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“WELL THAT REALLY SUCKS!” Katie said the next day at the café in the back office. They could inhale the sweet scent of a fresh new batch of Vanilla Cream cupcakes from the kitchen through the door.
“Yes, it does. I really would never have suspected Kerry had anything to do with the murder? Who would have known?”
“Tell me about it. Not to mention she takes the whole neighbor from hell to a new level!”
“Katie!”
“What? It’s true, isn’t it? Man, I would hate to have her as a neighbor. You turn up the volume on your music and she’ll silence you—not the music! Yikes.” Katie shivered with emphasize. “That’s cold all right?”
Dana couldn’t help but grin and shake her head. Trust Katie to make a joke out of a very serious situation.
“Katie, you know that’s not exactly how it went.”
“Well, close enough.”
“Yes, it was close though. Imagine that,” Dana said, thoughtfully, tapping the rubber tip of the pencil to her cheek.
“Imagine what?”
“Lichelle’s surprise. She came here to Berry Cove to see if she could try to somehow blackmail Gerdie Sue into giving her some of the inheritance money that her father had left to Gerdie. She had no intention of killing her. She wasn’t the killer type. Spoiled socialite maybe, but not a killer.”
“But Troy once said that you’d be surprised what could drive people to do the unthinkable, didn’t he?”
“True, but you have to consider the fact that Lichelle was driven by greed and money. She wanted fast cash soon. She was behind in her debts and owed some casino boss.”
“Now why is it that when people are desperate for money, they turn to gambling? It makes no sense if you ask me. I mean, why risk losing more money and falling into deeper debt?”
“She had used her father’s good name to rake up a huge tab. Anyway, unfortunately for her, she was able to recognize Kerry as Birgitte and let Kerry know that she was going to turn her in.”
“Yeah, that was smart. Why on earth would she hint to Kerry?”
“Have no idea, but Kerry did mention that Lichelle recognized her and asked if she ever lived in Switzerland. Lichelle probably thought out loud but might have been better off pretending she didn’t recognize Kerry from somewhere until she notified authorities.”
“True. Imagine going to an expensive boarding school in a foreign land, only to be expelled, and the only good that she took from it was being able to recognize the country’s most infamous bandit.”
“Well, if you put it that way,” Dana placed her hands on her hips. “You really are something you know that?”
“Hey, I’m just talking the truth.”
Dana playfully rolled her eyes. “Whatever,” she grinned.
“So what are you going to do about your hot cop friend there?”
“Who Troy?”
“What other hot cops are you seeing?”
“I am not seeing Troy.”
“Yeah, sure. Just ogling him when his back is turned.”
Dana playfully narrowed her eyes and grinned. “Well, if you must know he asked me to the Christmas ball.”
“The what? He did? I knew it. He’s into you? Oh, wouldn’t it be cool to marry a cop?”
“Wait a minute. Who said anything about marrying a cop? Aren’t you getting ahead of yourself a bit, cuz?”
“Well, somebody has to think ahead.” Katie grinned and took a sip of her creamy rich caramel latte.
“We’re just going together as friends. The mayor’s office is having their annual Holiday Bash at the town hall. All are invited.”
“Hmm-mmm.” Katie arched a brow.
“Katie, there is nothing going on between us.” Though her heart wished there was now. She was feeling lonely every day and really enjoyed her time spent with Troy even though it was in solving crimes. But she loved the way she felt around him. “We’re just two grown adults going to a holiday themed party.”
“Well, you two have fun.”
“You are coming, aren’t you?”
Katie sighed. “Maybe.”
“Maybe? Katie, you promised!”
“Well, I’m not sure I want to party with certain people.”
“Oh, you mean the gossip queen columnist. I know, I can’t believe she was on the list of attendees. She mentioned it in her column, according to Gerdie Sue and Bea at the salon.”
“Exactly. I can’t stand that woman. She openly disses everyone who’s trying to make a life for themself. She has no shame or sense of integrity. How could she call herself a journalist?”
“I don’t read her column and I ignore her.”
“How could you? Look at what she said about the café when you took it over?”
“True. But she’s not the only one.” Dana swallowed hard. She remembered what happened when the Gazette’s food critic slammed the Cozy Cupcakes Café before their grand re-opening after she’d taken over from her late grandmother. She tried to sweep that thought out of her head.
“Anyway, it’s coming up to the holiday cheery season. Time to be merry, not weary.”
“If you say so, cuz.”
“Yes, I do say so.”
Katie and Dana grinned.
“And here’s to hoping there are no more murders for you to solve,” Katie raised her cup.
Dana raised her cup of green tea and they both clinked their cups together.
“Yes.” Dana swallowed hard. Her heart beating faster than a speeding train. “Here’s to hoping.”
She really hoped there would be no more dead corpses in the small town of Berry Cove. But was that too much to ask?
* * *
