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Lucien sent his wife a sweet smile before slinging an arm around her shoulder, bringing her closer. “Now that you mention it, my tender ego could use a lot less lip and more cooperation when bragging about my grilling skills to guests.”
Brogan took his face in one hand, putting slight pressure on his jaws to force his lips into a pucker. “Poor baby. You’re so mistreated. Should I tell her about the time you charcoaled the steaks into lumps of coal or set fire to the roasted corn?”
“I’m having second thoughts about staying for dinner,” Jade teased.
“Oh, don’t worry, he’s gotten so much better,” Brogan said, planting a kiss on Lucien’s puckered lips. “He’s a whiz in the kitchen now. But to be on the safe side, I have Longboard’s Pizza on speed dial.”
Kelly arrived atfive-thirty—hair pulled back into her signature ponytail—wearing jeans and an ancient red San Diego State T-shirt. She unloaded Miles from the front seat and Mia from the back.
Jade met her in the driveway and noticed Mia wore a muzzle. “What happened this time?”
“I had to do it,” she told Jade. “Mia went after Miles the minute she saw him, biting, nipping, and snarling at him. I had to separate them and then get the muzzle on fast. I put her crate in the back and put her in it. Look, Jade, I don’t think our experiment is working.”
“I’ve never seen anything like this. Mia doesn’t act that way with Cosmo, my cat. What is it about Miles she doesn’t like?”
“I don’t know. But Miles isn’t safe around her. That’s a fact. I’m okay with keeping Miles permanently if that’s the way you want to go. They’ll be times like this when Journey goes with Beckett and Birk for SAR work. I’d love having Miles around to keep me company.”
“But what do we do about all the time we spend together? Keeping Mia crated won’t solve her behavioral issues.”
“Mia needs to wear the muzzle around Miles tonight. Period. No exceptions. I even worried about bringing her here tonight.”
“I’ll watch her like a hawk,” Jade promised as she took Mia’s leash and walked the Australian shepherd mix toward the back of the house. “Follow me. We’re outside having wine and appetizers before dinner. Lucien’s making burgers on the grill. But he waited for you to get here before putting the patties on.”
“What about the Dolworth case?” Kelly asked as she tugged on Miles’ leash. It took some time for Miles to move, whether out of fear for Mia or something else, but finally, the reluctant puppy trotted beside her.
“That comes later. We need your research skills to track down a man named Vincent Jarreau.” With that, Jade filled her in on Jarreau’s connection to Lynley Circle.
“A traffic stop? That’s lucky for us. But another suspect? I thought they’d settled on Deming.”
“Not with this latest development. Jarreau might not even be connected to the case. That’s what we have to find out—rule him in or out. We need to know if he had ties to either Deming or Pollock and what those ties were. Or, if he’s the shooter and kidnapper, did he work alone?”
“A lone wolf scenario,” Kelly whispered. “Sounds like an interesting evening. Not that I’m complaining. Anything’s better than sitting home alone. I miss Beckett when he’s on these trips. Usually, I go with him.”
“I feel the same way about Birk. But since I’m planning to interview the Reschers Sunday afternoon, the Mendocino trip didn’t work for me.”
Brogan caught a snippet of that last part as the two women approached the patio. “I’m so pleased you’re featuring the case and talking to Gerald and Susan.”
“How could I not after getting involved? This case isn’t just a puzzle but a genuine trip down the rabbit hole.”
“She loves whodunnits,” Kelly remarked. From the corner of her eye, she watched Mia go over to Poppy and Stella and give them a well-behaved sniff. “Look at that. Mia is practically kissing both dogs.”
Jade shook her head in surprise. “I wish I understood Mia better. Poor Miles.”
Brogan handed Jade a wineglass filled with red wine before turning to Kelly. “If you prefer a different drink, the sky’s the limit.” She ticked off the names of several exotic cocktails.
Kelly shook her head and took her first sip of the vino. “Nope, this is fine, better than fine. It tastes different but somewhat familiar.”
“It should. It’s the latest merlot from Dancing in the Moonlight Vineyard,” Lucien touted as he turned his attention to Miles. “We bought a case of the new blend. We’re sending it out as Christmas presents this year. My mother loved the last case we sent her so much that she stopped buying French wine altogether.”
“What did Hannah and Caleb say about having their locally produced wine hit the New York society scene?” Jade prompted, taking a seat at the table but ensuring she held a tight grip on Mia’s leash.
“Not just New York or L.A.,” Brogan said proudly. “We sent cases to London, Paris, and Tuscany. Our friends seem to love it.”
“Who exactly?” Kelly wanted to know. “It’s okay to name-drop. If you do, I won’t take offense or think you’re snotty putting on airs. I want to hear about all the friends you have in all those international places.”
Jade picked up the banter. “By all means, name names. Be specific.”
Brogan suppressed a giggle. “What makes you think we sent the wine to famous people? Maybe they’re bankers and butchers.”
