A Dreadful Meow-ment (MEOW FOR MURDER Book 2), стр. 26

She sniffs hard and lifts her chin. “True, but if I’m working at the café, you’ll be able to keep an eye on me.”

I think on it a moment. “And you’ll be a good employee who shows up when scheduled and doesn’t give me grief about wanting weekends off and Christmas?”

She makes a face. “The café isn’t open on Christmas.”

“It will be this year if you’re there to run it.” I shrug. “Manager’s prerogative.” I’m teasing, but I’m also testing—the latter of which is important with a girl like this.

“Fine,” she snips.

“Fine,” I snip right back.

“So I’ve got the job?” Her amber eyes expand my way.

“You’ve got the job,” I say. “But remember. Bowie giveth and Bowie can taketh away. Behave. I think you and I could be real good friends if we try.” I’m not sure that’s true, but half of my job description is to pump up my employees whether I believe the things streaming from my lips or not.

She lifts a shoulder my way. “I’ll be by in the morning. That’s when I prefer my shifts. I serve Shep. His table is my table. And two hour lunches suit me better than the traditional one. I expect a raise every six months and a starting wage that’s competitive with what my sister earns down at the bank. It makes Thanksgiving dinner less awkward. If you’ll excuse me, I need to see what this punch embroidery is all about. The violent intention of it all appeals to my nature.” She takes off and finds a seat next to Opal and Flo.

“Welp.” I turn to Tilly. “At least she’s not demanding.”

Tilly chuckles. “Hurricane Regina is right back in the path of the manor. I hope we survive.”

“We’ll survive. It’s Regina who won’t if she acts up.”

And something tells me she’ll act up.

Tilly heads back to Jessie just in time to intercept a little comfort distribution in her teacup.

I spot Hilary seated next to Thea, and the two of them look as if they’re attacking an innocent ball of yarn with a couple of knitting needles.

Tabitha stirs in my arms, and I lean in and kiss her cool little ear.

“I’m not too thrilled she’s here either,” I whisper as we make our way over.

“How’s it going, Hil?” I ask, staring down at the yarn lying in a lifeless clump at the base of her wrist.

She shoots me a look that says so many things, but above all it screams step off and die.

Thea grunts, “I think I’d better get us some more tea—extra comfort if we’re going to get the hang of this.”

She takes off and I land in her seat, shedding a greedy grin over at Shep’s old high school nightmare.

“Still haven’t managed to snatch Shep away from me, huh? What’s the matter—getting rusty?”

She smirks. “Give me some time. If I were you, I wouldn’t put a deposit on a wedding dress just yet.”

“Glad to know you’re honest.” I take a breath. “I saw Lloyd checking you out back there. Any romantic history between the two of you? If he’s single, maybe you can try barking up that tree? It’s going to be awfully lonely for you if you continue to pursue my man.”

She inches back. “Lloyd and I aren’t happening. He’s single, though. He’s been divorced for quite some time. He’s got a kid, a son, Lloyd Junior. He’s in high school, I think. I don’t know. Anyway, Lloyd is off limits to me.”

“Oh? Why’s that?”

Her mouth rounds out as if she were caught doing something she wasn’t supposed to.

“He’s a cop. I don’t date cops. Besides, he’s seeing someone, and they’re in a very serious relationship.”

I thought she said he was single?

“Shep is a cop,” I point out. An ex-cop, but now is not the time to highlight that status. “And he’s in a very serious relationship himself.” I hold up my bare left hand as if to make a point.

“I don’t care. Shep and I are right. I’ve been scrawling Mrs. Shepherd Wexler across my notebooks before you ever laid eyes on him.”

“And with that knowledge, I should be Mrs. Johnny Depp by now.”

“Funny.” She makes a face.

“Hilary”—I lean in a notch—“Lloyd mentioned something about James and Craig owning a maple farm together. He made it sound as if things were going south between them. You don’t think James could have done this to him, do you? I mean, I’m presuming he had a gun on him that night. He is a deputy. And he wasn’t happy with Craig.”

She closes her eyes a moment too long. “I g—guess,” she stutters out the words. Something is bothering her. “It’s true, James and Craig didn’t get along.” She looks crestfallen at the thought.

“Hilary, you like James, don’t you? Do you like him more than a friend?” I’m trying to gauge where her sudden rush of remorse for the guy is coming from.

“James, well, he’s sort of off limits, too.” She inverts her lips. “I don’t tread where my friends have been, if you know what I mean. It sort of axes any hope of having a relationship with their men ever again.”

“Is it too late to declare you my new best friend?”

She waves me off. “You think you’re funny. That’s the problem.”

“I know I’m funny. That’s the problem.” I shrug. “It’s nice to know you’re loyal to your friends.”

Hilary glances to the floor a moment. “Yeah,” she whispers. “I’m the best.”

“Do you think Craig and James could have been fighting over something other than the maple farm?” A scenario runs through my mind. “Like, maybe a woman?”

Her eyes widen my way and they tell me everything I need to know.

Bingo!

“I need to get back to my project,” Hilary stammers just as Thea lands a teacup full of whiskey before her with a spot of tea.

Hilary just implied that James and Craig were fighting over a woman.

Now to figure out who that woman could be. Maybe she has the answers?

Who knows, maybe she’s