The following day…
My favorite method of brainstorming for a case in progress was to visit the kitten foster center and spend time pacing back and forth among the kittens. They gambolled around, played, and meowed, or used their litter boxes.
The cuteness was the perfect backdrop for my musings about murder. That was downright morbid, but eh, a girl had to make connections in a case one way or another, right?
“The groom wants me to investigate,” I murmured, pacing, a gorgeous black kitten darting between my ankles. “The mother-in-law wore white to the wedding and wasn’t in the room.”
But could she have circled to the back of the room and fired the gun from there?
Potentially.
My best bet was to draw up my list of suspects and gather information about them. After that, I’d interview them. Gather alibis.
I sat down in the middle of the kitten foster center, and was immediately swamped by kittens. They purred and played in my lap. One calico tried clawing its way up my arm. I gently lifted the kitty and set it down on the floor.
I removed my stubby pencil and tiny notepad from my pocket and held them above the kitties.
I started planning my suspect list and case notes, though I didn’t have much to go on here.
Suspect List:
Ethan Knowles (groom)
Alibi: ?
Notes: Asked me to investigate the crime. Mentioned that one of the bridesmaids might have stolen her journal. Why was the journal important?
Ethan also said that Julia had been acting erratically the closer they got to the wedding. What could be the reason? She accused Lauren of poisoning the custard slices. Was she just paranoid? Clearly not since she was murdered.
Mrs. Sarah-Lin Knowles (groom’s mother)
Alibi: ?
Notes: Groom’s mother who wore white to the wedding. According to Lauren and Georgina, she was incredibly overbearing. Find out what’s going on there.
Mr. Knowles (groom’s father)
Alibi: ?
Notes: ?
Bridesmaids?
Maid of Honor?
Best man?
Extra notes:
Swatch of peach fabric torn from attacker.
Attacker stole the note that Julia wrote to me asking for help.
Gunshot from back of the room.
Had to be at least two people—attacker, murderer who then switched off lights.
Groom’s mother, Sarah-Lin, left her seat moments before it occurred.
Groom looked bored.
Bride was unhappy and sobbing as she approached the altar.
Best man seemed to advise the groom not to approach me about the case (as they got out of the BMW the night before).
Julia’s journal is missing. Could this be the answer to everything?
I’d have to find more information about the bridesmaids. The best man had also interested me because of the way in which he’d interacted with Ethan last night.
It was a hint of a suspicion, but everyone close to Julia had to be a suspect until I could narrow down the list.
Gamma entered the center. She shut the doors before any of the kittens could try to make a hasty escape out into the sunshine.
“There you are, Charlotte,” Gamma said. “Shirking your duties as usual, I see.”
“Hey!” I gestured with my stubby pencil. “That’s not fair, Georgina. I dusted this morning. And I helped with breakfast prep.”
My grandmother chuckled. “Of course, you dusted. But have you been cleaning the windows?” She glanced at the one next to the double doors. “They’re looking rather grimy.”
“I’m getting around to it.”
“Writing case notes?” Gamma peered at my page. A kitten latched onto the leg of her jeans and tried to climb up it. “Now, now, stop it, Charming.” She detached the black kitten's claws. “There we are. Play nicely.”
“Yeah, case notes.”
“You’ll remember we have the ghost tour later. And that Lauren will require your assistance with lunch and dinner preparations.”
“Of course.” I frowned at my grandmother. She didn’t usually check up on me like this. “Is something wrong, Georgina? Have I been underperforming?”
“Oh no, no, Charlotte. Never that.” Gamma glanced toward the incubator room in the foster center, where the smallest kittens were kept and fed, and where our new assistant, Jemimah, sat reading a magazine. “I have another task we need to tackle. One that doesn’t involve gunshots and handsome detectives.”
“He’s not that handsome,” I groused. I didn’t want to approach why Goode got under my skin.
My grandmother wore a knowing look but blew past the outburst. “The Halloween decorations are going missing.”
“I thought so,” I said. “I was up on the first floor the other night, waiting for the phantom cat to make its appearance, when I noticed it. There are fewer skeletons hanging from the walls than at the beginning of the week.”
“A terrible realization. One can never have too many skeletons on one’s wall.”
“Exactly,” I replied. “Is there anything on the cameras? If someone’s stealing Halloween decorations…”
“Nothing,” Gamma replied. “That’s the trouble. I have no evidence that they’re being stolen other than noticing them gone from the walls and tables. I have no idea where they’re disappearing to.”
“Don’t tell Lauren,” I said. “She’ll think it’s a ghost stealing the supplies. Vanishing them into the underworld or something. Maybe building a shrine?”
“That one has an interesting view of the world,” Gamma agreed. “And a tendency to worry when she doesn’t need to.”
“What do you want to do about the decorations?” I asked.
“Find out who’s doing it. I’ll revert back to you when I have more information. I think we’ll—”
“You’re out of your ever-loving mind!” The shout had come from deeper in the inn.
“That’s Lauren.” I scrambled to my feet.