Millie’s 1970s Dodge Dart careened into the driveway and Mom and Millie spilled out, cell phones in hand.
‘Did we miss it?’ Millie asked.
‘The police scanner app never went off!’ Mom scowled at her phone.
Seth walked over and gave them a stern look.‘We didn’t put in a call this time. Now you ladies can’t be using some app to go to all the crime scenes, it’s dangerous.’
Millie drew herself to her full height.‘Why Seth Chamberlain, you know darn well that without us, most of the crimes in this town would go unsolved. Besides, the crimes scenes are not dangerous because the crime has already been committed.’
‘That’s right,’ Mom chimed in. ‘And crimes scenes are swarming with police, therefore very safe.’
Seth closed his eyes and I pictured that he was mentally counting to ten. I couldn’t blame him, I’d had to do that myself a few times when dealing with Mom and Millie. Then he smiled at Millie. ‘It’s true that you help immensely, but I would appreciate it if you don’t broadcast that all over town. I have a reputation to protect.’
Mom and Millie looked contrite.‘Of course, sorry.’ Millie patted his arm. ‘There will be an extra dozen chocolate chip cookies for you this weekend.’
Seth’s smile widened and he covered her hand with his.
Millie grinned up at him, batted her eyes a few times and then slid her hand out from under his and tore away.‘I’m glad you understand, but now we have to go get the scoop from Josie!’
They scurried to my side. Mike was still standing there and Mom beamed at him.‘I see you’re watching out for my girl.’
Mike smiled.‘Can’t let anything happen to her.’
I bristled.‘I’m a grown woman and don’t need anyone to watch over me.’
‘Never mind that,’ Millie said. ‘Tell us all about it! How did the killer end up being Barbara? I thought it was Stella!’
By the time I was done telling them what had happened, the other guests were pulling into the driveway. Iona rushed to Ron to get the lowdown from him, and they beckoned Tina to join them, which she did reluctantly.
Mike had drifted off and was chatting with Stella. I didn’t really mind – I mean, he was free to talk to whoever he wanted, but for some annoying reason I kept glancing in their direction as if I cared. A few times I caught Mike’s eye. He had a smug expression every time he caught me looking, which I ignored.
Ava strode over to us, nodding her head as if she’d known what was unfolding the whole time. ‘Well, things sure are interesting at the Oyster Cove Guesthouse.’
‘Never a dull moment,’ Millie said.
‘I knew something was going on,’ Ava said. ‘It’s good to know my reporter’s instincts are still working. Too bad people don’t give a monkey’s banana about society happenings anymore. It’s okay though, I have something better in mind.’
Ava walked off with a satisfied look on her face and I got a little worried.
‘I hope she’s not going to write some sensational newspaper article about this,’ I said to Millie.
Millie’s brows drew together. ‘Me too. Then again, maybe it would bring in business. You know how morbid people are.’
‘Hmm… you have a point.’
‘Never mind that,’ Mom tugged on my arm. ‘Mike’s leaving. You’re not going to let him get away, are you?’
I glanced over at his car, half expecting to see Stella inside, but she wasn’t. ‘Yes, I think I am.’
‘Are you sure? Could be your last chance to get him to ask you out on a date,’ Mom said. ‘Millie said he finished up the last task on his list today.’
‘I’m not in the market for a date,’ I said. ‘Besides, it’s probably for the best if he doesn’t hang around here too much. The way he calls me Sunshine is annoying.’
As I watched his truck turn onto the road, I felt a little tug of regret. Now that he wouldn’t be working at the guesthouse, I probably wouldn’t see him much, but surely that was for the best?
Meow!
Meroo!
Nero and Marlowe joined our circle and Millie and Mom bent down to scratch their ears. The two cats strutted around, tails in the air and heads held high.
‘Sheesh, by the way they’re acting, you’d think they’d caught the killer,’ Mom said.
‘They sure do look proud of something,’ Millie glanced up at me, her brows raised in a question.
I looked down at the two cats. They met my gaze with intelligent, luminescent eyes.‘Funny you say that. I think they did actually help out. It was due to them getting underfoot, that I was able to push Barbara into the basement.’
Millie looked adoringly at the cats, a proud smile on her face.‘Well then, I say they are certainly taking good care of the guesthouse and their new human. What do you say, Josie?’
‘I agree, in fact I’m getting used to their company. I can’t imagine the guesthouse without them.’
Meow!
Meress!
Twenty-Three
‘I’m so proud that you caught a killer all by yourself while running a new business, Mom.’ Emma’s voice gushed over the phone, swelling my heart with pride. ‘But it sounds like that could have been dangerous.’
‘Not at all, Sheriff Chamberlain was right outside the door.’ I made it sound like I’d arranged for the sheriff to step in so Emma would think I was never in danger.
‘Even so, I don’t know what I’d do if anything happened to you,’ Emma said.
‘You don’t need you to worry about me. I’m sure nothing like that will happen again. I mean, what are the odds?’
Emma laughed.‘Good point. I gotta run. You take care. Love you, Mom.’
‘Love you too.’ I barely got the words out before she disconnected. Kids these days, always running off. Truth was, I’d wanted to give her the same heartfelt warning about her job at the FBI. I took some comfort in the fact that she was an analyst and not in the field, but still, a mother never stops worrying. Unless maybe you were talking aboutmy mother. She seemed to thrive on danger and it didn’t seem to matter which one of us was in it.
It was one week after Barbara’s arrest and Millie, Mom and I sat in the kitchen at the Oyster Cove Guesthouse.
Steam wafted up from mugs of coffee that sat beside warm pieces of sugary sour cream coffee cake on the table in front of us. Nero and Marlowe were there too, of course. They’d been treated like royalty all week and were now lapping up the last of a small bit of cream I’d given them as a treat.
‘At least Stella Dumont did the right thing and decided not to use my coffee cake recipe for the contest.’ Millie forked up a piece of the crumbly top.
‘That would have been cheating,’ My mother said. ‘What’s she using instead?’
‘Her Aunt Sally’s fruitcake, I think.’ Millie said.
Mom laughed.‘I doubt that will win any prizes.’
I relaxed back in my chair. Honestly, I hadn’t been worried about Stella wining that contest and getting one-up on me anyway. Not much. I was sure my baking would improve over time. Besides, considering how often Millie popped in to help make the breakfasts, I was sure the Oyster Cove Guesthouse would be able to keep its reputation for good eats. ‘It’s nice not have guests to tend to.’
Ava had left two days earlier for a cruise to the Caribbean. The Weatherbys had gone off on a top-secret mission to Antarctica the day after Barbara was arrested and Tina had broken off her affair with Tony and gone back home on Tuesday. I was glad their affair was over, I liked the chicken parmesan at the Marinara Mariner and didn’t want the restaurant to close down if Tony and the Mrs. got divorced.