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Lauren and Zoe visited Mrs. Finch on Sunday, after church. They hadn’t been for a while, and Lauren’s conscience insisted they attend that morning.
She’d worried about Mrs. Finch calling her friend, no matter what Zoe had said.
“I’m fine, dears,” Mrs. Finch told them as she opened the door. “I was just about to call you and let you know what happened.”
“What did happen?” Zoe asked eagerly.
“Brrt?” Annie wanted to know too.
Once they were settled in the living room, Mrs. Finch filled them in.
“I was right – that man was Betty’s husband.” Mrs. Finch looked delighted with her sleuthing efforts. “We had a lovely talk on the phone, and Betty is coming to visit me tomorrow afternoon. It’s been a while since we’ve seen each other.”
“That’s great!” Zoe grinned.
“Someone else had already told her about the altercation – they must have been across the street when her husband lost her temper with that young cupcake man. Anyway, her husband was very remorseful about his behavior and promised it wouldn’t happen again.”
“Does he have an alibi for around the time of the murder?” Lauren asked.
“It must have occurred sometime in the morning,” Zoe mused. “Before we opened at nine-thirty.”
“The cupcake truck wasn’t there when we closed the day before.”
“And I glanced out of the front window that night,” Zoe said. “I didn’t see the truck lurking outside then.” She glanced at Lauren. “Sorry, I meant to tell you that before now.”’
Lauren nodded.
“Betty says he was with her that morning,” Mrs. Finch informed them. “She said he surprised her by making breakfast for both of them – chocolate chip pancakes – and had arranged to go into the office a little later.”
“Hmm.” Zoe tapped her cheek. “I wonder if he did that because he was worried someone would report his bad behavior to his wife, so he decided to make amends first? That way, when she found out about him making a scene at the cupcake truck, she couldn’t be so mad at him.”
“Zoe!” Sometimes Lauren was surprised at how her cousin’s mind worked – although she should be used to it by now.
“I must admit I thought along the same lines.” Mrs. Finch looked a little uncomfortable. “But that means, surely, that Betty’s husband isn’t the killer?”
“It seems like it,” Lauren agreed.
“Have the police interviewed him?” Zoe asked.
“Yes.” Mrs. Finch nodded. “Somehow they found out that he’d been irate about the cupcakes and had confronted the cupcake man – Jason.”
“It wasn’t us,” Lauren said.
“No.” Zoe shook her head.
“I’m sure it wasn’t.” Mrs. Finch smiled at them. “But I would understand if it had been. The police need to have all the facts so they can solve the case.”
“Definitely,” Lauren agreed.
“But sometimes we solve the case instead,” Zoe said with relish.
“Hopefully this time, the police can do it,” Lauren replied.
Zoe mumbled something under her breath. Lauren didn’t want to know what it was.
They enjoyed a cup of coffee while Annie lapped delicately from a bowl of water. Then they said goodbye to Mrs. Finch and walked home.
***
TO LAUREN’S DELIGHT, Mitch stopped by the house that afternoon. He’d had to work an extra shift yesterday, so they hadn’t seen each other last night.
“I want you to be prepared for this coming week,” he told her. Zoe had gone outside to enjoy the April sun. Annie had stayed behind and was now perched on the back of the sofa, looking at them inquisitively.
“Why? What’s wrong?” Lauren crinkled her brow.
“The detective in charge of the case says he’s determined to solve it quickly. So he might re-interview you and Zoe.”
“Okay.” Lauren nodded. “What about Jessica, Jason’s ex-girlfriend? And Scott, his friend? Is he going to re-interview them?”
“I’m sure he’ll be talking to them as well,” Mitch replied, his expression serious. “But he seems to be interested in you and Zoe – being right on the scene, and losing business because of the cupcake truck.”
“But Jessica was right on the scene, too!” Lauren was indignant. “She found Jason – not me or Zoe.”
“I know,” he soothed her. “But he can’t find any evidence that Jessica was there earlier to kill Jason – unless she drove a totally different car so no one would realize she was in town. Then she could have murdered Jason, left the scene, then return later driving her red car and pretended to find the vic – Jason.”
“Is he looking into that theory?” Lauren asked.
“I hope so.” Mitch grimaced. “I’ve already spoken to him about the case, and vouched for you and Zoe, but he says of course I would say my girlfriend is innocent.”
“If he questions me again, I’ll definitely tell him we’re innocent,” Lauren said determinedly.
“He also thinks it’s convenient that Jason was killed right outside your cottage. It would be easy for you or Zoe to slip out in the early morning and kill him, without anyone seeing.”
“But why would Jason be out there at that time?” Lauren frowned. “Are you talking about four or five a.m., something like that?”
“Yes. It’s possible.” Mitch nodded. “I know it doesn’t make much sense that Jason would arrive so early, but we don’t even know when he showed up in Gold Leaf Valley that morning. We’ve only got an approximate time of death from the autopsy. It could have been later, like seven or eight o’clock. What time did you notice his truck there that morning?”
“Around eight. I did think it was a bit strange,” Lauren mused. “Jason usually showed up around nine-thirty, when we were already in the café. But that day, we saw his van when we started to get the café ready.”
“Maybe he thought he’d grab some customers before you opened,” Mitch suggested. “Especially since you told me business had been down for him the last couple of days.”
They spoke about more pleasant topics for a while, then Mitch suggested they get something to eat from Gary’s Burger Diner.
“That sounds great.” Lauren smiled. “Let me check if Zoe wants me to bring something back for her.”
Zoe put in an order for a smoky barbecue special and fries. “It’s a shame Chris isn’t here, otherwise we could double date!”
“That’s certainly an idea.” Mitch sounded a little dubious.
“I think it could be fun,” Lauren said. Maybe it would be.
“Why don’t you leave it to me and Lauren?” Zoe proposed. “We’ll handle the details.”
“Okay,” Mitch hesitated. “As long as Chris agrees.”
“I’m sure he will.” Zoe grinned.
Lauren enjoyed her early dinner with Mitch. The weather was sunny with a cool breeze that gently ruffled her shoulder-length hair as they left the diner and walked back to the cottage, carrying Zoe’s take-out order, and a plain burger patty for Annie.
“Brrt!” Annie ran to greet them when they stepped inside the cottage.
“Yes, it’s for you.” Lauren smiled at the cat. The tantalizing aroma of the beef had been hard to ignore on the stroll home, although she’d already enjoyed her burger at the diner.
She broke up the patty for Annie and placed it in her dish in the kitchen.
“Brrp.” Annie sniffed at the meat, then her pink tongue darted out, tasting the meat. Soon the bowl was empty.
“Yum, smoky barbecue!” Zoe dived into her burger and fries.
“Would you like some coffee?” Lauren asked Mitch.
“Thanks, but I’ve got an early start tomorrow. I’d better head home.”
Lauren walked him out to the porch.
“Good night,” she said softly.
“Good night.” He kissed her tenderly. “Let me know how it goes with the detective if he re-interviews you.”
“I will.” She touched her gold L letter necklace.
Lauren waved goodbye to him as she watched him get into his car and start the engine. Zoe came up behind her.
“I’ve spoken to Chris and he thinks a double-date will work. Now all we have to do is find a time that will suit all four of us!”
***
THE NEXT DAY, LAUREN and Zoe talked about their plans for the upcoming double date.
“What are we going to do on this date?” Lauren asked as they left for the grocery store.
“Bowling.” Zoe grinned. “Or ice skating. Or mini-golf.”
“I didn’t know you skated,” Lauren said.
“I don’t. But I think it could be fun.”
“And I think we could fall over a bunch of times.” Lauren remembered the one time she’d tried ice skating – and the number of times she’d fallen over. It wasn’t something she wished to repeat.
“Then Chris could help me up.” Zoe’s eyes sparkled. “And Mitch could help you up.”
“True.” Lauren couldn’t help smiling at her cousin’s enthusiasm.
“Ooh, I know! We could go to a farmers’ market in Sacramento!”
“I like that idea.” Lauren’s eyes lit up.
“Okay, so that’s what we’ll do.” Zoe pulled out her phone and started texting. “Chris,” she explained as Lauren parked in front of the small grocery store. “What about next weekend?” She turned to Lauren.
“Works for me,” Lauren replied. “I’ll have to check with Mitch.”
“You could text him right now.” Zoe was on a roll.
Lauren preferred talking to texting, but she followed her cousin’s advice and sent a brief message to Mitch.
A few seconds later, her phone buzzed.
“Mitch says it’s fine with him.”
“Good. And it’s okay with Chris – he said he can meet us there, since he lives in Sacramento, and he’ll send us the details.” Zoe high-fived Lauren.
They did their grocery shopping, Lauren planning the cupcake menu for the next week.
She would definitely make more salted caramel cupcakes, as well as lavender, and white chocolate cherry.
“Hans!” Lauren stopped the cart before she barged into the dapper gentleman standing in the next aisle.
“Hello, Lauren and Zoe,” Hans replied.
“We haven’t seen you in the café lately,” Zoe said. “Are you okay?”
“Ach, yes. Just a little cold this last week. But I am better now.” He smiled. “I’m sure I will be at the café tomorrow.”
“Good,” Lauren replied. “I know Annie missed you this last week.”
“And I her.” He indicated his cart containing fruit and a few cans of soup. “I’m just picking up some things.”
“So are we.” Zoe grinned.
After a few minutes of small talk, they said goodbye to Hans and continued with their shopping.
“Annie will be glad when he comes in tomorrow,” Lauren mused.
“Ooh, we must update him on the murder.”
“I wonder if he heard about the altercation between Betty’s angry husband and Jason – before Jason died,” Lauren remarked.
“We’ll have to ask him tomorrow!”