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That night, they enjoyed a hearty chili dinner at Chris and Zoe’s house.
“I think that was your best ever.” Zoe grinned at her husband after she scraped her bowl clean.
“I put a bit more cumin in this time,” he admitted, “and included bacon.”
“It was delicious.” Lauren wanted another helping, but resisted. Zoe had mentioned when they arrived that there was going to be dessert.
“Brrt?” Annie peered at everyone’s empty bowls. She sat next to her, while Mitch was on Lauren’s other side.
“Did you like your beef?” Lauren stroked the feline.
“Brrt!” Yes!
Chris had saved some of the raw meat and chopped it up for her.
“It was great having a day off.” Mitch leaned back in his chair. “I’ve been chasing up all the loose ends, including getting the override code from the safe manufacturer, but I’m still waiting for those cell tower records to verify Christina’s alibi.”
“Still?” Lauren frowned.
“I know. Apparently they’ve got a huge backlog.”
Zoe snapped her fingers. “Has Castern checked out all the pawnshops yet?”
“Just about. He’s got two left on his list and that’s his first task on Monday morning.”
“Pooh.” Zoe glanced at Lauren.
“What?” Chris looked at his wife. “What were you planning on doing?”
“Just seeing if we could help Mitch by finding Brooke’s jewels,” Zoe answered innocently.
“All we’ve found so far is Jeff buying an old radio at a pawnshop,” Lauren said ruefully.
“That reminds me.” Zoe’s eyes widened. “Remember this afternoon when we were at Brooke’s, and Doris asked her if she’d inherited anything from Uncle Francis?”
“Yes.” Lauren wondered what was coming.
“I don’t remember her saying she was a beneficiary. Do you?” Zoe looked at Lauren and Annie.
“Brrt.” No.
“But maybe she didn’t have time. Doris did dominate the conversation.” Lauren thought back. “Didn’t Brooke say that Uncle Francis left her a little something? When we were at the salon, and Keith was there too.”
“You’re right!” Zoe’s eyes rounded. “I wonder how little that something was?”
“Brrt!”
“We’ll have to ask her next week,” Zoe sounded excited.
“She might want to keep that news to herself,” Chris said mildly.
“But we’re her friends.” Zoe looked indignant for a moment, then sighed. “I guess you’re right. Ooh – what about Keith? Did he inherit anything?” Zoe perked up again.
“I don’t remember him mentioning it when we bumped into him at the salon. But he did say lucky old Christina,” Lauren remarked.
“Brrt!” That’s right!
“Oh.” Lauren turned to Mitch. “Doris wanted to know if you would help move the buffet from Uncle Francis’s house to hers.”
“I said you could help too, Chris.” Zoe nudged her husband.
“And Jeff might be able to make it.”
“Sure.” Mitch nodded.
“No worries.” Chris smiled at Zoe.
“Thanks,” Zoe replied. “But it mightn’t be until probate goes through. That’s what Brooke was trying to explain to Doris this afternoon.”
Zoe and Chris served up dessert – chocolate mousse.
“It’s only from a box,” she apologized. “I whipped it up this afternoon when I got back from Brooke’s.”
“I’m sure it will be delicious.” Lauren smiled at her cousin.
“Maybe next time it’s chili night we can put some cupcakes aside before we open the café.” Zoe winked at Lauren and Annie.
“Brrt!”
They all laughed, then dug into the chocolatey goodness. Even if it was from a packet, it was pretty tasty.
They enjoyed a fun night, playing gin rummy. Annie visited everyone, peering at their selections. Lauren dealt her in, and helped her fur baby choose which cards to play. Everyone smiled when Annie won a hand.
***
ON SUNDAY, THEY WENT to church, the girls visiting Mrs. Finch afterward. Then the four of them went to the bistro on the outskirts of Gold Leaf Valley for lunch, where they’d held their wedding reception.
When Lauren and Mitch arrived home, they enjoyed a lazy Sunday afternoon watching a movie with Annie – a relaxing period drama.
***
ON MONDAY MORNING, Mitch departed early for work. Lauren snuggled back under the covers, Annie joining her.
When her phone buzzed, she squinted awake and rubbed her eyes.
“Sorry, Annie. I thought I’d turned it off last night.”
“Brrt?” Annie wriggled out from under the bedclothes and stared at the phone.
She answered the call. “Hi, Brooke. Yes, I guess we could, but I’ll have to check with Zoe. Okay, I’ll see you soon.”
“Brrt?” Are we going to Brooke’s?
“Doris wants to measure the buffet so she’ll know if she needs to rearrange some of the furniture in her living room,” Lauren explained. “Brooke said she was quite insistent about it over her cup of coffee after we left there Saturday afternoon. Brooke thought she could handle it herself, but her client needs highlights done today, and she couldn’t reschedule the appointment.”
“Brrt!”
Annie jumped off the bed and ran to the doorway.
“I have to call Zoe first.” Lauren smiled at her fur baby’s eagerness.
After a quick conversation with her cousin, Lauren took a brief shower and dressed in record time.
While Annie ate her breakfast and Lauren crunched her granola, she hoped Doris would have a measuring tape with her – because she didn’t know where hers was!
“We’re going to pick up Zoe now.” Lauren placed her bowl in the sink with a little clatter, and turned to Annie.
“Brrt!”
She buckled the harness onto the feline, then they drove over to Zoe’s house.
“Let’s go!” Zoe jumped into the car.
“We’re collecting the keys to the house from Brooke first. She said Jeff would have handled this but he’s got a big flower arrangement to organize. The client wants the flowers to be as fresh as possible, which means Jeff needs to pick them up this morning, fix them, and then deliver them.”
“So Doris measuring up is okay with the estate lawyer?” Zoe queried.
“It must be,” Lauren replied. “You heard Brooke tell Doris on Saturday afternoon that she mightn’t be able to get her hands on the buffet until probate is settled. Maybe this is the next best thing.”
“True.”
They pulled up outside Brooke’s salon.
“Thanks, guys.” Their friend looked relieved when they entered the small shop.
One client sat in a chair, her brown hair combed out. Another flicked through a magazine in the waiting area.
“Here are the keys.” Brooke handed over a small keyring. “I had to rush over to the lawyer this morning to collect them. Luckily, he’s had a lot of different requests over the years and didn’t think Doris was being overly demanding. He said he okayed it with Christina.”
“He must be a very understanding guy,” Zoe said.
“Definitely.” Brooke nodded. “If you can bring the keys back to me after Doris is finished with her measuring, I’d appreciate it.” Her expression brightened. “Let me give you both a free hair cut in appreciation.”
“You don’t have to—” Lauren began.
“Thanks!” Zoe grinned.
“It’s the least I can do,” Brooke insisted.
“Well, okay. Thank you.” Lauren smiled.
“Brrt!”
They drove over to Uncle Francis’s house, Lauren feeling a little guilty for not insisting they walk, but on the other hand it freed up a parking space for another of Brooke’s clients.
She parked right in front of the white Victorian, the small blue spruce looking attractive in the front garden.
“Where’s Doris?” Zoe got out of the car.
“I can’t see her.” Lauren glanced over at the next-door dwelling, and then back to Uncle Francis’s. The street was deserted. She helped Annie out of the car.
“I’m going to call Brooke.” Zoe pulled her phone out of her red jacket pocket.
After a minute of conversation, she ended the call.
“Brooke said she forgot to tell us that Doris has an early morning class on at the senior center. She said it was helping to take her mind off losing Uncle Francis. But she said Doris should be here by now.”
“Maybe she got held up,” Lauren suggested. “If the bus from the center picked her up, she might have to wait while it drops off other people first.”
“Good point.” Zoe nodded.
“Brrt!”
After a moment, Lauren said, “We might as well wait inside.” She blew on her fingers. It was a particularly chilly morning.
They walked up the garden path and unlocked the front door.
“Brrt!” Annie led the way down the hall.
“Is it me or does it feel a bit creepy in here?” Zoe shivered.
“Uncle Francis was killed in the kitchen.” Lauren suppressed a shudder at the thought.
They entered the masculine living room, with the brown leather furniture and large screen TV.
“Did you bring a tape measure?” Zoe asked.
“No. I don’t know where mine is.”
“Let’s hope Doris brings one.”
“Brrt!”
“Hmm.” Zoe studied the polished oak buffet. She smoothed her hand over the wooden top. “Wasn’t there a bottle of bourbon and glasses sitting on here, when we visited Uncle Francis with Brooke?”
“You’re right,” Lauren said slowly.
“So who took the bottle?”
“And the glasses. I remember thinking they looked very nice crystal tumblers.”
“Yeah.” Zoe snapped her fingers. “Maybe Keith took them!”
“Why? And how?”
“Hmm.” Zoe wrinkled her nose. “Good point.”
“Maybe Christina took them – or maybe she gave them to Keith,” Lauren suggested. “She’s inherited the house – she might have inherited all the contents as well, apart from this buffet.”
“And the estate lawyer probably doesn’t even know – or else said it was okay to do that.” Zoe nodded.
After a few minutes, Annie grew restless. Lauren checked her watch.
“I wonder what’s taking Doris so long.”
“Maybe she’s going to knock on the back door.” Zoe tilted her head toward the kitchen. “Let’s see if there’s another entrance.”
Annie led the way to the blue and white kitchen. A silver toaster stood on the counter. Lauren vaguely remembered it being there when they found Uncle Francis.
“There is!” Zoe zipped over to a door. “Oh – it looks like it’s connected to the garage.” She squinted sideways through the window next to the wooden door. “Yep.”
Lauren tried to avoid looking at the kitchen table, where they’d discovered Uncle Francis – but she ended up taking a reluctant peek. The table was bare and looked clean. You couldn’t even tell a murder had taken place there.
“They must have had a special cleaning crew come to take care of – you know.” Had Zoe read her thoughts? “They mention them on crime shows.”
“Brrt!”
“Let’s ring the senior center and see if Doris is still there,” she suggested.
“Good idea.” Zoe pulled out her phone – and then froze.
The faint sound of a key turning in a lock caught Lauren’s attention. She exchanged a wide-eyed glance with her cousin and Annie.
“Does Doris have a key?” she whispered.
“Brooke didn’t mention it,” Zoe muttered back.
“Brrt.” No. It was a murmur.
Light footsteps trod down the hall.
“It must be Doris.” Zoe kept her voice low.
“Do you think?”
Annie tilted her head so she faced the kitchen doorway, her ears pricked.
“Oh! You startled me!” Christina entered the kitchen, a hand over her heart.
“What are you doing here?” Zoe asked.
“Maybe I should ask, what are you doing here?” Christina countered. “I was expecting Doris – or Brooke – or even both of them.”
“Brooke couldn’t make it – she has a lot of hair appointments today.”
“And Jeff has a lot of flower appointments – wait – that doesn’t sound right. He has a big flower arrangement to do.”
“Brrt!”
“So Brooke asked us to let in Doris and help her measure the buffet.”
“So why are you here?” Zoe probed.
“I decided to supervise. I didn’t want Doris to think that inheriting the buffet meant she could take anything else she fancied. My brother was always telling me how much she admired that piece of furniture.” She shook her head. “I always thought it a bit hideous myself. Well, where is she?” Annoyance flickered across Christina’s face.
“We think she’s been held up at the senior center,” Lauren explained.
“I was just about to call them when you walked in,” Zoe added.
“So call them.” Christina tapped her foot. “I don’t have all day.”
“Neither do we,” Zoe told her. “It’s our day off. I hadn’t decided what to do today but I know I’m going to have fun doing it.”
“Brrt!”
“Lucky you,” Christina replied. “Some of us have to work – including me. I’m due at the office soon.”
“But you inherited the house, didn’t you?” Zoe pressed.
“Yes, but I have to wait for probate to be approved even though the lawyer says there shouldn’t be a problem. So until that happens, I have bills and rent to pay, just like everyone else.”
“What about the bottle of bourbon on the buffet in the living room?” Lauren suddenly asked.
“What about it?” Christina smoothed her blonde hair back. “Since I inherited everything in this house apart from that buffet, I thought I was entitled to take it home with me – and the glasses. I didn’t want them to go “missing.” They’re good quality, you know.”
Lauren stared at Christina’s sapphire and diamond ring winking in the winter sunshine streaming through the window. Her heart hammered.
“Your ring.” She hoped her eyes were playing tricks on her. There were two diamonds on each side of the large sapphire. Hadn’t Brooke said—
“You’re wearing Grandmother’s ring!” Zoe pointed at the bauble, her eyes wide.
“Brrt!” Annie scolded Christina.
“No, I’m not.” Christina took a step backwards. “This is my ring – the one Keith gave me years ago.”
“No, it’s not,” Zoe contradicted. “Brooke’s grandmother’s ring has two diamonds on each side of the sapphire, and your ring from Keith has three.”
“Otherwise, they’re very similar to each other,” Lauren added. “Which is why Brooke thought you actually were wearing her grandmother’s that day at the salon.”
“You’re both nuts.” Christina shook her head. “Why would I wear Brooke’s ring? I have my own. And it’s not my only piece of jewelry, either. See this?” She thrust her hand toward them. A sapphire and diamond bracelet dangled from her wrist, below her ring finger.
A curious expression suddenly flickered across her face, her gaze landing on the sapphire ring.
“Aha!” Zoe pointed at her once more. “We knew it!”
“Brrt!” Yes!
“But what about those fake ruby rings at the pawnshop?” Zoe frowned.
“What about them?” Christina looked lost.
“They look exactly like the ring Keith bought you, but the pawnshop clerk said they were costume jewelry.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about. I can assure you that the sapphire ring that Keith gave me is real. I had it appraised years ago without telling him. It’s genuine, all right.”
“I’m guessing you didn’t intend to wear Brooke’s ring this morning,” Lauren said quietly.
“No.” Christina shook her head. “Great.” Her lipsticked mouth pursed. “What am I going to do now?”
“Go to the police,” Zoe urged. “Lauren’s married to a detective and he’s pretty fair. He’ll listen to you.”
“That’s right.” Lauren nodded.
“I can’t.” Christina took another step back. “I’m not going to jail – not when I’ve just inherited this house and my life will be easier again.”
“Like it was when you were married to Keith?” Lauren hazarded a guess.
“Exactly. Keith made enough money in IT for both of us. I went shopping whenever I wanted, had lunch with my friends, played tennis, bought pretty jewelry – it was great. But then Keith says we’ve grown apart and wants a divorce!”
“Did you? Grow apart?” Lauren asked.
“Yes,” Christina admitted. “So what? I thought we rubbed along together pretty well, but Keith said it wasn’t enough for him anymore.”
“So you got divorced?” Zoe prompted.
“And I got pretty much cleaned out. We were renting, so after our credit card balances and lawyer fees were paid out, there wasn’t much left for either of us. Keith was lucky – he’s got a good job but the small amount of alimony I was able to get won’t go far, so I had to work for a living!” She made it sound like the worst thing in the world. “I also have to report my alimony as income.”
“But how did you get your hands on Brooke’s grandmother’s jewels?” Zoe’s eyes widened. “I know! You’re a safe cracker and jewel thief! You go around to rich people’s houses and—”
“I wish.” Christina snorted. “You definitely have an imagination.”
“Thanks.” Zoe glanced at Annie. “We can put that idea in my screenplay.”
“Brrt!” Yes!
“Keith pulled some strings and got me a job at his old workplace. The pay’s not great but it’s enough to rent a halfway decent apartment in Sacramento with the alimony I get. But I hate my boss. Once probate goes through, I won’t have to worry about rent – I was thinking of moving into this house and changing my hours to part-time so I’d only have to drive to the city three days per week. I could do that.”
“How did you get your hands on Brooke’s jewelry?” Lauren asked.
“I came down to see Francis one weekend, and he boasted how he was looking after Brooke’s precious jewelry while she went on her honeymoon. Why it wasn’t good enough for him to just let her rent a safety deposit box at the bank, I don’t know. But that was Francis for you. He liked being thought of as a pillar of the community. I bet all those people didn’t know he also liked a bit of a drink.” She tilted an imaginary tumbler toward her lips.
“The bourbon bottle on the buffet,” Zoe remarked.
“Exactly. He usually only drank at night – said it helped him sleep. He also told me he’d finalized a new will, and now that I was divorced and on my own, I should look into making a will for myself.” She shook her head. “Not that I have anything to leave, apart from my jewelry.”
“Then what happened?” Zoe asked.
“We had dinner, then Francis had his usual nightly tipple. That’s what he called it. I was about to go home, but then I saw he’d actually nodded off. So I went into his study, opened the safe, and peeked at his new will.”
“He told you where he put it?” Lauren guessed.
“He loved having a safe. Said everything was locked up and secure in it.” She chuckled. “He didn’t know that a while ago when he was putting some boring papers in there, that instead of being “good” and turning my back while he opened the safe, that I actually turned around and watched him unlock it, and memorize the combination.”
“And he hadn’t changed it since then,” Zoe breathed.
“That’s right.” Christina nodded. “So, while Francis was dozing after dinner, I crept into the study, unlocked the safe, and found his new will. I also saw a pouch in there, which I thought must be Brooke’s jewelry. I couldn’t resist taking a peek.”
“Did you peek at his new will as well?” Lauren asked.
“Of course,” Christina replied nonchalantly. “Who wouldn’t?”
“Brrt!” Me!
“I saw that he left me the house and a little bit of money – contrary to what other people thought, Francis wasn’t rolling in it, but I knew the house was paid for. He also gave some money to charities. Quite generous, in fact.” She looked a little miffed.
“What about the jewels?” Zoe urged.
“They’re beautiful.” Christina’s face lit up. “You can see for yourself with this ring.” She held it out for them to admire. “And the diamond necklace – it’s magnificent! I couldn’t help myself – I had to have them.”
“But that’s larceny.” Lauren blinked at Christina’s matter of fact tone.
“You obviously haven’t struggled with the allure of precious jewelry. There’s nothing like it.”
“You killed Francis!” Zoe pointed her finger at her again. “He found out that you’d stolen the jewels so you stabbed him in the throat to keep him quiet!”
“I wish you’d stop pointing at me.” Christina frowned. “It’s annoying.”
“Is Zoe right?” Lauren questioned.
“Yes,” Christina admitted after a beat. “He asked me to come and see him Sunday night. He said he knew I’d stolen the jewelry somehow, because I was the only person he’d told about storing them in his safe. He wanted them back or else he would report me to the police.”
“And you didn’t want to give them back?” Lauren surmised.
“Correct.” Christina pointed her finger at Lauren. “I can’t help if it I’ve always liked gorgeous jewelry. Francis said if I didn’t return them the next day, he’d take action. And I knew he would.” Her expression hardened. “I couldn’t afford to lose this new job, even though I dislike it. I knew if I had a criminal charge against me, I could get fired.”
“You killed him so he wouldn’t blab to the police,” Zoe accused.
“Something like that,” Christina admitted. “He sat right here at this table, finishing his meal. He didn’t ask if I wanted anything to eat. But of course he had to have his precious pear and cheese, as if he was a fancy lord of the manor or something, and not just the manager of a small bank in a small town. He’d always been filled with his own self-importance.”
“What did you do?” Lauren’s palms felt sweaty, and she glanced sideways at Zoe.
“I picked up his pretentious paring knife and stabbed him in the throat. I couldn’t take his self-righteousness any longer. I was always being compared to him growing up, even though he was ten years older than me. Francis this, Francis that. And the one time I needed his help in covering up taking Brooke’s jewelry, he wouldn’t help!”
“And you knew you were going to inherit his house,” Zoe remarked.
“Yes.”
“But what about your alibi?” Lauren thought back to what Mitch had told her. “You called Keith and asked him if he wanted an ugly lamp you got in the divorce.”
“That’s right. And what did you do with the knife?”
“After I killed my brother, which I hadn’t planned on doing, you know, I needed to come up with an alibi. So I stood right here, at this kitchen table, and called Keith on my cell phone, pretending I was home in Sacramento and asking him about that ugly old lamp. Trust him to stick me with it.”
“That is ... so wrong.” Zoe murmured.
“Once Mitch gets the cell tower records, he’ll know you were in this area, not at home in Sacramento like you claimed,” Lauren warned.
“Cell tower records?” Christina’s face twisted. “What? I got rid of my phone and the knife on the way home. I thought I was being smart not using Francis’s landline.”
“Not smart enough,” Lauren replied.
“Brrt!” That’s right!
“How did you get rid of the knife and your phone?” Zoe asked.
“I wiped the knife with paper napkins I had in the car, and dumped it in the trash on the outskirts of Sacramento. And I dumped my phone in the trash at a different location.”
“You kept a pretty cool head,” Lauren commented.
“Apart from not knowing about cell tower records,” Zoe agreed.
“I don’t believe you.” Christina stepped toward them. “If that’s true, why haven’t the police knocked on my door?”
“Because they’ve got a big backlog and haven’t sent the information to Mitch yet,” Lauren told her.
“But how come no one saw you leave Uncle Francis’s house the night you killed him?” Zoe wanted to know.
“I parked my car in his garage, and entered the house through the side door.” Christina gestured to the entrance behind them – the one Zoe thought might have been the back door. “That’s how I got out of here as well. If anyone was around, they would have seen my car exiting the garage. I guess I got lucky.”
“I guess you did.” Zoe nodded.
“But when we came here on Monday morning, the front door was unlocked.” Lauren frowned.
“I didn’t even think of that,” Christina admitted, chagrined. “I should have checked to see if it was unlocked before I left, but I had other things on my mind – you know? Like getting rid of my phone and the knife.”
“Let’s call Mitch right now and have him to talk to you.” Lauren dug into her purse.
“No!” Christina glared at them. “We’re not doing that. You’re all coming with me. I’ll lock you in my apartment until I figure out what to do with you.”
“No, thanks.” Zoe shook her head. “We’re calling the police right now!”
“I don’t think so.” Christina pulled out a small canister from her handbag. “This is pepper spray. One wrong move and I’ll spray your eyes out!”
“You wouldn’t.” Lauren tried to sound fierce, but Christina looked determined.
“Just try me.” Christina started to press her thumb down on the canister.
“No!” Zoe grabbed the silver toaster that was near her on the counter. She heaved it at Christina. “Run!”
“Arggh!”
Lauren wrenched open the side door.
“Quick, Annie!”
Her fur baby raced into the dark garage. Lauren ran after her, Zoe crowding behind them.
They slammed the door shut, but before they could lock it, Christina burst through, using the now dented toaster as a battering ram.
“You got me!” Blood trickled from her forehead. She waved the canister in the air. “Now I’m going to get you!”
“Brrt!” Annie galloped through Christina’s legs, swiveled, and raced back through them, her leash trailing behind her.
“What are you doing?” Christina stepped sideways, but Annie was right there, scampering through her legs again.
“That’s genius, Annie,” Zoe encouraged.
Lauren grabbed a hammer and held it in front of her like a shield. Zoe pulled an axe off the wall.
“Annie,” she called. “It’s okay, we’ve got this.” She didn’t want her fur baby getting hurt.
“Brrt!” Annie raced through Christina’s legs once more, this time pouncing on her ankle as well.
“Ahh!” Christina lost her balance, her hand holding the canister wobbled, and her thumb depressed the plunger.
A scream filled the garage.
“My eyes, my eyes!” Christina ran around in a tottering circle.
“She’s pepper sprayed herself!” Zoe stared at her, then glanced down at the silver-gray tabby. “Good work, Annie.”
“Brrp.” Thank you.
Lauren handed her weapon to Zoe with shaking fingers, and called Mitch. He picked up right away.
“Let’s get out of here.” She shoved her phone back in her purse. He assured her he’d be right there.
“Definitely!”
“Brrt!”
They rushed to the main garage door and yanked. The door moved up and out, and they stepped into fresh, chilly air.
The roar of sirens drowned out Christina’s screams. The three of them ran to the car and dove in, Lauren gunning the engine. They peeled down the street, pulling over to the side as police cars rounded the corner, heading straight to Uncle Francis’s house.
“Phew!” Zoe theatrically mopped her brow.
“You can say that again.” Lauren rested her forehead on the steering wheel.
“Brrt!” Phew!