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“I am not,” he said, almost amused.
Double argh! The curse was working overtime today. She’d have to be more selective with her thought processes. “I accept your terms, I guess. Just know I’ll exact revenge every time you remind me of the flyer.”
“I expect no less from my campaign manager. You are my favorite brat, after all.”
The affection in his voice left her smiling. “What about Tiffany Hotchkins? She found the body with me. Is she in danger?”
“Not unless she pulls a Jane and launches an investigation of her own.” He winked at her. “Be safe, sweetheart.” With that, he rapped his knuckles against the door twice. Then he kissed her lips, winked again, and strode off.
Smile widening, Jane placed a hand on her fluttery stomach, turned and entered the house only to halt as astonishment punched her. Platters of food covered her coffee table. Cheese straws, fried green tomatoes, deviled eggs, fried okra, pimento cheese bites, sausage balls and sweet pecan pralines.
Fiona sat in her usual floral print chair. Beau perched on one end of the couch…and Tiffany perched on the other, petting Rolex. Her cat allowed someone other than Jane to pet him? Were pigs flying, too?
The darling feline lay curled up in the socialite’s lap, making biscuits and purring. But, but… kneading those sweet little paws into a selected nap spot was reserved for Jane and Jane alone. She beat back a spark of hurt. It was good for Rolex to make new friends. Just…why did said new friend have to be her childhood tormentor?
“Jane!” Fiona sprang from her chair and hurried over to gather her close. A mother hen who’d stumbled upon a missing chick. “Are you okay? Tell me everything!”
Jane sucked up the comfort like a sponge. How she loved and adored this precious woman. “I’m good. Truly.”
They clung to each other as her dearest friend led her to the coffee table and urged her to eat. Should she snag the seat between Beau and Tiff or take the recliner? Oh, what the heck. Jane plopped herself between the vet and the widow.
“The food is divine,” Tiffany said. “I helped Fiona whip everything together. Obviously my talents are boundless.”
What! The widow had the audacity to help Jane’s Fiona? Such nerve!
The grandmother prepared and passed over a plate of goodies as Jane conveyed what she’d learned at the station, omitting names–for now. Share everything with a non-Team Truth member? No.
“I’ll do some digging on the Headliner,” Beau said. “See what I find.”
“Thank you.”
“A bona fide mobster? Here?” Fiona shook her head with disappointment. “No one has breathed a word of this to me.”
“Probably because your ears are too sweet for such sour talk.” Tiffany nuzzled her cheek against Rolex’s soft fur.
The adorable traitor closed his eyes in bliss. Would he come to Jane if she called?
Instead of finding out, she leveled a steady glare on the beautiful socialite. “Let’s forget the mobster angle for a sec.” Something was beginning to bother her about the widow’s unexpected appearance now that the situation was crystal clear. “I’m wondering why you decided to hire Beau today of all days. Did you know we planned to take flyers to Deputy Gunn’s neighborhood? Did you tag along so you could kill him and use us as an alibi?”
Tiffany glared at her. “I knew you’d find a way to blame me! What reason could I possibly have? I never even met the man. Except when he gave me a speeding ticket. Which I didn’t deserve, incidentally. I was only going fifteen miles per hour over the limit!”
“I think everyone can agree you’re right about the ticket,” Jane said, “but you do have a reason. A big one. Huge. After all, Deputy Gunn worked the case for your late husband and imprisoned fiancé. He could have discovered something terrible about you. Was he blackmailing you, so you decided to off him?”
“You’d enjoy that, wouldn’t you?” The widow hugged Rolex closer. And he let her. “You’re always nice to everyone but me, your only remaining family in Aurelian Hills.”
She surged to her feet. “Hey! I’m not the bad guy here. I’m not the one who disturbed a perfectly preserved grave on a hunt for gold. As if I’m too foolish to realize you hope to set up shop on the premises so you can hunt again.”
Beau choked on his tea. “Never disturbed a grave while searching for gold, Jane? Really?”
Okay yes, she may have unearthed a coffin in the middle of the night, on the hunt for nuggets, but she’d done it for justice. What better, more noble motive? And yeah, she might have insisted Beau help her. But justice trumped greed. So why did guilt prick her and the urge to apologize bloom?
“Fine, whatever. Forget Tiffany. She’s off the suspect list—for now.” But that didn't mean she was an honorary member of Team Truth. Or dishonorary for that matter.
