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“HUH?” ZOE’S EYES WIDENED, her brows climbing up to hit her brunette pixie bangs.
“Don’t play innocent with me.” He scowled at both of them. “I know what you two have been doing, and if you don’t stop, I’ll arrest you!”
“What – what are you talking about?” Zoe asked.
“Your little visit to Margaret Prumpley yesterday. She called me last night, complaining about murder suspects coming into her home and asking her questions!”
“What do you mean, murder suspects?” Zoe narrowed her eyes, seeming to regain her composure.
“Yes,” Lauren said. “We’re not suspects – are we?”
“Everyone’s a suspect until the killer is caught,” Detective Castern informed them in a superior tone. “Including you two. Why do you think I asked you to come down to the station on Monday and make a formal statement? Not just what you told your boyfriend at the park.” He glared at Lauren.
“But we just wanted to ask her about her husband’s auto repair shop,” Zoe protested. “We’re thinking of taking our car there.”
“My car.”
“That’s what I said.”
“You two think you’re real funny.” He grimaced. “Well, you’re not. And don’t expect to get special treatment just because your boyfriend is a detective. That makes you more suspicious in my eyes, not less. If you approach any more suspects in this case, I’ll arrest you so fast you won’t even feel the slap of the handcuffs on your wrists.” He stalked out of the café.
“Brrt?” Annie came running up to them, a worried look on her face. She’d been spending time with Molly and Claire.
“It’s okay, Annie.” Lauren spoke gently.
“Yeah, the bad man’s gone now.” Zoe stuck her tongue out at the detective striding down the street, his back to them.
“I told you we shouldn’t have visited Margaret yesterday.” Lauren was sure she had her own worried look on her face.
“But don’t you see?” Zoe turned to her and Annie. “We must be getting somewhere! Why else would Margaret call mean old Detective Castern to get us taken off the case? She either killed Eugene or knows who did – and doesn’t want us to find out!”
“You might have a point,” Lauren said slowly. “I thought she was a nice woman overall, but—”
“Apart from being a bit snobby.”
“Yes, but she did invite us in. She didn’t have to do that.”
“True. Maybe she asked us in to find out how much we knew! And then sicced Detective Castern on us so she wouldn’t be in danger from us!”
“Brrt!” Annie seemed to like the sound of that theory.
Zoe pulled out her phone and started typing.
“Margaret is now number one on my suspect list.”
“Who’s number two?”
“Hmm.” Zoe tapped her cheek. “It’s either Vince or Sheryl, the ex-wife of the victim.”
“Really?” Lauren stared at her.
“Of course I don’t want it to be Vince. Where we would go for great pizzas? Yes, I could make them for us, since I did win the competition, but everything was already prepared. It’s not like I could make the pizza dough myself.” She grew thoughtful. “Hmm. Maybe Chris could. He likes to cook.”
“But why would Vince need to kill Eugene?” Lauren glanced around the café. There had been a few shocked faces after Detective Castern’s scene, but it seemed the incident had been quickly forgotten as everyone returned to their conversation and treats.
“Because ...” Zoe tapped her cheek. “Eugene was blackmailing him!”
“About what?”
“Something pizza related.”
“Like ...?”
“I don’t know.” Zoe sounded a little exasperated.
“What about Eugene’s ex-wife, Sheryl? Lauren asked. “I hope she’s innocent.”
“Me, too.” Zoe nodded. “But maybe she wanted to win the contest, like Margaret, and killed her ex-husband because he won instead.”
“Or,” Lauren said slowly, “maybe Eugene is Mitch’s missing person!”
“Ooh – do you think?”
“Brrt?”
“Mitch doesn’t have a photo of him – yet.” She remembered that Mitch was trying to get a copy of the man’s driver’s license photo.
“That is intriguing.” Zoe’s eyes lit up. “You’d better find out more about this missing man – we could solve both cases!”
***
THAT EVENING, THEY told Mrs. Finch about the day’s events.
“My goodness.” She shook her head. “You two have been busy. I hope you’re being careful. Detective Castern does not sound very professional.”
“Exactly,” Zoe agreed. “So I don’t know why we should have to follow his orders.”
“Because he’s the police and we’re not,” Lauren pointed out. She sat next to her cousin on the beige sofa.
Annie gently patted Mrs. Finch’s hand. She perched on the arm of their friend’s chair.
“I’m fine, dear.” Mrs. Finch stroked the silver-gray tabby. “Thank you for asking.”
Lauren and Zoe shared a smile.
“I do hope the three of you will be careful. Perhaps this Castern fellow is right for once and you should leave it to the police to solve.”
“But it’s been nearly a week and they haven’t caught the killer,” Zoe protested. “And I’m still stewing over the way Detective Castern marched us down to the station like we were common criminals.”
“Yes, I think that was badly done,” Mrs. Finch agreed. “But Lauren’s right. He is the police and you’re not. He has authority – although I don’t know if he deserves it – and you don’t.” She turned to Lauren. “What does Mitch say?”
She’d caught up with him that afternoon when he’d come in for a latte.
“He said to be careful. Apparently Detective Castern applied for a promotion and didn’t get it.”
“That’s the reason why he’s even more bad tempered than usual,” Zoe crowed.
“So we don’t want to set him off,” Lauren cautioned. “I don’t want to get arrested.”
“What could he possibly arrest us for?” Zoe wrinkled her nose.
“Obstruction of justice?”
“Lauren’s right, dear,” Mrs. Finch spoke. “Perhaps it’s best if you stay out of this one. Why don’t you tell me about your latest pottery mug? You are making more, aren’t you?”
Zoe had moved on from knitting, crochet, string-art, and jewelry making, to settle – for now at least – on pottery. Her mugs included a portrait of Annie in a different pose each time.
“Yes.” Zoe nodded. “This time, I thought of painting Annie looking at – or maybe even eating – a red velvet cupcake. But I don’t want people to think it’s a good idea to give cats cupcakes to eat, if it’s not. And I’ve already made a mug with Annie looking at a cupcake.”
“That is a bit of a dilemma,” Mrs. Finch said seriously. “But I’m sure you’ll work it out.”
“That’s what Chris said.” Zoe beamed at her. “Ooh, I know! Annie could be reaching for the red velvet. It could be sitting on a shelf, just out of range.”
“Brrt!” Annie said approvingly.
“It sounds great,” Lauren said.
“I’ll start sketching when I get home.”
“I can’t wait to see it, dear. You will sell me one when you make them, won’t you?”
“I’ll give you one,” Zoe replied.
“You’re very kind.” Mrs. Finch smiled at her.
After Lauren told their friend about her sewing endeavors, Zoe shuddering the whole time, they made her a latte with her pod machine, then said goodbye.
“We can still solve Mitch’s missing persons case,” Zoe declared as they left the house. “Detective Castern can’t stop us!”
Lauren wasn’t too sure about that.