The two rush off.
“You know what I’m starting to think?” I say slowly as I wait for my ears to stop ringing. “I think you’re correct, Willow, and Taylor Grace is the murderer.”
“Oh, Taylor wouldn’t kill anyone.”
Hollis—I think her name is—worms into the stall with a rack of maple bacon doughnuts.
“She was shitty to you too,” Willow says.
Hollis sighs and sets the box of doughnuts on the counter.
“She had a traumatic childhood. She can’t help it.” Hollis is more sympathetic than I’m willing to be. “Now, yesterday, Josie wanted me to make more of these marshmallow cookies. They’re in this bottom box. She thinks they’re going to be a hit. I posted them on our socials already. There’s a ton of interest!”
“Hopefully, Taylor Grace doesn’t show up to ruin the launch.” Willow massages her temples. “We need to sell out. Stall dues are due Saturday.”
Hollis looks at me. “No progress?”
“Of course he hasn’t made any progress. He’s a useless male playing dress-up,” Willow snorts.
“Hey! I’m going to solve this thing. Just you watch.” I swat her with my hat.
“It’s always the lover or the spouse who killed them, right?” Hollis giggles. “I mean, I hate true crime podcasts. I like cozy mysteries myself, but, like, isn’t it usually the most obvious answer?”
“Sometimes,” I start to lecture, “though, with the rate of unsolved murders being 50 percent, I believe a statistically significant number of victims are murdered by complete strangers.”
“We’d know if someone new came into town,” Hollis argues.
“There are all the tourists.”
“Someone could have come into town and slipped out, Willow,” I remind her.
“Fun. Well, I’ll let you sit here and mansplain murder while I go actually solve this. Hollis, can you man the stand for a bit? Shouldn’t be much traffic,” Willow tells her as she packs cookies in a box.
“Sure. Are you going back to the store? Could you take the boxes back?”
“I will, but I’m going to the police station first.”
“The police! Did you figure out who killed Jonah?”
“No, but I’m going to solve it. I cannot take the entirety of the Christmas season with Taylor Grace and her flying monkeys ruining the holidays. I need to know everything the police do.”
“You need me to come with you.” I put on my hat. “I’ve spent the last few months buttering up the officers. We’re all friends.”
I take the box from Willow. She has to hurry to keep up with my long legs. She’s kind of cute, huffing along beside me.
“So, you just follow my lead here. I’m used to dealing with cops.”
“And I went to preschool with these jokers. I don’t need your help solving this murder case. You had no suspects, and now I have several viable ones.”
“I had suspects, but I’m not solving this case on vibes. I’m doing it on facts.”
“And the facts are that we need more evidence before we can put any of these men on the suspect list.”
“But I’m on the suspect list,” she counters.
“You’re notnoton the suspect list.”
“You’re going to throw a tantrum when I solve this case before you, aren’t you?”
