Are you surprised?” my best friend asked. She bounced up and down and her wild ebony curls flew in all directions.
I wiped away a tear. “Yes, I’m surprised.” I turned to Timothy and Becky. “You two knew about this?”
Tanisha showed off her dazzling white smile. “Of course they did. How else would I know where you lived? Let me tell you, my GPS was no help at all. I would have been here earlier, but my Garmin took me way off course. I had to call Timothy and describe where I was. His directions were to take the right fork at the intersection where the old barn burned down. Who says that? This county really should invest in some road signage.” She spoke a mile a minute just like always. I had to wonder how she taught her Italian students English. It would be an intense class with Tanisha at the helm.
“Let’s sit down,” I said.
Timothy touched my arm. “I’m going to take Aaron home. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
I noticed guests were beginning to leave. It was nearing ten in the evening. I hadn’t realized that the party had gone so late.
Becky turned toward the kitchen. “Let me grab my coat. I want to go with you.” A second later she reappeared in her winter coat. “I’m ready. Chloe, is it okay if I go? Tanisha, I’m sorry to run out on you like this so fast.”
Tanisha laughed. “I’m sure we will have plenty of time to visit. I’ll be here for a couple of days.”
“You will?” I beamed.
After Becky, Timothy, and Aaron left, followed by the rest of our departing guests, I fell next to Tanisha on the Quills’ flowered couch. She glanced around the room and picked up a porcelain figurine of a ballerina. “Um. Since when have you been into ballet?”
I laughed. “I told you this house came furnished. The elderly couple who lives here is in Florida for the winter. They will be back in April, and then we will have to find a new place to live. Honestly, I hope we do sooner than that. This is too far from town.”
“No kidding. And hello? Did anyone ever hear of streetlights out here?” She removed her magenta-colored coat, revealing her ugly reindeer sweater underneath.
I burst out laughing. “You wore it!”
She tweaked Rudolph on the nose. “I had to wear it. It’s Christmas.”
“Did you already see your parents?”
“Oh yeah.” Tee rolled her eyes. “I would have left earlier, but Mom wouldn’t let me out of her sight. I’m surprised I didn’t lose an arm while leaving the house, she was yanking on it so hard.”
“I don’t want to keep you from your parents.”
“Please.” She whispered out of the side of her mouth. “I had to check out Timmy.” She fanned herself.
I covered my mouth. “I don’t think anyone calls him ‘Timmy.’”
“Good. That can be our thing, then. Timmy and I need a special relationship. I mean I will be the maid of honor at the wedding.”
“Whoa there,” I said, sounding like Grandfather Zook talking to Sparky. “You’re getting a little ahead of yourself.”
“Not that far,” she insisted. “Let me see the necklace.”
I pulled the necklace from its place under my sweater. I had e-mailed her about the gift from Timothy, but I left out the part about finding the dead body by the barn.
The hammer and computer mouse charm reflected the yellow light from the pewter lamp on the end table. “That’s the sweetest gift I have ever seen. How romantic! How did he even think of it? Maybe I need to find me an Amish boy while I’m here. It’s much nicer than anything Cole ever gave me.”
I tucked the necklace back under my sweater. Cole was Tanisha’s former fiancé. He lived in Florida and broke up with her in an e-mail while she was in Italy. “Have you heard from Cole?”
She shook her head. “Not even a Christmas e-card. He wasn’t too happy when I told him I threw his ring into Lake Como. I hope the fish that ate it enjoyed it because I never want to see that ring again.” She bumped my shoulder. “Cole never looked at me like Timmy looks at you. I’ve only been here a few minutes, but I can tell he is completely besotted.”
“Really?” My voice squeaked.
She laughed and stood. “Got any food around here. I’m starved.”
I stood too. “You have a full gourmet spread.”
“What? You moved to the country and learned how to cook? If you tell me you started knitting, I’m going to faint dead away.”
“No way. Becky’s the chef. I’m clean up.”
She grinned. “Sounds like my kind of arrangement.”
Gigabyte was in the kitchen eating a piece of ham in his dish that Becky must have given to him. Tanisha dropped to all fours. “Gig! I missed you.”
The Siamese cat arched his back and hissed. He then slunk under the kitchen table, the ham clenched between his front teeth.
Tanisha jumped to her feet. “At least some things in your life haven’t changed. Gig is as friendly as ever. He only likes you.”
“He likes Becky.” I lowered my voice. “I think he likes Becky even more than me now. She gives him bacon for breakfast every morning.”
“If someone made me bacon for breakfast every morning, I’d love her too.” She loaded her plate with leftovers from the Christmas party. “So what are we going to do tomorrow? Will I meet Timmy’s family?”
I picked up a baby carrot from the buffet. “Yes, I think so. You will love his grandfather. As for what else we are doing, maybe you can help me with a project.”
She bit into a croissant and closed her eyes for a minute to relish the taste of it. “If it’s something with computers, count me out.”
“No computers,” I promised. “We’re looking for a murderer.”
The croissant dropped from her hand.