Lattes and Lies by Christine Zane Thomas

Author:Christine Zane Thomas [Thomas, Christine Zane]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2018-12-30T05:00:00+00:00

11

Felicia picked up on the second ring. It was by far easier to start with her than work my way toward informing Avett—if Felicia would allow me.

“I know what you know,” she answered. She sounded flustered already. “What do you want, Kirby?”

“A hello to start with,” I said. “I hate when you go all bad cop on me.” The truth was it reminded me of when she had suspected me of Ryan’s murder.

“Yeah, well, I’m working on my off day,” she said.

I tried to lighten the mood. “You don’t think I make coffee on my day off?”

This was testing her patience, I knew. But I hoped that she would remember who she was talking to—one of her oldest friends.

Felicia sighed, easing up. I could feel her eyes roll on the other end of the line. “Kirby, what is it?”

“I just want to know what’s going on.”

“I already told you. I know what you know. Not much more.”

“Barb was murdered?”

“Wait… Capullo told you that? I warned him not to tell you anything. We haven’t formally opened the investigation.”

“Then what are you doing at work today?” I asked pointedly.

“I’m doing our due diligence. Some background investigation. That’s it. Police stuff. I’m not getting into it.”

“We’re already into it,” I said.

She sighed. “Do you know how many murder investigations we do around here—aside from Ryan’s?”

“I don’t know, one or two—”

“Not even that many,” she interjected.

“Okay,” I said. “Barb was poisoned. We know that much.”

“Thanks for the tip, Captain Obvious.”

“No. Sorry. I’m getting to something.” I took a breath. “What if I told you the food from the other night is at Barb’s place right now? Would it be helpful for you to have that?”

“Kirby… where is this food you’re talking about? And you’re sure it’s all from the book club meeting?”

“The trash,” I said guiltily, then felt even more so when I said, “And it’s mixed in with pizza and Chinese takeout.”

“Wonderful,” Felicia said. “Ross is over there now searching the place. It’s the only place we have probable cause to search. That and the Elks Lodge, which was cleaned quite thoroughly. You don’t know this because Avett doesn’t have her phone.”

“Is Avett in trouble?” I asked. I had to.

“Do you think your girlfriend did it?”

“That’s not an answer to my question,” I said.

“You’re right. It’s not. And you don’t dispute she’s your girlfriend? Are you guys official now? Are you going steady?”

“That’s not funny,” I told her.

“I know it’s not,” Felicia said. “It’s just we have to look at everyone, especially someone as close to Barb as Avett. Were Avett and Barb on good terms?”

“The best.” I said it without thinking. There were two people I knew weren’t culpable of Barb’s murder, and those two people were Memaw and Avett.

Gail, Pam Isley, heck, the assistant Kelly Sue, and half a dozen other women at that meeting were all on my list. But those two weren’t. The notion that Felicia would even ask that question didn’t sit well with me. It felt a lot like when I was sitting in the backseat of her unmarked car.

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