Fowl Play by Karen MacInerney

Author:Karen MacInerney [MacInerney, Karen]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Gray Whale Press
Published: 2023-11-28T16:00:00+00:00

Despite the late night, I woke up just as the sun began to illuminate the lace curtains in my bedroom window. Tobias was asleep beside me, his long dark lashes fluttering as he dreamed. I watched my handsome boyfriend for a minute, thinking about my conversation with Quinn the night before. Was my reluctance to talk about moving in together just a response to an earlier bad experience? Or was it really that I wasn’t ready yet—or maybe not ever?

Tobias must have sensed me watching him, because a moment later, his blue eyes opened. He smiled when he saw me, adorable crow’s feet crinkling at the corners of his eyes. “Hey, beautiful,” he said, then pulled me into him. “I love waking up next to you.”

“So do I,” I said. And it was true. In fact, I did sleep better with Tobias at the farmhouse—because of the animals I cared for, we almost always stayed at Dewberry Farm, instead of Tobias’s little house.

We were quiet for a moment, and then Tobias said, “I can tell you’re thinking about something. What is it?”

“Oh, just the whole situation with Jo,” I said, not ready to bring up the subject of cohabitation just yet. “And the chickens. I need to call Opal and see if she can come up with something for me. I just don’t understand why someone’s stealing chickens!”

“Egg prices are up,” he said, then grinned. “Maybe it’s someone who owns a breakfast restaurant, and doesn’t want to raise the price of omelets.”

“Or chicken and waffles,” I said, grimacing; I didn’t like to think of what might already have happened to my little flock.

“Let’s not think about that just yet,” he said. “Talk to Opal; she may be able to track down that license plate today, and we might have everyone safe and sound by tonight.”

“I hope you’re right,” I said. “But that still leaves the thing with Jo.” I thought of the conversation I hadn’t had yet with Alfie… and what that could mean for my friend and her family.

Tobias levered himself onto one elbow and gave me a piercing glance. “Something’s bothering you. What is it?”

“Just… something I haven’t told anyone about.”

“Regarding what happened in the Ulrich house?”

I nodded. “I think I saw Alfie there the night Jo died.”

“Why haven’t you told anyone?”

“Because it involves someone I care about,” I said. “If I say something to the police, it could make Alfie a suspect, but I can’t believe he’d do something like that.”

“This is serious,” he said. “I know you care for Alfie and Molly, but not saying anything about seeing him here that night… that could be construed as obstruction. I don’t need to tell you that could put you in serious trouble, too.”

“I told Rooster a truck was here that night,” I said. “And you know how Rooster is… if I mention Alfie’s name, I want to be sure.”

“You need to talk with Alfie,” Tobias advised me. “And then talk to the sheriff’s office.”

“I know,” I said. “But how do I even broach the topic?”

“Ask him point blank,” Tobias said.

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