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I crossed my arms and remained planted in the doorway, not allowing her into my house. “And?”
Officer Dash hooked her other thumb in her belt loop and rocked back on her heels. “Gas Line Antifreeze. Not something most people need for a summer in Elderberry Heights. Say, you’re from up north, right?”
“Michigan,” I managed as my stomach roiled. “What’s your point?”
“And is that your car in the driveway there?”
“Yeah.” I definitely did not like where this was headed.
“Huh,” the policewoman said simply.
“C’mon. You can’t honestly think that this proves anything! Antifreeze is readily available. Even here in Southern Georgia, I’m sure.”
Out came that stupid notebook of hers. “Uh-huh. Uh-huh. And how do you happen to know that?”
“I didn’t kill Harold,” I said between gritted teeth.
“Sure, you didn’t.” She smiled. “I’ll be back with a search warrant. Oh, and I wouldn’t leave town if I were you.”
Fantastic.
I slammed the door shut as soon as Officer Dash sauntered away. She looked like the cat who was about to eat the canary, so happy with her upcoming kill she couldn’t see anything else… Like the fact that I was not guilty!
My phone buzzed in my pocket, and I took it out to find a next text from Kelley.
I told my mom I’d be meeting you for lunch. She insisted on coming along.
Hmm. So Kelley’s mom was now in town and causing problems for her.
Where? I texted back.
The BBQ Shack at 12.
I’ll be there.
I still thought Officer Dash was grasping at straws, but if her antifreeze theory played out, then I knew at least one other potential suspect who’d come from colder climates.
And I was about to have lunch with her.
18
Despite my ardent hope, Merlin didn’t return before I had to leave for my impromptu lunch date. I wished I could call him back now that Officer Dash had told me the exact cause of death, but unfortunately I had no way of getting in touch with him.
He’d find out soon enough, I supposed. And I could rest a little easier knowing that our dear Harold hadn’t been killed by magical means.
I applied my normal going-out face of makeup. Then, hating what I saw, I washed my whole face clean. The striking blue eyeshadow I normally wore to complement my dark brown eyes appeared clownish when paired with my new forest green irises. I’d have to add a trip to the drugstore cosmetics aisle to find something more fitting to my lengthy to-do list… or I could just get used to going everywhere fresh-faced.
Haha, right. It’s not like I had many wrinkles or pimples to cover up, but the simple act of applying my daily powders and glosses gave me a special kind of courage. Knowing I looked good helped me get through the day. I’d never been a great beauty, but I liked showing others that I cared about my appearance and thus myself. It was a rou
tine my mom had taught me while I was quite young. I still fondly remembered those middle school mornings spent applying our foundation and blush side by side in the massive bathroom mirror.
I smiled as I thought of Mom all the way back home in Michigan. Once this investigation was officially closed, I’d have to give her a call to catch up. Unfortunately, if I called any sooner, she’d see right through any attempts I made to downplay my anxiety.
And so it would have to wait.
In all the talk about Harold and the non-talk about Luna, I hadn’t managed to eat breakfast, so by the time I reached the restaurant my stomach had begun to sing a mournful tale of neglect, one growl and one grumble at a time.
The BBQ Shack was something of a local legend and often boasted a long wait for anyone to be seated. I hadn’t yet been, but the moment I stepped inside and smelled the sweet, tangy scents of barbecue, saliva began to pool in my mouth.
