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“We should go over the facts of the case,” Suzanne said that evening. They sat at Maddie’s pine kitchen table, each sipping on a latte.
“Mrrow!” Trixie seemed to nod her head. She sat on “her” chair at the table.
“Okay.” Maddie glanced at Suzanne’s phone where she’d written down the information about the murder. “Veronica was killed by a heavy object.”
“Hmm.” Suzanne tapped her fingernails on the table. “Like a big rock or—”
“Maybe the lid of the garbage can?” Maddie suggested.
“Yes! Eww.” Suzanne sank back in her chair. “What if I touched the murder weapon when I lifted the garbage can lid to see what was inside?” She shook off the thought.
“Maybe the lid wasn’t heavy enough.” Maddie was sorry she thought of the notion. “Besides, it can’t have been that because Detective Edgewater didn’t ask for your fingerprints, did he?”
“No.” Suzanne brightened. “Good. She wasn’t killed by a metal garbage lid.”
There was silence for a few seconds.
“So what did kill her?” Suzanne looked stumped.
Maddie looked at Trixie, raising her eyebrow in inquiry. But her familiar didn’t say anything at all.
“Maybe we should leave that question to one side right now,” Maddie proposed. “Is there anyone else we need to interview?”
Suzanne glanced down at her phone. “No.” She sighed. “And now we know what happened with the mysterious Richard – so he couldn’t have killed Veronica. Poor Grace.”
“Do you think she knows he ... passed away?” Maddie asked.
“I don’t know.” Suzanne looked thoughtful. “It didn’t sound like she did when she spoke about him breaking her heart, but who knows?”
“And I don’t want to have to ask her if she did know,” Maddie said.
“Exactly,” Suzanne agreed. “I’ll just make a note here next to Grace’s name – not sure if she knows Richard dead.”
“What about Claudine?” Maddie said reluctantly. “Do you think she could have—”
“Yes!” Suzanne jumped up and paced in front of Maddie. “It makes perfect sense that Claudine is the killer!”
“Maybe because you want it to be so,” Maddie said gently. She didn’t like Claudine, but had she actually murdered her cousin? She’d genuinely seemed upset by Veronica’s death.
“Don’t you?” Suzanne demanded.
“Not really.” Maddie shook her head. “I thought I should mention the possibility but it would mean that Claudine is even scarier than we thought. Other than the argument she had with Veronica over their coffee stand—”
“Illegal coffee stand.”
“—she seems to have liked Veronica.”
“Hmm.” Suzanne pondered. “I hate to say this, but I think you might be right.”
“Gee, thanks,” Maddie replied.
“But I still think we should question her just to make sure.”
“Okay,” Maddie said reluctantly. She’d love not to have to talk to Claudine.
After another moment of silence, Maddie said, “I guess I’ll have to use the Tell the Truth spell next time.”
“Do you have it ready?” Suzanne asked.
“In my pocket.” Maddie patted her shorts’ pocket.
“What about the incantation from the night of the full moon?” Suzanne inquired. “When are you going to use that?”
“When we need to find where someone is,” Maddie replied. “Maybe someone on our list that we need to question?”
“Cool!”
Suzanne’s ring tone sounded a jazzy tune. She looked at the phone curiously before she picked it up.
“It’s Ramon!” Suzanne looked like she couldn’t decide whether to grin or pass out.
Maddie gestured for her to take the call.
Suzanne picked up her phone, faced Maddie and Trixie, hesitated, then got up and walked over to the kitchen sink, turning her back to them.
Maddie glanced at Trixie. The Persian seemed to be smiling.
“Hi Ramon.” Suzanne used her “boyfriend” voice. The one that seemed to say to the caller, I may be bouncy and cheerful, but I’m also feminine and girly. Maddie hadn’t heard her use it in a while.
“I’d love to.”
Maddie tried not to overhear, but it was impossible to resist temptation. If she truly did not want to listen, she’d have to leave the room.
After a couple of minutes of Suzanne continuing to use her “boyfriend” voice, she ended the call, a big smile on her face.
“Ramon asked me out – to dinner!”
“That’s great!” Maddie smiled back at her friend.
“Mrrow!” Trixie sounded pleased.
“Oh, Mads, he’s taking me to this little Italian restaurant he’s found in a nearby town. And he’s picking me up!”
“Awesome!”
They high-fived, then Suzanne held her hand out to Trixie. The Persian put her paw out, and Suzanne gently high-fived the cat.
“Mrrow!”
“When?” Maddie asked.
“Friday night.” Suzanne’s eyes grew dreamy, then she jerked to attention. “Oh no! How on earth am I going to decide what to wear? And what about my hair?” She pulled at her ponytail.
“Why don’t you do your hair the same way you did for your first lunch date with him?”
“Good idea.” Suzanne looked a little relieved. “But you’ll have to help me choose an outfit – something that makes me look good, but not something that sends the wrong message, if you know what I mean.”
“What message would that be?” Maddie couldn’t help teasing.
“Oh, you!” Suzanne mimed throwing a cushion at her.
They both laughed, Trixie looking from one to the other as if she didn’t understand why they found their conversation so funny.
“Of course I’ll come over,” Maddie said, as soon as she got enough breath back to speak. “Trixie, do you want to go to Suzanne’s house with me? We’ll help her choose an outfit for her date with Ramon.”
“Mrrow!” Trixie seemed to nod.
“Good.” Suzanne smiled. “You never know, maybe Trixie will choose the perfect dress for me.”
***
MADDIE HAD HER OWN date with Luke on Friday night, but all through the movie she couldn’t help but wonder how Suzanne’s dinner date with Ramon was going. Last night, she and Trixie went to Suzanne’s house after they closed up Brewed from the Bean and went through Suzanne’s entire wardrobe.
Suzanne had shaken her head at most of the outfits Maddie had suggested. It was only when Trixie had gently touched a lavender frock with her paw that Suzanne had brightened and declared it the obvious choice.
Maddie hoped her bestie’s evening went well. She wasn’t sure if she didn’t hear from Suzanne tonight if that meant the date was still going on, or if it had been a bust.
With a start, she realized she and Suzanne had been so busy anticipating her date with Ramon that they hadn’t done anything about re-interviewing anyone on their suspect list.
“Are you cold?” Luke whispered to Maddie in the darkened air-conditioned theater, as he placed his arm around her shoulder.
His warmth instantly made her feel better.
“Thanks,” she murmured, trying to return her attention to the movie, and not on the shiver of pleasure at his touch, or the fact that Suzanne would most likely be devastated if her evening with Ramon didn’t go well.
After the movie, Luke took her home. Trixie waited at the door for them and scampered ahead of them to the kitchen. After Maddie made lattes, they cuddled on the couch for a while, Trixie letting them have a little time alone.
Maddie had kept her phone turned off all evening – Suzanne had assured her she wouldn’t need to call her during her date with Ramon.
When Luke left, after giving her a goodnight kiss that left her feeling totally feminine and girly, Maddie turned on her phone. No missed calls or texts. She hoped it was a good omen.
***
BANG! BANG! BANG!
“Wake up!” she heard a faint cry.
Maddie’s phone sounded with its old-fashioned ring tone on the nightstand.
Maddie woke up with a jerk.
“Whaaa?” She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes.
Trixie stood on the vacant side of the bed, looking at Maddie’s phone with wide eyes. She had never seemed to like the noise it made when someone called, even after Maddie had tried every ring tone she could think of to please the Persian.
Maddie grabbed the phone and answered it.
“I’ve got to talk to you!” Suzanne shrieked at the other end.
“Where are you?” Maddie became alert.
“At your front door. Didn’t you hear me calling out to you to wake up?”
“Okay.” Maddie hopped out of bed and jogged down the hall. She couldn’t tell if Suzanne was happy or upset.
She opened the door to a bright and sunny day – and an ecstatic looking Suzanne.
“He kissed me!”
“Come in.” Maddie smiled, wondering if Suzanne’s scream had awakened the whole street.
“Oh, Mads! I couldn’t wait any longer to tell you!”
Maddie led the way into the kitchen, happiness bursting in her heart for her friend. Trixie appeared at her heels.
“Trix, you were right about the dress.” Suzanne giggled.
“Mrrow!”
“Tell me everything,” Maddie urged.
“I’m desperate for a coffee.” Suzanne looked hopefully at the machine on the kitchen counter.
“I am too.” Maddie was suddenly conscious of being in her knee length t-shirt nightgown while Suzanne was dressed in a blue t-shirt and denim shorts. “What’s the time?”
“Six-thirty, but I couldn’t wait any longer to see you!” Suzanne sat down at the kitchen table, then jumped up and paced the room.
“Oh, Mads, it was wonderful! The Italian restaurant was amazing! Everything tasted so good! And there weren’t many people there, so it felt like we had the whole place to ourselves.”
“Mmm.” Maddie smiled as she turned on the espresso machine.
“I had mushroom risotto and he had pasta primavera, but you should have seen the way he looked at me, Mads. You know I like eating, but for once I found it difficult because my stomach was so churned up inside, but in a good way.”
Wow. Suzanne definitely had feelings for Ramon. She didn’t rave about many of her dates – not like this.
“Mrrow?” Trixie asked.
“And then we talked and talked, Trix. It was wonderful!” Suzanne stopped pacing and stroked the Persian. “And Ramon told me ...” she trailed off.
Maddie turned from the machine to look at her. “What did he tell you? If you want to tell me – us,” she amended as she glanced at Trixie, who looked just as curious as Maddie felt. “It’s okay if you want to keep it to yourself,” she added, remembering how Luke had made her feel last night – all girly and feminine.
“He said – he said—” Suzanne giggled, her face going bright red. “He said he thinks I’m amazing, Mads!” She twirled around.
“Of course you are.”
“But he’s the amazing one,” Suzanne told her. “He can speak three languages, Italian as well as Spanish and English, and you know what an incredible masseur he is – well, no you don’t, because even though I’ve told you to go and get a massage with him, you haven’t, but never mind about that now. And he said ...” her voice trailed off again.
“What?” Maddie couldn’t help wanting to know.
“He was a little worried about the age difference,” Suzanne rushed out. “I told him I wasn’t. That some of the guys my age are so immature and still live at home with their parents—” the expression on her face indicated that was one of the worst crimes in the world “—and that I haven’t been dating much lately because I just haven’t felt attracted to anyone – until I met him.” She giggled. “And I think he blushed – just a tiny bit! Can you believe that?”
Maddie shook her head. She didn’t think she could. She handed a latte to Suzanne.
“Drink this.”
“Thanks.” Suzanne took a big gulp. “Perfect as always.” She sighed in pleasure.
“Then what happened?” Maddie asked. “If I’m allowed to ask.”
“Of course you are!” Suzanne waved the latte in the air, nearly spilling it. “That’s why I’m here! To tell you all about it!”
She took another sip of her coffee. “So, after dinner, we went to this art gallery nearby, and looked at some of the paintings. Honestly, Mads, I don’t understand modern art. I think I could scribble something on a canvas with crayon and that gallery would show it for me.”
“I know what you mean,” Maddie replied, thinking of the times she’d ventured into the modern art section of a museum.
“Anyway, it was just an excuse to spend more time together,” Suzanne said, sitting back down at the table. “Then he drove me home and—” she drew in a deep breath.
“And?” Maddie held her own breath.
“Mrrow?” Trixie’s eyes were rounded as she waited for Suzanne to continue.
“He came inside and checked the house for me! To make sure it was safe for me! Isn’t that so ... so ... chivalrous?”
“Yes, it is,” Maddie replied seriously.
“Mrrow.” Trixie seemed to nod.
“And then – he kissed me! In the hall! Before he left!”
Maddie felt like shouting, “Yay!” but settled for a big smile.
“It was wonderful. He really knows what he’s doing.” Suzanne sighed, her expression dreamy.
“When are you seeing him again?” Maddie asked, hoping she wasn’t asking the wrong question.
“Tomorrow!” Suzanne laughed with delight. “He’s taking me on a picnic! Isn’t that romantic?”
“Yes,” Maddie replied truthfully. She’d thought her recent picnic with Luke was romantic, maybe even more so because he’d welcomed Trixie along as well.
Suzanne giggled. “It’s the same park you and my brother went to. But there isn’t anywhere else around where we could sit and relax and just enjoy each other’s company – unless it’s at my house.”
“Or his,” Maddie said mischievously.
“One day.” Suzanne’s eyes sparkled. “I hope.”
Maddie rushed to get ready so they could open Brewed from the Bean on time that morning. Suzanne kept chatting to her, following Maddie from room to room, enthusing about Ramon.
By the time they arrived at the town square, Suzanne finally seemed to run out of breath.
Maddie was happy for her friend – more than happy. Her friend deserved to have the boyfriend of her dreams.