“Since I’m in Seattle for a few months, I rented a house. It’s a cute little bungalow not too far from here. Anyway, it felt kinda lonely without Mom and Grandma, so I adopted a kitten.”
“Awww,” Mila gushed. “You did? What kind?”
He smiled and tugged his phone out of his pocket, thumbing it on. “I don’t know. Grey and white, shorthair, blue eyes. She was a rescue, so they couldn’t tell me much about her breed. They had it listed as mixed. Here’s a picture.” He held his phone out to Mila. She took it and her entire face lit up as she studied the picture.
I didn’t even know she liked cats. Did she like cats? Was this just more acting?
“She’s precious. How old?”
“Four months. I named her Daisy after your—”
“After my sweet old Daisy. Oh, Toby. Man, I miss that cat.” Mila’s expression fell. “She passed away a few months after you left. That was the hardest time of my life.”
“I’m so sorry. I know how much she meant to you.”
“Both of you were important to me. I felt so alone.” Mila passed him back his phone and something flickered across her face. Remorse? Sorrow? I couldn’t tell. “What’s the favor?”
He pocketed the cell. “Kitten sitting. Our company has a tradeshow in Orlando this weekend. I need to fly out on Wednesday, and I’ll be back late Sunday night. I know it’s a big ask, but I don’t really know anyone in the area. I’ve researched some boarders, but Mom said kittens usually end up sick from those places. Daisy’s so little, I’d rather not expose her to anything if I don’t have to.”
“You fly outthisWednesday?” Mila asked.
“Yeah. I know it’s short notice, and I wouldn’t ask you if I had anyone else…”
“Of course, I’ll do it,” she replied.
Toby looked as shocked as I felt. Sure, they were old friends, but how well did they know each other now? I wondered what Toby would think if he knew the project that had kept Ms. Sweet and Innocent busy trying to pin two homicides on him.
“You will?” he asked.
“Yes. I mean, you named her Daisy, and she’s adorable. How can I resist?”
Resisting would be the intelligent thing to do. Mila had come to the fire station because she was afraid for her life. The killer was still at large, nothing had changed, yet she was willing to leave the safety the club offered to watch a kitten? Morse was going to flip his fucking lid when he found out.
Reminding myself it wasn’t my problem, I kept my mouth closed and went back to studying my soda glass like it was the most interesting thing in the world.
Toby let out a breath and slumped back in his seat. “I can’t tell you how relieved I am. Thank you, Amelia.”
Her smile widened. “Of course. What are friends for?”
“I can give you a ride to my place Wednesday morning before I hit the airport.”
She patted him on the hand. “We can work the details out later. For now, I want to hear more about your mom. You said she’s gardening again? I’ve been thinking about taking that up, but I can’t even seem to keep a house plant alive.”
“I’m sure she’d love to help you. Maybe give you some pointers? Share a few secrets?”
Mila wrinkled her nose. “She always was a good teacher, but I think, for me, gardening would require more of a miracle than a lesson.”
Toby laughed. “We’ll pray for you, then.”
Their conversation veered off again as I fought the desire to text Morse and tell him what was going on. I wanted to ask my club brother if his cousin even prayed, but her life was none of my business. In addition, Morse hadn’t found anything shady on Toby. Maybe he was clean, and he and Mila belonged together. The way he looked at her made it clear he thought so.
Maybe I just needed to back off and let Mila be whoever the fuck she was.
Resigned to stay out of her business, I did my best to tune out the rest of their conversation. When it was time to go, the two hugged again and like a dutiful guard dog, I followed Mila out of the restaurant. Still battling with myself, I held my tongue for as long as I could. But by the time we crossed the road, I couldn’t take it anymore. I had to say something.
“Who the hell are you,Amelia?” If he could call her that, so could I, damnit.
She frowned at me. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
