A short time later when Maude was putting Alice down for a nap, Maisie slowly opened the front door, careful to keep all sound to a minimum. She took one step outside and smacked right into MacDougal’s chest.
He raised a brow. “Where are you going in such a hurry?”
“Shh.” Maisie stabbed at a piece of paper stuck to her front door with her finger. “Read the sign: Baby sleeping. Come back later. Maude has spent the last hour trying to get her down. I won’t have you waking her up.”
He crossed his arms. “I’m not coming back later. You didn’t answer my question. Where are you going?”
“Nowhere.”
“So ... you’re going nowhere with a shovel in your hand?”
Although partially hidden behind her back, he’d seen it. It was too late to backpedal now.
“What are you planning on doing with it?” he asked.
“What do people usually do with shovels? They dig.”
“Don’t be smart with me.”
She wasn’t being smart. She was being stupid. Extremely stupid.
She set the shovel against the house. “I have a dead body in the house. Need to get it buried in the backyard before a foul odor sets in. I could use some assistance.”
He crossed his arms in front of him. “Not funny.”
“Fine. If you must know, I need to dig up one of my shrubs in the backyard. It isn’t doing well. I’m going to replace it. Would you like to inspect it first, or am I free to use a shovel in my own backyard?”
“Seems like you were trying to leave your house in a hurry just now.”
“Well, I wasn’t. I was trying to get in and out of the house without waking the baby, that’s all.”
Eyes still focused on the shovel, he said, “You want some help with that shrub?”
Based on the sarcastic way the word “shrub” rolled off his tongue, she assumed his true intention was to let her know that he knew she was feeding him a line of crap. “I don’t need any help. How’s the investigation going?”
He exhaled, deep and heavy.
“That good, eh?” she asked.
“Yeah, well, we’re just getting started.”
“What are you doing here, at my house?”
“Just came to let you and your sister know someone will be here to pick up Alice soon.”
“Really? And this person is ...?”
“Her grandmother.”
“Which one?”
“Maternal.”
“You really think it’s a good idea to hand Alice over to a woman who’s obviously in crisis after someone has kidnapped her daughter?”
“She’s family, and she wants to pick up the baby as soon as possible.”
“Fine by me. Why come here in person to tell me this? You have my number. You could have called.”
He shook his head. “I don’t want there to be any problems when she gets here. You’re to hand the baby over. A caseworker will be here too just to make sure everything goes all right.”
“It wasn’t my idea to bring the baby here, but it makes Maude happy. The grandmother will have no argument from me.”
“I have your word?”
“Look, we both want what’s best for Alice. Besides, how would I get to sleep tonight with a baby in the house? I have an active social life. It doesn’t include a screaming infant, I assure you.”
He grinned like he knew just how active a life she led.
“So, what now?” Maisie asked. “Are you staying here until the grandmother and the caseworker get here to make sure I behave, or what?”
“I have a murder to solve and a missing person to find. The last place I want to be is on your front porch.”
“Get off of it then. I’m not trying to keep you from doing your job.”
“I’ll leave if you promise not to cause problems.”
“I just told you I wouldn’t.”
“What about your sister? She seems attached to the little one. Will she be all right?”
“Don’t concern yourself with Maude. I can handle her. Besides, she has some church function going on part of the day tomorrow and she’s in charge. She doesn’t have time to be strapped down to a baby either.”