Page 44 of A Rose of Steel

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“What?” I asked.

“We have to go the funeral,” Auntie Zanne said.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“Why?”

“Because you can’t go starting trouble at a person’s funeral because they didn’t pick you to do it.”

“That’s not why I think we should go.”

“Okay. What’s your reason then?”

“Because the killer might be there. And we can ask around and see what happened to that inhaler that Bumper had.”

“You think?” I said, my interest in attending now piqued.

“Of course. The killer won’t tell the truth about its whereabouts, but someone else who doesn’t have anything to hide, might just share.”

“That does sound like a good idea,” I said.

“And, they always say that the killer comes back to the funeral,” she added

“Who is ‘they’?”

“The people... they... You know. People who solve murders.”

I chuckled. “Okay. Well, if they say we should, I guess we should.”

She waved a hand at me. “We can keep a look out and listen for any clues from all the people there.”

“That’s a lot of looking out and listening in for two people.”

“I’ll get the Roble Belles to help us.”

“Did you tell them about this?”

“Of course I did.”

My phone rang and saved Auntie from me fussing at here. I really was going to have to talk to her about not telling everything she knew.

It was Alex.

I glanced over at Auntie, she would be all in my conversation, but I wanted to talk.

I knew I’d probably regret doing it in front of her.

“Hello,” I said, connecting, trying not to let on to Auntie who it was.

“Hey, baby,” he said. “I’ve been busy all in day in the seminars.”

“I wondered why I hadn’t heard from you. You knew I was worried about your exposure to the poison.”

“I’m good. I’ll be better if I can see you,” he said. “How about dinner tonight?”

“You’re coming here?” I asked.

“I was thinking we could meet somewhere halfway in between?”

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