She listened harder, hoping for more from the girls but they’d stopped talking. When she dared to glance behind her at them she saw their table had become available. They’d moved on to sitting and staring at Liam.
The way these girls were acting, you’d think he was some A-list celebrity rather than just a handsome older—much older— man. But they were looking at him like he was a piece of meat or one of those male models in an ad in their favorite store window.
Natalie spun back to scowled at Liam, still standing and looking confused. “Can you please sit down before you cause a riot.”
“What’s happening? Why am I in trouble?” He frowned, sitting down and lifting one of the two mugs he’d planted on the table and taking a sip.
“You’re not. Never mind. Just listen. I heard something while you were gone. I think we have a new suspect. And a motive,” she told him as he reached for the napkins.
He began to clean the table, looking unaffected, or at least unimpressed, by her revelation.
She frowned. “Did you not hear me? I’ve found someone who had a motive to murder Lionel,” she whispered the last part, leaning forward so Liam would hear her over the ambient noise around them.
He paused in his wiping and leveled his focus on Natalie, finally. “Explain.”
“The girl TA has a boyfriend.”
“And? Why does that matter?”
“The boyfriend had Graves as a professor his senior year, and he hates Graves. He was mouthing off about him at a party.”
“You did the same in Salem and on Facebook, but you didn’t kill him.”
“Yes, but I didn’t have opportunity. I didn’t have access to his pills. This guy is dating the TA who we know was in Lionel’s apartment before he died. What if she didn’t do it? But he did? That’s why the police found no evidence in her things. We have to tell somebody.”
Liam sighed. “Fine, but I’m finishing my beer before we go back to that police station.”
“I don’t want to go to the station. At least not yet. Take me back to Mildred’s. I need to talk to Ralph. See if he ever saw the boyfriend at the apartment with the girl. Then we go to Pataki with the information once we know it’s solid.”
“The information you got from a ghost,” Liam reiterated.
“Well, I won’t mention that part. At least not if I don’t have to.” She lifted the mug and took a swallow of the cold crisp beer. Liam was right. They both definitely deserved a beer break as a reward for breaking this case wide open.
Liam shook his head. “We’re going to be lucky if Pataki doesn’t lock us both up.”
“Don’t worry. If he does, Alice will get us out.” She grinned.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
“What are you doing back here?” Mildred asked.
“I—uh—wanted to tell you that your building is absolutely lovely. I meant to say so before. And I’d love to hear the history of it, the building,” Natalie prompted.
Mildred frowned. “I don’t go for stuff like history. My husband, Ralph, God rest his soul, he was into all that stuff.”
“Yes, I remember you telling us about your husband Ralph,” Natalie said in an unnaturally loud voice.
Her hope was that if Ralph were anywhere in the vicinity, he’d hear and come to them. It earned her an amused glance from Liam but Mildred just nodded. “Thank you. It has been a burden handling this all without him.”
“Handling what, woman?” Ralph said from behind Mildred before walking through the wall to stand in the hallway and face his wife head on. “You hire out everything. Kids to hang and take down the wreaths? You trying to squander what little money you have left? Good thing she smokes like a chimney. Probably won’t outlive her money but she’s spending like she’s trying to.”
“I’m really sorry we never met your husband. I would have loved to speak with him. I’m sure he was very knowledgeable. I bet he could have answered all our questions.” She widened her eyes and stared at Ralph, tipping her head ever so slightly toward the front door.
Liam glanced down at her questioningly. She raised her eyebrows while squeezing his hand.
Ralph laughed. A deep hearty bellow. “I take it you want me to come outside and talk.”
“Yes. I sure would have liked to talk to him,” Natalie told Mildred who was starting to look at her like she was nuts. “But we’ve taken up enough of your time. I guess we should head outside, sweetie,” Natalie said with another squeeze of Liam’s hand.
