this old house never closed all the way so I could see through the crack easily.

Leo’s body had been removed, no doubt by one of the several people in uniform who had been traipsing in and out. I balanced on the rod that held the hangers.

Officer Boyd stepped away from the door to obscure my view just as Olivia opened the closet and reached in for a blue pinstriped romper that was on the hanger I was straddling. In my attempt to scatter away from her hand, I lost my balance and fell into the romper. Before I knew it, I was clinging to the inside of the back collar as she swung the hanger on her way to the bathroom to change.

Once in the bathroom, I tried to extricate myself from the fabric as she slipped her legs into the outfit, then her arms, and began to button the front. By now, I had fallen to the elastic waist and was trying to find a way out. I looked up to see a gap between the armhole and her shoulder and took my chance.

“Eeeaahhoooaaa!”

I’m not certain if Olivia was screaming or yodeling, but by the way she was gyrating, I guessed that she wasn’t happy. She opened her top enough for me to escape, but there was no place to leap to, so I had to run down the outside of her clothes, slide down her calf and run to the bathroom cabinet.

“Sorry! Sorry! Sorry!” I yelped as I ran, and she continued to scream.

“Wait—” She half-screamed before composing herself. “Wait. Little mouse, is that you?”

I shoved myself into the corner, panting and looking for a hole to disappear into.

Olivia looked at her reflection. “Am I losing it like my Aunt Ginny?”

Let her wonder if she was crazy. There was no reason for me to answer. She was spoilt, entitled, and wanted me dead. I sat quietly out of sight, watching her examine her face.

“I know I heard someone say, ‘Sorry.’” She continued to turn this way and that, examining herself. “But I do look like Auntie, and I’m about the same age as when she started hearing voices.” She backed away from the mirror, looking at the floor. “Maybe I did kill Leo and I just don’t remember.”

It was one thing to let her think she was crazy. It was quite another to let her take the rap for Leo’s murder.

“I said it.” My high voice echoed through the small room. “And no, you didn’t kill Leo.”

“Where are you?” Olivia looked around. “And who are you?”

“Down here.” I stepped from the corner. “Don’t freak out.”

She was silent for such a long moment, I thought she’d been struck mute. At last, she pointed and whispered, “You’re the mouse from my room.”

“Yes.”

Her finger kept pointing, although it shook viciously. “How-how-how…?”

I decided to be helpful. “How do I speak English?” I asked with a bit of a smile. “It is a long story about a lightning strike, but I’ve been able to understand and speak human tongue since my birth.”

She sat down on the gray tile floor—at least, I think she sat. It’s possible she just collapsed. I stood far enough away to keep her from squishing me.

“Why are you talking to me now?” She frowned. “I mean, after all this time.”

“Because I know you didn’t kill Leo. I saw you leave.” I told her everything I’d seen and heard up to that point, even about Leo’s hidden cameras.

“Gross!” was her only comment.

We were interrupted by the sound of Officer Boyd’s voice in the hallway.

“Sargeant Alvarez, I found something.”