Джанет Кантрелл - Fat Cat Spreads Out

“How could she be a suspect?”

“She’s admitted being in the building. I think anyone who was ever there is on that guy’s list. I heard your microwave ding. Are you about to have dinner?”

“No, that was Quince’s treat.” She set it in his dish and he mrow ed as he chomped on the Kitty Patty. She gave him only half of one, since he’d had so much to eat at the fair. She just couldn’t deny him his treat completely.

“Is it too late for me to bring something over?”

“Depends on what it is.”

“Pizza. And something else.”

As soon as he came in the door, he reached his fist out to her, turned it over, and opened his fingers.

“My ring!” Chase cried with a huge grin.

“She knew right away what I was talking about and gave it to me. She says to tell you she’s sorry.”

“Is she?”

Mike shrugged. “That’s hard to tell with my cousin. At any rate, I’ve warned her off taking anything else from you or Anna.”

“She shouldn’t steal anything from anyone!”

He slipped it onto the ring finger on her right hand. His fingers were warm and firm. Chase resisted the urge to reach out and stroke them. She pulled her hand back and dashed to the kitchen to get plates and paper towels so he wouldn’t see her blushing furiously red.

A half hour later, she and Mike had devoured a medium pepperoni with olives and extra cheese and she was curled up on the soft leather couch beside him, wanting to rest her head on his sturdy chest. Quincy sprawled across both their laps, his eyes nearly closed while Mike stroked his head. Mike and Chase had discussed, round and round, who could have killed Larry Oake and why—and when. The “when” was the only thing they’d gotten very far with. It had to have been shortly before Mike entered the building. Unfortunately, he couldn’t recall seeing anyone else there. In fact, he had made sure no one saw him go in, or so he thought. He knew he shouldn’t be inside messing with that sculpture. Elsa Oake either opened the door at exactly the wrong time by coincidence, or she saw him go in and screamed to get attention and frame him.

“You know, Anna has been getting palsy-walsy with Elsa Oake. She refuses to see that she could very well have killed her husband.”

Mike stiffened. “That doesn’t sound like a good idea.”

“That’s what I told her. She’s asked Elsa to move in with her until she can leave town.”

Now Mike sat straight up. Quincy gave a huff of annoyance and jumped off the couch. “That’s a terrible idea! Her house is becoming a hotel. Maybe I should loan her a large dog for protection if she’s going to invite everyone to stay with her. She doesn’t have any pets, does she?”

“No, she says Quincy is enough for her.”

“Since you say she’s the one who sneaks treats to him, it might be better that she doesn’t have any pets.”

“She will have one for a few days. Elsa’s sister is driving here from Wisconsin and bringing Elsa’s pet parrot. Apparently she misses it so much. They can’t very well stay in a regular hotel with it. She’s very attached to that bird, Anna says.”

Mike shook his head. “And Anna’s putting all of them up at her place?”

Chase nodded.

“She doesn’t know Elsa at all, does she?”

“Not really. I tried to tell her that. She’s never even seen the sister yet.”

A few minutes after Mike walked out the door, still grumbling about Anna, Julie called. Chase glanced at her clock as she answered it. She needed to get to bed soon. But she would always make time for her best bud.

“Did I wake you up?” Julie asked, almost in a whisper.

“It’s almost midnight. But no, I’m still up.”

“Jay just left. We had the most dreamy evening.”

Chase was about to say that Mike had just left, too, but Julie continued. “We talked and talked about what I should do. I liked real estate in law school. Jay thinks I should give that a try.”

“Do you know anyone with a practice in that field?” Chase wiggled out of her jeans and sat on the edge of her bed.

“Sure. My school buddies all went into different areas. I think our own class covers the gamut of law practice. I’m going to call up a couple of them tomorrow.”

“Sounds good. Have you talked to Anna today?”

“Briefly. I didn’t quite understand, though. She’s having a parrot stay at her house?”

“She is. The parrot’s owner is staying there, too. And the sister.”

“Why on earth?”

“The parrot’s owner is Elsa Oake, who has been staying at the Crowne Plaza. Anna thinks it’s perfectly fine to put them up. Elsa misses her pet, and since she can’t leave town, her sister wants to come keep her company. She’s driving here tomorrow with the bird. I think. Anyway—”

“Anyway, my grandmother is off her rocker! That woman probably killed her husband.”

“Well, I think that, but Anna doesn’t.” Quincy seemed to have forgiven Chase for interrupting the earlier session with the two cozy laps. He climbed onto Chase’s legs, now stretched out on the bed and clad in flannel.

“The television reporters seem to agree with you. They’re starting to mention both her and Mike. Maybe I’ll see if I can stay there while the suspect is bunking in.”

“Anna doesn’t have room enough for all those people and you, too, does she?”

“She doesn’t have room for them without me, so what’s the difference?”

“Do you know if Jay has gotten anyone to represent Mike yet?” Chase asked.

“No, but I have. We went to school with a little powerhouse of a guy named Gerrold Gustafson. I called him today, and he should be getting in touch with Mike soon. Gerry said there’s nothing for him to do at the moment, though. As soon as they charge Mike, he’ll go into action.”

“‘As soon as they charge’ him?”

“Oh. Yes. I mean if they charge him.” There was a moment of silence on both ends of the conversation.

Chase contemplated what Julie had said and it gave her a chill inside. “You know, they only questioned him and released him.”

“Let’s face it, Chase. If you listen to the local news reports, it sounds like the cops think either Elsa Oake or Dr. Ramos did it.”

“I’m not listening to the local news right now.”

“Good idea.”

They must not know about Patrice Youngren yet, Chase thought.

Chase had a restless night, worrying about Anna and her insistence on consorting with a murder suspect. She would try to talk her out of it tomorrow at the fair. For all the good that would do. Anna’s stubbornness was almost a force of nature.

* * *

When Chase arrivedat the Bar None booth, Elsa and her sister were there with Anna. The parrot didn’t seem to be around. Chase saw the two women from the back and couldn’t tell them apart. One wore a russet broomstick skirt, the other a bright blue one. As she came closer, they turned around and she still couldn’t tell which one was which.

“Hi . . . Elsa,” she said, looking from one to the other.

They both laughed. The one in the rust-colored broom skirt stepped forward. “Chase, this is my sister, Eleanor.”

“Your identical twin sister?” Chase asked, shaking Eleanor’s hand.

They both shook their heads. Eleanor spoke. “They say we’re not identical, but many people disagree with that.”

Chase moved behind the counter to stow her purse. She studied the two women. “I’ll have to agree with the many people. I don’t think I could tell you apart.”

“We have different allergies,” said Elsa.

“I don’t really have allergies, Elsie,” said the one in the blue skirt.

“Oh, you don’t have allergies. You just sneeze at every other thing, Ellie.”