"Just certain nosy parkers," said Dr. Geoff, taking a seat next to Alex. "Any leads?"
"Nothing to narrow it down from the original six," said Alex. "I mean, I have feelings about some of them, but my ability to offend someone doesn't automatically make them guilty of murder."
Winterson nearly snorted her tea at that.
Julian sighed and patted her back, giving Alex an amused look. "It does not, no. And someone being nice, sorry to say, is not actually proof of innocence. Some murderers like to be part of the investigation, at least in books."
"It's true in real life, too," said Alex, "but usually more difficult, that one tech aside." Alex was thinking of the man who'd tormented and kidnapped his Julian in hopes of reviving his dying tree. He did not like that guy.
"Ugh, that guy," said Julian, wrinkling his nose as he echoed Alex's thoughts.
"He sucked," agreed Geoff, having had to deal with some of the fallout from the man's choice of Julian as a target.
"Oh, I don't know this story," said Winterson. "I really only wanted to be helpful. Plus, you are the most interesting peoplehere, I'm so tired of the boorish single men here this time around."
"Lucas definitely didn't do invites with the ladies in mind," said Julian wryly. "Perhaps he hoped there was more to some of them?"
"Or only knew them from rugby," said Alex teasingly. "Less of a social activity and more about smashing into each other at high speed."
Renee giggled, looking younger and happier. Alex didn't honestly think she'd been the one to do in old Wicket, so it was easy to let himself like her. He didn't think they'd be friends past this party, but then again, he'd never thought he'd have friends outside of work, either.
"Lucas will join us in a minute," said Geoff. "He got held up, apparently the roads might not be passable today after all?"
"Ugh," said Alex, and Julian echoed it, albeit a bit more genteelly. "Will he be able to keep up feeding this horde?"
"Oh, yes, they got all the deliveries in before it began, because of the weekend, you know." Geoff chuckled. "I know far too much about that sort of thing now, enough to know you're very lucky with your brownies."
"They're literal magic," said Julian with a grin. "I kind of miss Alys grousing at me, we haven't been able to get a call or text out."
"No, only the house line is working for us," said Geoff with a sigh. "The police keep promising someone will be out but theroads, same for the coroner, and everyone else. It's just waiting and hoping there's not more snow, now."
"I'm sure it's chaos in the city as well, if the blizzard hit there," said Alex. "We've just got to be patient, I guess. He's safe enough for now, anyway."
"The advantage of having you around," said Geoff with a chuckle. "Otherwise he'd be chucked in a snowbank or something just to keep him cold."
"Propped up in the walk-in freezer," said Julian with a giggle.
"Wedged in between the chicken coop and the mews," said Alex.
"You're terrible!" protested Renee, while still giggling along with the rest of them.
They kept making increasingly improbable jokes in between bites of food, and eventually Chudleigh appeared before anyone succeeded in making someone else snort tea.
"I can see we're deeply in mourning today," he said dryly, sitting next to Geoff with his own plate and cuppa.
"Gallows humour," said Geoff, stealing a little kiss. "What's the news?"
"It's looking like tomorrow morning at the earliest now," said Lucas. "So I get a break to eat before I have to go figure out how to entertain everyone."
"Set your artist up in the parlour all day?" asked Alex. "If they're willing, anyway."
"That'll keep a few people occupied at a time, but with no hunting, I'm not sure what else. No one will want another round of Wink Murder, that's for sure." Lucas took a doleful bite of pancakes.
Alex did not crack a smile, but it was hard.
"That's fair," said Julian, giving him a mental poke to be good. "There's other games, too, though. Plus you can set up for cards, this set is always up for a gamble."
"That's true," said Lucas, brightening. "And the illusionist can perform tonight, so that'll be good. I suspect people will want to head out as soon as they're released, anyway."
