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At nine o’clock the next morning, Mitch knocked on the café door.
Lauren smiled when she saw him through the glass panel and hurried to unbolt it.
“I’m sorry I didn’t call last night.” He gave her a swift kiss.
“Brrt?” Annie trotted up to him before Lauren could say anything.
“Hi, Annie.” He bent down to speak to her.
“Brrt.” Hi.
“What are you doing here so early?” Lauren asked. He looked good – but then, he always did – in charcoal slacks and a gray button-down shirt.
“We put a rush on the ME’s report,” he told her, following her to the counter. “Kathleen died from something she ingested.”
“So she was poisoned!” Zoe popped up behind the counter.
“Yes.”
“What was it?” Lauren asked.
“We don’t know yet.” Mitch shook his head. “I was up late reading the report, which is why I didn’t call you.”
“I understand,” Lauren replied.
“When will you know?” Zoe pressed.
“When we hear more from the ME,” Mitch replied.
“Was she poisoned at the show?” Lauren asked.
“It looks like it. Whatever she took – or was given – seemed to act pretty quickly.”
“Huh.” Zoe drummed her fingers on the counter, appearing deep in thought.
“Are you free for dinner tonight?” Mitch asked. “We could go to the bistro.”
“I’d love to,” Lauren replied.
He smiled at her, then his gaze zeroed in on the suggestion box. “You’re coming up with new flavors?”
“Trying to.” Her voice turned glum.
“Why not make a super vanilla cupcake?”
“You don’t think I use enough vanilla?” She knew vanilla was his favorite out of all of her cupcakes.
“Of course you do,” he replied. “You know I love your cupcakes.”
“So what’s this super vanilla idea?” Zoe wanted to know.
“Maybe a garnish of a vanilla bean on top? Or some sort of vanilla surprise inside?” He rubbed the back of his neck.
“Hmm.” Maybe vanilla cream inside? But she’d have to cut open the cake to place a spoonful of cream in, then place the top half back on, and ...
“Forget I said anything,” Mitch remarked when there was a small silence. “You’re the baker, not me.”
“I’ll think about it.” She reached up on tiptoe and kissed him on the cheek. “It was a good suggestion.”
“Thanks.” His brown eyes were warm as he looked at her.
After a moment, Zoe cleared her throat.
“Oh, yeah. I need to talk to Ed for a minute,” Mitch said. Is he in the kitchen?”
“Yes,” Lauren replied.
“Why?” Zoe asked.
“Police stuff,” Mitch told her.
“I’ll just ask Ed later.” Zoe airily waved a hand in the air. “No big deal.”
“I’ll pick you up at seven.” Mitch turned to Lauren.
“Okay.”
Mitch strode into the commercial kitchen. Annie wandered back to her basket.
“Don’t worry, Annie,” Zoe called to her. “We’ll have lots of fun tonight, just the two of us.”
“Brrt!”
***
THE MORNING TURNED out to be busy. The main topic of conversation was who had killed Kathleen at the cat show. Zoe asked their customers if they had known her, but they all said they hadn’t.
“I wonder what Mitch said to Ed?” Zoe pondered at lunchtime.
“Want to take your break now so you can ask him?” Lauren half teased.
“Thanks!” Zoe took her seriously. She dashed into the kitchen.
Annie sat with Mrs. Finch, who was enjoying a cup of hot tea and a lavender cupcake.
Since nobody needed her attention for a minute, Lauren joined them.
“Is Zoe all right?” Mrs. Finch asked. “I saw her running into the kitchen just now.”
“She’s fine,” Lauren replied. “Just doing a little sleuthing.”
“Is Mitch having any luck tracking down the killer?”
“Umm ... I’m not sure,” Lauren finally replied. Mitch hadn’t asked her to keep the cause of death to herself, but he also hadn’t told her to tell everyone, either. “He’s waiting for more information from the medical examiner.” Which was totally true.
“Just promise me that you two – three—” Mrs. Finch glanced at Annie sitting beside her “—won’t endanger yourselves finding the killer.”
“I promise,” Lauren replied.
“Brrt.” Me, too.
She kept them company for a few more minutes, and then hurried back to the counter to take an order.
“Well, pooh!” Zoe pouted as she returned from the kitchen. “Ed said Mitch just wanted to ask him who he spoke to at the cat show and if he noticed anything strange about Kathleen.”
“Mitch knows that after Dana, the judge, accused Kathleen and Robert, the other judge, of bribery, that Kathleen hurried after Robert.”
“Yeah.” Zoe nodded vigorously. “That’s true.”
“If Robert had time alone with Kathleen ...” Lauren said slowly.
“And afterward Kathleen died from being poisoned ...” Zoe’s eyes widened. “Maybe Mitch is going to arrest Robert right now!”
“Maybe,” Lauren replied.
“You’ll have to grill Mitch tonight while you have dinner.” Zoe’s eyes sparkled. “Then come home and tell me and Annie everything.”
“Mm hm,” Lauren said as non-committaly as she could. She didn’t want Mitch to think she was interfering in a police investigation – not yet, anyway. Because she wasn’t – not yet, anyway.
“I’ll call Chris tonight and see if he knows anything,” Zoe proposed.
“You think Mitch is updating him?” Lauren’s eyebrows rose.
“I don’t know.” She shrugged. “Maybe, because Chris was the first paramedic on the scene. And maybe, because they’re good friends.”
Lauren hadn’t thought of that. She respected Mitch’s work and was glad he was in charge of the investigation instead of Detective Castern. Would he really talk over the murder with Chris and not her?
Maybe, if he thought he was protecting her by not discussing his work with her. She fingered the gold L around her neck. Hmm.
***
“MY PARENTS LIKED YOU,” Mitch told her that evening. They sat at a secluded table at their favorite bistro on the outskirts of Gold Leaf Valley.
“They did?” Lauren smiled in relief.
“I told you they would.” He held her hand across the table.
“My parents liked you, too,” Lauren said. “Are yours back home now?”
“Yes. Detective Castern interviewed them about their movements at the cat show.” Mitch’s mouth firmed.
“He did? But I thought he wasn’t getting back from his vacation ’til yesterday.”
“True. And the first thing he did was try to take charge of this case. He was told that wasn’t going to happen, but they thought it would be a good idea if he interviewed my parents since there wouldn’t be any bias.”
“I can’t believe him.” Lauren shook her head.
“He’s ambitious. If he hoped to turn my folks into suspects, he was disappointed. They arrived after Dana, the judge, accused Kathleen of bribery, and they were with me or around other people the whole time they were there. He had to clear them.”
“Good.” Lauren smiled. She’d liked Mitch’s parents, however nerve-racking it had been at first to meet them.
Their food arrived: pork with four varieties of apples for Lauren, and pan roasted salmon for Mitch. Over dinner they talked about everyday things including Zoe’s new pottery mug project.
That led to Lauren asking about Kathleen’s next of kin.
“Has anyone claimed Mrs. Snuggle Face Furry Frost yet?”
“No. I’m glad Father Mike’s taken her in. We’re still trying to trace Kathleen’s family. It seems she lived alone, no kids, and her neighbors said she kept to herself – apart from informing them when her cat won another show.”
“That’s a shame,” Lauren replied. If something happened to her, she knew Zoe would look after Annie. But what if something happened to her and Zoe? Her mom, of course. Maybe Mitch?
“What?” He captured her hand. “You’ve got a strange look on your face.”
“If anything ever happens to me – and Zoe ...”
“Of course I’ll look after Annie,” he replied instantly. “Unless she wouldn’t want me to?”
“I think she might,” Lauren replied.
“But nothing’s going to happen to you.” His tone was fierce.
“I don’t want anything to happen to you, either.” She blinked back sudden tears.
“Hopefully nothing will,” he tried to reassure her. “But I’m a detective. That possibility goes with the territory.”
“I know.”
“Are you okay with that?” Concern glinted in his dark brown eyes.
She’d known he faced risks in his job, and thought she’d come to terms with them – until tonight.
Did she want a risk-free future without Mitch, or did she want to enjoy the time she had with him, right now? Lauren knew the answer deep in her heart.
She took a deep breath.
“Yes, I am.” She smiled at him.
“Good.” He kissed the palm of her hand.
They looked deep into each other’s eyes until the server came over and asked if they’d like dessert.