Page 39 of A Whisker in the Night

Nowthatwas rude.

Chapter 25

“W

hat’s the hot topic?” Jasper asks as he lands a cool kiss to my lips.

Both he and Leo just finished up a workout session on the beach that involved a football, lots of sweating, and lots of well-defined muscles glinting in the sunset.

“Hammie Mae’s birth plan,” Emmie chimes as they both fall into a seat here on the patio of the Country Cottage Café. The furry among us are still chasing one another’s tails up and down the cove. “Bizzy just gave me the full rundown.” She pats Leo on the arm. “How fast do you think we could import bamboo sheets from Japan?”

“Don’t forget the violin trio,” I tell her, snagging another one of those chocolate peanut butter eggs.

“Geez,” Jasper muses, snapping up a chocolate egg of his own. “Did she mention having a chef on standby in case she gets hungry during labor?”

“There’s no eating allowed during labor,” I tell him with a tip of my head. “That was the first thing I looked into.” I shrug overat Emmie and Leo. “What can I say? I like snacks.” I take a bite out of the peanut butter chocolate egg as if to prove my point.

“The chef actually sounds sensible,” Leo says. “After all, I’ll be there and there’s nothing stopping me from eating.”

“Except for me,” Emmie says as she knocks her elbow into his. “Speaking of having a chef on standby, I hired a team of chefs to take over once I’m on maternity leave,” she assures me. “And they are the best of the best.”

“Thank you,” I tell her. “And no rush to come back. I want you to spend as much time with your little one as you like.” I already made it clear to Emmie that she could take off indefinitely if she wanted. But as it stands, Emmie feels the need to cook for the masses as much as she needs to breathe. Sort of the way I feel about hunting down killers. I’d say her job was safer, but let’s face it, if I were in the kitchen, my life would be in twice the danger than it is around a killer.

The pets come back and promptly crash at our feet. And as if right on cue, the kitchen staff brings out bowls of fresh water for our furry entourage, along with treats that Sherlock inhales as if he’s preparing for hibernation.

Dinner arrives shortly after—seafood chowder and fresh sourdough for Jasper, a turkey club sandwich for Leo, a garden salad with shrimp for Emmie, and a burger the size of my head for me.

The baby does a happy dance as I take my first bite.

Oh, I’m going to miss Emmie at the helm in this kitchen. Her recipes are simply the best.

Jasper leans in. “Will anyone here lose their appetite if we talk suspects for a bit?” he asks before he shifts into detective mode.

“Oh hon”—Emmie gurgles a dark laugh—“I couldn’t lose my appetite if a parade of headless zombies marched out onto thesand.” She nods my way. “And Bizzy’s appetite only increases when criminals are mentioned.”

“You know me so well.” I blow her a kiss as a form of appreciation.

“Let’s see”—Jasper sighs—“I’ve got Matilda, Verity, and Hammie Mae on my list.” He looks my way. “Anyone else?”

“Nope,” I say. “Although Matilda is the only one with a strong motive so far.” I take another bite out of my big, juicy burger and try to keep the ketchup from decorating my blouse. “She’s hiding something big about herself, and Hamish was threatening to spill it.”

“I think Hammie Mae has a motive, too,” Emmie points out. “I mean, everyone knows she cut off her father after he had that affair. She was mortified because of it. And she’s so close to her mom. I bet her heart was broken for her poor mother, too.”

Leo nods. “Heartbreak is a stronger motive than you might think. But does she have it in her to kill? She seems more likely to kill you with a PowerPoint about organic baby food.”

“Touché.” I tip my glass of lemonade his way. “And then there’s Verity,” I say, watching my burger slowly lose its structural integrity. “She’s trying so hard to seem innocent, she might as well have the wordsuspicioustattooed on her forehead. Although I don’t have anything to back my claim. It’s just a hunch.”

“I trust your hunches,” Jasper says with a curve of his lips and sends my hormones spiking once again.

Was that an invitation?

I bite down on a smile.

Why, I have a hunch I know exactly what we’ll be doing later.

Leo clears his throat with a laugh.

“Would you stop listening in on my thoughts?” I tease. Only I’m not really teasing.

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