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“Oh! Seriously?” Sasha gasped.
“Serious as a Southern Baptist on Sunday.”
Leo caught Sasha’s eye and winked. Maisy’s Southern fried sayings were an endless source of delight for them.
“Do we know which hand is Grady’s dominant one?” Sasha asked.
“He used his right hand to scribble his cell phone number down on a fifty.”
“He gave you his number on a fifty-dollar bill?” Sasha gaped.
“I think I was supposed to be impressed.”
When they finished giggling, Leo said, “So he could have lost the button when he swung the murder weapon at Rex’s head.”
“Then do we think the candlestick Aroostine found under his bedisthe murder weapon after all?”
“Maybe. Hank and Aroostine are taking another look at it. But she said if that was what smashed Rex’s brains in, it was wiped clean. She didn’t see any hair, blood, or brain matter on it.” He glanced at Maisy. “Sorry.”
“Pshaw, I’ve been hanging around with y’all too long. Not much makes me squeamish.”
“I’m not sure that’s a good thing, Mais.” Leo frowned.
Sasha was already in planning mode. “So, we need to talk to Grady and then, to check the box that we spoke to everyone, Bethany and Chance.”
“I’ll get him,” Maisy offered. “He’ll come with me, no questions asked.”
“Bring him to the library instead of the office,” Sasha suggested.
Leo cocked his head. “What are you thinking?”
She shrugged. “The element of surprise could be handy. He’ll probably think Maisy’s just trying to steal a few minutes alone with him. And, boom, we’ll be sitting in the library waiting for him. Also, Joy’s still in the office, and if he runs into her, he’ll likely abandon any thoughts of canoodling with Maisy.”
“Canoodling, ick. I don’t like that word.” Maisy scrunched up her nose adorably.
“Feel free to substitute your preferred euphemism in your mind,” Leo told her. “After you drop Grady off at the library, will you swing by the office and spring Joy?”
“Gladly. I might warn her about her man’s roving hands—as a sisterly service.”
“Have at it,” Leo said.
* * *
The door to the library swung open while Sasha and Leo were still getting settled behind the table. Maisy swept into the room alone. Leo leaned to the side to look behind her. There was no lusty Grady following her.
“What’s the matter?” He joked. “Don’t tell us the fabled Maisy Farley charm failed.”
“Hardly,” Maisy scoffed. “No, that crew’s turned mutinous.” She rubbed her eyes and forehead with her hands. “They said you and Sasha have no authority to make them talk to you, and they’re not going to talk to you anymore. They want to eat that French chocolate almond cake and toast Rex’s memory, so that’s what they’re going to do. But as a show of goodwill, we’re all invited to join them in the dining room.”
Sasha and Leo exchanged a look. Then he groaned.
“They’re not wrong. Hank and I don’t have any authority here. We don’t even have weapons and handcuffs, which would provide their own ad hoc authority.”
“Okay, Sheriff, simmer down. This isn’t the Wild West—at least not yet.” Sasha turned and asked Maisy, “Did you tell the others? Do they want to join the festivities or wake or whatever it is?”
“I mean, thereiscake and booze. When all else fails, eat dessert. You should put that on a t-shirt, sugar.”
“That’s your t-shirt,” Sasha told her. “Mine would read ‘when all else fails, drink coffee.’”
