Later, when Drew and Archer stopped by Sam’s for dinner, Drew told them that the department was working on verifying Talia’s whereabouts as well as Jax’s.
Rarity stopped chopping lettuce for the salad. “Wait, why Jax?”
“If he thought you got him fired, this would be perfect payback. At least in a twenty-year-old’s mind. Anyway, can you still stay with Sam tonight? I’ll feel better after I talk to a few people.”
“Sure. We have fun plans for the morning, and as soon as the two of you get out of here, we’re heading to the bar to look for someone to dance with.” Rarity finished chopping the lettuce and put it in the salad bowl.
Everyone was looking at her.
“What? Too much?” Rarity grabbed a tomato and started chopping. “I know, I know, I’ll stay at Sam’s tonight, but tomorrow we are going to grab breakfast right after I drop the movie off with Jane at the hotel. I already texted her and told her I’d be there at eight. Which is good because she’s leaving town at ten.”
“I think you’re more worried about returning the movie than she is about getting it,” Sam complained as she pulled the enchiladas from the oven and set them on top of the stove.
“I don’t like things undone. I know, it’s probably my control factor from when I was in cancer treatments, but if I say something is happening, I try to follow through. Unless my house is under attack from spiders, snakes, or other crawly creatures.” Rarity took the tongs and tossed the salad. “There, my part is done. And Drew? We might even go shopping in Flagstaff tomorrow, so tell Jonathon not to wait up for us.”
He laughed as he grabbed the dishes and put them on the table while Archer followed with silverware. “He can be a worrywart when it comes to people he cares about. Get used to it. He and Mom have claimed the two of you as family. I don’t think that will ever change.”
Drew went over to the stove, picking up the casserole dish with pot holders. “Rarity, would you put something down on the table for this? And one more thing, be sure to call me when you get back in town so I don’t send out officers to look for the two of you.”
“You wouldn’t dare,” Sam challenged him as she put a trivet on the table before Rarity could get to it.
He set the dish on the metal stand and then kissed her. “Try me.”
Chapter 23
The next morning, Rarity was up early and had made coffee and put the dishes away from the dishwasher from last night’s dinner. She was about to make some cookies or something when Sam came in from her bedroom, still dressed in a short pj’s outfit. “You’re too loud in the morning.”
“We need to get to the hotel by eight.” She poured her friend a cup of coffee. “Besides, I slept in this morning. Usually, I’m up at five on a weekday.”
“This isn’t a weekday for you, it’s part of your weekend and mine,” Sam reminded her.
Rarity sat at the table next to her. “I know, but I keep running all the things I know about Talia in my head. I know she’s the one who killed Mason. It all fits. He thought they were getting back together. When Drew talks to the lawyer, I bet she’s his heir. Bret thought he and Talia were an item. He even went looking for her when she came to Sedona without him.”
“I think that’s called circumstantial evidence.” Sam sipped her coffee. “Besides, she was at that dinner.”
“Which started two hours late, according to Gretchen. Okay, then add in the spider. She had to know about the shots. They were together for years,” Rarity pointed out. “And I found the card with Jax’s name on it where she was hanging out on Saturday. And they shared ownership of Oscar. Although why anyone would want a pet spider is beyond me.”
Sam just shrugged, apparently not convinced.
Rarity’s phone rang. The caller ID said it was Katie. “Hey, what’s going on?”
“You need to hear this,” Katie said. Then Rarity heard a voice speaking in the background, “Tell her.”
“Katie?”
“No, ma’am, this is Todd. From the spider store? Well, I told Charity about what I’d told you and I realized maybe I forgot something. So she told me to tell Katie. And anyway, here we are. Mason Pike came into the store alone, but I saw Talia Brooks in the car, waiting. I guess she didn’t want to come in. A lot of women don’t like visiting the store.”
“You’re sure it was Talia?” Now Rarity had one more piece to her puzzle.
“Definitely. She was hot in the alien spider movie, but man, she’s a lot older now. Still hot but not scorching like she was. Well, she was dressed in shorts and a tank rather than the one-piece she wore in the movie. That showed everything.”
Rarity heard “Dude!” in the background.
Todd chuckled and continued. “Anyway, she was there with Mason. I thought you meant came into the store, but I guess I should have told you the whole story. I’m sorry. Here’s Katie.”
Rarity waited for Katie to speak.
“They came over this morning, Todd and Charity. He had told her about seeing Mason and Talia but only telling you about Mason. So she dragged him over so I could call you,” Katie explained. “I’m sorry.”
