I had a bad feeling about that phone call. At the very least, Val knew that Lindsay had defied her. Best case scenario, she got reprimanded, which wasn’t the best-case scenario for me, since that would cut off the only source of information I’d had in the last day.
That assessment could be premature. I hadn’t reached out to them either.
And it also assumed I could take Lindsay’s word and motives at face value…
I texted her and told her to keep me posted, but I couldn’t wait around to hear back from her before I made my next move. Even if Val’s call was unrelated to Lindsay’s behavior this morning, it didn’t take away the fact that I’d caught Maxim doing something that made me circle his name on my suspect list. If I was correct, and he was behind this, he’d already be taking action to cover his tracks.
As soon as we got back to the hotel, my next text put my theory to the test. The emojis Kenzie had sent me yesterday seemed like they’d come in a lifetime ago.
Are you watching Chloe today? Think she’s in the mood for a kitty playdate?
The typing dots appeared and disappeared many times before her reply came through.
I wish. I don’t work for Parking Lot Potluck anymore.
What? Why?
My heart sank. There hadn’t been any unusual activity with the reporters when I got back to the hotel. Sometimes they knew what was happening with cases before I got official word. Whatever the reason, I was glad they weren’t the ones to blindside me with this news.
Because it did not bode well for Lindsay. At all.
Don’t know. I was just told I was no longer on the job.
I’m so sorry. Do you know if anyone else was let go?
She didn’t answer. No longer a Parking Lot Potluck employee, she didn’t owe me anything. I’d love to ask for more information in exchange for a promise to try to get her job back, but that was a promise I couldn’t keep.
But I still had her attention, and that was probably as good as things were going to get for the foreseeable future.
Could you put me in contact with George?
My phone rang. Kenzie.
“I’m so sorry.”
“I’m in shock,” she said. “I’m packing up my stuff, but it just feels like I’m headed off to the next episode. Not home.”
“Was Val the one to break the news to you?” If she was already packing, chances were she got the news before my run-in with Maxim, so the two things could be unrelated.
“Yeah.” Kenzie took a deep, shaky breath. “Here’s George’s info. He’s not great about getting back to people, and don’t be surprised if he doesn’t answer.”
“Thank you. For everything. I know this case hasn’t been easy for you, and I’m sorry it’s not ending differently.”
“I wish I could come on the playdate with you. I didn’t even get a chance to say goodbye to Chloe.”
That broke my heart. Not only for Kenzie, but for Chloe. The Dane thought of her caretaker as an alpha—a complicated relationship on its own—and she had separation anxiety issues. She wouldn’t take this well.
“I’ll let you know if we’re able to set something up. If you’re still around, maybe you can stop by.” That assumed that she hadn’t had a falling out with George. If I was in her shoes, I would’ve reached out to him, but maybe she already had, and that was the reason for her caveat.
“I’d like that. Thank you.” Another sniffle. “I really hope you’re able to solve the case, Addie. Not just for Sig and Diana. We all lost something.”
“I never give up.” It wasn’t even an option at the shelter. So far, it had worked well for me with our cases.
We hung up, and there was still no word from Lindsay. If Val was letting go the two lead production assistants, who, from what I saw, worked harder than anyone else on set, it did not bode well for the future of Parking Lot Potluck.
So I dialed George’s number before I even had a chance to think about it.
“George Adamos.”
“Hi. It’s Addie.” In my shock that he actually answered, I fumbled over my words. “Spy Kitty’s mom.”
“How did you get this number?”
“From Kenzie.” I gave him a moment to comment on Kenzie’s newly unemployed status, but the silence made the phone call increasingly more awkward. “I was hoping that maybe we could have that playdate we talked about at the meeting?”
“Chloe doesn’t like cats.”
“Chloe had a bad experience with one cat. We want to change that.”
“Addie, I don’t have time for—”
“It won’t take much time. They’re animals. They’ll have fun for a few minutes and then be tired of each other and want a treat and a nap.”
He didn’t say the show was over, but he was definitely upset.
“I have a video call in an hour. Then we can meet with you. How about at five? Maybe by the pool? Chloe likes to do laps around it.”
“That sounds great. We’re looking forward to it.”
Even though I had a feeling I was going to get blown off, I texted Kenzie the plan. We had a little time before the meeting, so while I kept everything crossed that they actually showed up, Persephone and I could work on our approach.
She’d gotten comfortable on the bed, her head against my pillow and my nightgown sticking out from underneath her sleepy body. I lay beside her and ran my hand over her back.
“We’re going to talk to Chloe.”
That made her head perk up.
“Do you remember Maxim? He’s one of the judges. The other guy that’s not Chloe’s dad. We saw him at the restaurant today. I think he might have been the one to poison Sig and Diana.” It still felt crummy to say it out loud. Can you find out what Chloe thinks of him?”
“Like what?”
“If she likes him. If he’s had any arguments with her dad.” There was a disagreement that day. “If there’s any reason that she doesn’t like him.”
“Okay.”
Even if Chloe said she didn’t like Maxim, that wasn’t enough evidence to claim that he was responsible. I wished Rachel would call me back. She might have the missing piece of the puzzle that would help us seal the deal on this case.
Or maybe now I had enough information to ask George the right questions. This playdate hinged on me as much as it did on Persephone and Chloe.
“If Chloe’s in a talkative mood, can you ask her about the contestants, too? If she ever felt the need to protect George from any of them?”
“I can do that.”
“Whether we solve this case or not, you did a great job.” I kissed her head. “And as long as George and Chloe show up, we did exactly what we came here to do.”
“I hope we can save the show,” she said. “I like watching it better than I like being inside the TV.”
I laughed. “Me too.”
I freshened myself up, wishing Lucky had made the trip. The LBD would be way too much for our playdate by the pool since it was too cold for it to be open, but it would give me the confidence I needed if I had a chance to take the next step and point a finger in the direction of the culprit.
No answer from Kenzie. I really hoped she’d be able to join us, but there were so many questions about her losing her job. I steeled myself and loaded Persephone into the stroller. We’d be there a little early, but I wanted to check out the vibe of the hotel. See if anyone else was loading out.
Showtime. I had a feeling this was all or nothing.
I lingered in the lobby for a moment. The treat case was luring me with its siren song, and I promised myself one of those lemon-stuffed donut treats later—either as a victory treat or a consolation prize. Either way, my feelings would taste delicious.
“Addie!” I cringed at the sound of my own name. Marci had made it into the hotel, and since no one was escorting her out, I realized that meant the security detail was gone.
Not a good sign at all.