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“OMG!” Zoe’s eyes widened as Lauren filled her in on what had happened at the B&B. They sat in the living room of the cottage that Lauren, Annie, and Zoe called home.
“Brrt!” Annie echoed, sitting up straight and tall on Lauren’s lap. Mitch sat beside her on the blue sofa, while Zoe sat on Lauren’s other side, and Chris, a friend of Mitch’s and now Zoe’s boyfriend, sat opposite, in an armchair.
Lauren gently stroked Annie’s soft, silver-gray fur, the motion soothing her.
“I wonder why someone killed her,” Zoe’s brown eyes were alive with curiosity. “Maybe she barged into the wrong room too many times and saw something she shouldn’t have.”
“That’s a possibility,” Mitch replied. “But there were only two other guests besides us.”
“Sisters,” Lauren added.
“Hmm.” Zoe steepled her fingertips together like a modern Sherlock Holmes.
“Did they find the weapon?” Chris asked, interest flickering across his even, attractive features.
“Not yet,” Mitch said. “All I know is, it was something heavy enough to kill.”
They were silent for a moment.
“Maybe we shouldn’t talk about this anymore at the moment,” Lauren suggested, glancing down at Annie, still sitting in her lap, her feline ears pricked.
“Oh, yeah.” Zoe nodded.
“You must be tired.” Mitch wrapped his arm around Lauren. “I’ll say goodnight.”
“Me too.” Chris rose.
Zoe looked disappointed, but followed Chris out to the front door.
“Do you want to do anything tomorrow?” Mitch asked her. “I’ve still got the next two days off, unless I’m called into the office now they know I’m back.”
“I’d like that.” She smiled at him.
“Brrt,” Annie agreed. She reached out and gently touched his arm.
“Do you want to come over here? I think Annie wants you to.”
“Why not?” His lips tilted into a smile.
***
THE NEXT DAY, MITCH came over for lunch with Lauren and Annie. Zoe had borrowed Lauren’s car to visit Chris in Sacramento, one hour away. He was due at work that afternoon for his shift as a paramedic, but they’d already made plans to meet up for lunch first.
If there hadn’t been a murder the night before, Lauren would have totally enjoyed herself. But she couldn’t help thinking about poor Edna lying on the hall floor. Who could have hated her enough to kill her? Or ...
“Do you think it was an accident?” she suddenly asked as Mitch sipped his coffee. They’d just finished lunch.
“Brrt?” Annie added. She sat next to Lauren at the kitchen table, while Mitch sat opposite them.
“One heck of an accident if it was,” he replied.
“What if Edna stumbled and hit her head on something?” Lauren pursued.
“Maybe,” he conceded, “but what could it have been? It would have to be in that hallway. I doubt she would have been able to climb the stairs after banging her head that hard.”
Lauren thought back to their room – no, suite – at the B&B. Their floor had seemed to consist of only the two guest suites. No furniture or hooks dangling from the walls. Surely the old-fashioned door knobs wouldn’t have inflicted a fatal injury?
“Why don’t we talk about something else?” Mitch suggested.
“Like what?” She attempted a smile.
“My parents would like to meet you one day.”
“They would?” She stared at him.
“Brrt?” Annie also stared at him, her green eyes wide.
“Yeah.” He smiled.
Mitch didn’t talk about his parents much – when Lauren had first met him, he’d seemed quite guarded, but had gradually opened up over the last year. She didn’t think he gave his heart lightly.
“They’re driving around the country in an RV,” he added. “They have a home base in San Diego, and said when they return home, they’d love to meet you – they did threaten to stop by the café and say hi to you on their way home.”
Gulp.
“Okay,” she replied softly. She wondered what his parents were like – would his dad be just like him? What about his mother?
“They’ll like you,” he reassured her.
She hadn’t introduced Mitch to her parents yet – she hadn’t been sure when to suggest it.
“I hope so.”
“Brrt.” Me too.
“I’m sure my mom will like you, Annie,” he told her, “although she’s never had a cat.” He’d told Lauren a while ago that he’d never had much to do with cats and at first hadn’t known how to interact with Annie. Lately though, he’d seemed a lot more comfortable around the Norwegian Forest Cat.
“Brrp.” Annie sounded as if she understood.
After lunch they took a walk around the neighborhood. Annie joined them, wearing her harness, with Lauren holding the lead. Then finally, Mitch kissed her goodbye when they returned to the cottage. Zoe had returned too, Lauren’s car parked outside on the street, gleaming like new.
“It looks like Zoe had your car washed,” Mitch observed.
“That was nice of her.” Lauren didn’t mind lending her car to Zoe whenever she needed it, and Zoe paid her back by paying for gas or doing something thoughtful like this.
As if she knew they were talking about her, Zoe suddenly appeared on the front porch.
“Hey, Lauren, I think we should visit Mrs. Finch tomorrow and tell her about the murder!”
“Brrt!”