I opened and shut my mouth as if I were void of words. “No. I’m not sure. I didn’t even know he was dead until you told us. That’s so horrible. Who would do that?”
“That’s what I’m trying to figure out.” Her gaze darted around the room as she slowly circled me. Not creepy at all. No. I didn’t feel like a caged animal. No way.
“I hear youtalkedto a spirit yesterday,” she said.
“Wow, word around this town sure gets mutilated. No, I didn’t talk to a spirit. Apparently I was having lunch at Soul Food and Spirits when one sat down across from me. I didn’t see it, but a bunch of other people did.”
She clapped her hands. “And you became an instant celebrity.”
“Yeah, Hollywood’s calling. My phone’s ringing off the hook.”
Kency rested a hand on her waist. “Maybe they’re not yet, but with Bibb gone it’s a possibility.”
I rolled my eyes. “Right. I showed up, saw a spirit, got invited by Xavier to hunt the spirit and then killed him so I could get his movie deals. That’s exactly what happened. Do they pay you in cheese, too?”
“Watch it.”
I changed my tone. “You know, I brought a laptop with me to the investigation. Has a sticker of a skull and crossbones on it. I went by the restaurant this morning but didn’t see it anywhere. Have you come across it?”
Kency shook her head. “Nothing like that springs to mind.”
“Not in Xavier’s van? I thought maybe I left it there.”
“Not that I can remember.”
I sighed. “Okay. I guess I’ll just have to keep looking.”
Ruth’s and Alice’s eyes widened to saucers. I guess no one spoke to their precious Sheriff Blount like that. Well, she wasn’t my sheriff, and I was about to be out of this town.
“Well,” she said, rubbing her hands together, “now that I’ve got your unofficial statement, I need something from the three of you.”
“What’s that?” Ruth said.
“Need us to catch a ghost?” Alice said hopefully.
“No,” Kency said. “I need your fingerprints. There was a slew found at Xavier’s house. A window was also broken. Just trying to narrow down the suspect field.”
My stomach plummeted to the floor. Shoot a boot. Had I left any fingerprints? I thought I’d wiped everything clean, but there was the possibility that I’d missed a surface. I wanted to scrape my fingers down my face, but instead I smiled cheerfully.
“Sure. I’ll give you some prints. Need me to come to the station?”
Kency pulled an inkpad and slips of paper from her purse. “No. We’ll do them right here.”
Alice and Ruth exchanged a panicked look. We had no choice but to comply.
Ten minutes later Kency Blount was leaving the shop with all the evidence she needed to slap me with an arrest warrant.
Ruth rubbed her long fingers over her mouth. “We’re in trouble now, Alice. I forgot to wear my gloves.”
“But Kency already knew y’all were there. She found your business card,” I said.
“I might’ve cut myself on a shard of broken window,” Alice said, revealing a bandaged thumb. “We’re in for it now, Ruth.”
The playing field had now changed. Before, I hadn’t wanted to drag them with me. But now we needed each other.
“We’re all in trouble,” I said. “Or have you forgotten that I was there, too. The sheriff finds our prints at the scene and we’ll be hauled in.” I tapped a fist on my leg. “I wonder if they’ve found the murder weapon.”
“They haven’t,” Alice said.
