It was just like old times, except today was a little sweeter, because Vera was about to be exonerated from a crime she didn’t commit.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Once we were home, Vera started pacing the living room. I flung myself on the sofa, pressing my hand to my forehead. Now that everything had sunk in, I wasn’t convinced that Tyler was being above board. Questions swirled in my mind.
“That was wild,” I muttered.
At that moment, Catsy came careening in. She took one look at Vera, jumped up on the sofa, ran the length of it (trampling my lap with her tiny paws), then flew down and attacked at a catnip mouse with her back feet.
“Can you believe that guy?” Vera fumed.
“Actually—”
My sister interrupted and held up a hand. “Don’t say I told you so.”
I was going to say something about how shocking it was that the guy who used to fart loudly in algebra and blame it on others would find himself in trouble with the law, but I refrained. No, Vera didn’t need my snark right now. She needed logic.
“Do you think Tyler is actually going to tell everything to the authorities? It puts him in a pretty bad light. I’m sure he’ll cut some deal to try and avoid prison time, but still.”
Vera stopped pacing and gaped at me. “Well, he said he would.”
I scrunched my eyes shut, exasperated. “You need to stop being so naive. Why hasn’t he told anyone yet? Is he even telling the truth? And he said his parents didn’t want him to talk.”
A pained look crossed her face. “Do you think we should let someone in on Tyler’s secrets now? Before his parents get to him?”
I opened my eyes. “Uh, yeah. I think we should call Detective Holt pronto. That information can’t wait.”
Vera stepped over a sprawled Catsy to take her cell out of her bag. She handed it to me. “You talk. I’m way too nervous. He’s saved in my contacts.”
I scrolled to Holt’s number and pressed the call button. It rang and rang, until his message played. I hung up. “I’m getting voicemail. What time is it? Maybe he’s gone home.”
Vera checked her watch. “Oh, fluff. It’s three thirty.”
“Well, he should be working for another hour or two, right?”
She shook her head. “Sometimes city workers don’t stay past three if there’s no essential work. That includes the police.”
Apparently, this was some sort of new town rule that I’d missed while being gone for so long. “Isn’t policing considered essential?” Something told me that Alex Holt was not the kind of man to knock off work at three thirty in the afternoon.
She shrugged. “Let’s drive to the police station and see if he’s on duty.”
“Sounds good.” I rose from the sofa.
“Let’s give Catsy a treat before we go.” Vera scooped up the kitten and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “Look at this little pudding cup.”
“That little pudding cup is becoming a chonk.” She was also hampering my sex life. But no need to tell Vera that right now.
“She’s fluffy, not fat, Maggie.”
We gave Catsy a few salmon snacks and left the house. On our way to the car, we spotted Jack in the doorway of the cabin, waving to us.
“Oh, let’s tell Jack what we heard. He’ll be interested,” I said, turning to walk in his direction.
“I’ll wait in the car,” Vera called out.
Today, Jack was wearing a Miami Heat T-shirt, jeans, and flip-flops. He beamed adorably as I approached.
“Hey there, tater tot,” he said.
