Page 39 of Murder By the Millions
“The housekeeper comes every other week, on Fridays.”
“She could pinpoint when it disappeared.”
“I suppose.” She wouldn’t have taken it. She was sweet and kind and devoted to all her clients. “I also had a handyman fix the shutters and a few loose cabinet doors in the kitchen, but he’s as honest as the day is long. I’m sure he didn’t swipe it.”I fought back an edgy yawn. “While I was waiting for you to arrive, I checked my front door lock. It doesn’t look like it was jimmied.”
“Do you keep a spare key outside, like in a fake rock?”
“No. I have one in my van.”
“Do you secure it?”
“Yes. I have a ton of paraphernalia in there.”
He examined the plaque again. “You hosted a neighborhood watch party a few weeks ago.”
“I did. I also held a book club when the bookshop was dealing with a leak in the plumbing, and I invited a few friends for a wine tasting.”
“Okay.” He heaved a sigh, rubbed the back of his neck, and headed for the door.
I followed and startled when he swiveled abruptly. I almost bumped into him but didn’t move away.
“Allie …” He held my gaze for a long time, but he didn’t continue, in the same way he’d faltered after our poker game. What did he want to say? Why couldn’t he spit it out?
I murmured, “Please find the killer.”
He promised he would and left.
Though it was late, after I washed my face and changed into pajamas, I texted Tegan about the situation. Jason, dead. Me, a person of interest. The spearpoint missing from my living room. She didn’t reply, which probably meant she and Chloe were still at Chloe’s theater audition. A month ago Lillian had confided that they often ran late, because the director was a stickler for reading each actor multiple times.
Relieved that Zach hadn’t arrested me, I crawled under the comforter and nestled into a ball. Darcy liked to sleep on the pillow to my right. He paced in a circle to get comfortable and regarded me with soulful eyes.
“Yes, it’s a good thing Zach doesn’t think I’m guilty.” Sure, clues pointed to me, and my being on the premises when Jason died made me look culpable, but I wasn’t, and Zach had to know in his heart of hearts that was the case. I peeked at Darcy’s toenail. He withdrew his paw quickly, but from the brief appraisal, I didn’t think it was infected. I tapped his nose. “I’m checking again in the morning.”
He meowed.
When the alarm on the cell phone rang at five a.m., cobwebs were fogging my brain. Even so, I clambered out of bed. I had a lot of baking orders to fill and deliveries to be made. Darcy didn’t budge, but I couldn’t leave him home, where he might further injure himself, so I dressed in work clothes, packed him a breakfast, deposited him in the cat carrier, and took him with me. On my way out the door, I peered at the fireplace, searching for what Darcy might have snagged his toenail on. I didn’t see a thing.
“Figure it out later, Allie,” I murmured.
My gaze fell on the plaque with four, not five, spearpoints. Though I got nauseous thinking about the possibility that a killer had stolen one of them to use as a murder weapon, I texted my housekeeper and asked if she could remember the last time she’d seen the spearpoint in question. She responded in an instant that she’d dusted the plaque Friday morning and all of them were accounted for, meaning whoever had swiped it must have done so between then and now.
Minutes after I entered Dream Cuisine, I heard a fist pounding the front door.
“Allie!” Tegan bellowed. “Open up.”
I did. “It’s early. What’re you doing awake?”
“What am I …” She barged past me and stopped by the prep counter. “Why didn’t you call me? How could you text me?”
“I thought you might still be at Chloe’s audition.”
“It wouldn’t have mattered. Honestly, you’re a goon sometimes. I would’ve come over in a flash. As it was, Chloe and I left the theater around eleven and went to her place to rehash her audition until around two, and I didn’t see the message until I left her house.” She yawned.
“Why didn’t you call me then?”
“I didn’t want to wake you.” Though it wasn’t cold out, she was bundled in a bulky sweater and pajama bottoms adorned with bunnies. I recollected numerous sleepovers as girls where she’d worn equally ridiculous ensembles.
“Nice of you to dress up,” I gibed.
