“I’m always good,” Rarity called back as she made her way to the bedroom to change. She was probably just overthinking this whole investigation. If she got out of her head, maybe she’d have some productive thoughts about the murder. Like who killed the guy, for one.
She didn’t think Marc Billings was much of a suspect. He also was a little bit more of a sleaze, if his ex-wife’s stories were true. Sometimes, people viewed their relationships in filters. Like who cheated first. Or misunderstanding an outside relationship. It wasn’t her business who Darby dated, but since she didn’t have relatives, Rarity felt an obligation to at least ask if Marc had told her about what happened with Tyra.
They were on third-date territory. The subject of their exes had to have come up in some format. She’d see how honest the guy really was when she talked to Darby.
It wasn’t really butting in if there were good reasons, right?
Chapter 14
Tuesday morning, Rarity was in the store early, cleaning. It was a task she took upon herself every week. Sometimes, the Monday person did it. Mostly when Shirley was the Monday person. With Katie and Darby, they struggled to get the cleaning portions of the to-do list done, so Rarity just came in early on Tuesday. She’d brought Killer with her, but Archer had volunteered to take him home after he closed his shop for the day. At least he wouldn’t be alone all day.
The bathrooms and the front shop area had all been done. Killer was curled on the front couch, so she’d just mopped around him. Even if he got up before the floors dried, his little paw prints wouldn’t make much of a mess as he walked around, looking for her.
Now all she needed to do was the break room. Then she’d dry a path to the couch and hang out with Killer until the floors all dried.
As she swept under the counter, something came flying out. She frowned as she leaned over it. It was a syringe. It must have been from the EMTs working on Mason, but typically, they were better at cleaning up after themselves. Especially needles and syringes. She put it on the counter and finished up her cleaning tasks.
Promptly at ten, the front door opened slightly. There was a chain lock on the door from a prior owner of the building and Rarity had engaged it, hoping to keep people off the wet floors. “Hold on a second, I’ll be right there.”
She double-checked the floors with a sweep of her hand before setting the book she’d been reading down and disturbing a sleeping Killer. All dry. The back room might be the only one still a little wet.
She walked over and unhinged the chain and opened the door to Jonathon and Darby. “Come on in,” she said, then warned them about the back room.
Jonathon set the laptop bag on what he considered “his” table and then set the coffee carrier he had in his hands on the register counter. “Coffee by request. Including a mint mocha for Darby, but really, dear, that’s just really hot chocolate.”
“It has a shot of espresso in it too, so don’t be dogging on my choice of coffee. I’ve got lots of energy and burn all these calories off in minutes.” Darby took the coffee then opened the door to the back room. She leaned down to touch. “It’s still a little damp.”
“It won’t be for long.” Rarity took her coffee and took a long sip. Sure, she’d had one or two at home before coming in, but there was just something about coffee you didn’t have to make yourself. “Darby, I wanted to talk to you about Marc. Do you mind?”
“You’re going to tell me about his ex-wife and how they broke up?” Darby guessed and then laughed at the look on Rarity’s face. “Marc and Tyra are still friends. She told him about seeing you on Sunday morning and about telling Archer her sad story. She knew it would get back to you and that you’d feel responsible to tell me.”
“Not quite responsible, but yes. If I know the guy you’re dating has a history of cheating, I’m going to mention it.” Rarity glanced between Darby and Jonathon. “Am I wrong?”
“I think I should stay out of this. Back in the day, when Edith and I were dating, we didn’t talk about our prior relationships quite as freely as you all do now.” Jonathon was setting up his laptop to get ready to write this morning.
“I’m not mad. In fact, I’m happy that you feel a need to protect me. I don’t have many friends; most of them live here and will be at the book club meeting tonight. And I have no family. I’m glad you cared enough to warn me. Besides, Marc and I aren’t serious, yet. He wants it to develop, but I’m not sure. He doesn’t live here and he’s on the road a lot with that commenter contract he just signed. I just want to be friends until we see if this is something more.” Darby sipped her coffee.
“You’re a smart cookie,” Jonathon said as he pulled out his notebook and started making notes.
“I feel better that you know. It was like I was keeping something from you. And even if it hadn’t been my place to blow the whistle on Marc, there’s no way I was going to keep something like that fromyou. Even if it hurt our friendship.” Rarity opened the register. “I think we’re ready for customers. Can you put out the sidewalk sign?”
“Sure, I’ll be right back.” Darby headed to the front and then disappeared outside with the sign.
“I’m glad that’s over,” Rarity said aloud. She hadn’t been sure if Jonathon was even listening until he responded.
“Friends tell each other the truth.” Then he focused on his laptop again, and he was lost.
It was an hour later when Jonathon came back out of the back room, a coffee cup in his hand. “Are you giving Killer shots for something?”
Rarity, deep into her website updating, frowned as she tried to process what he’d said, especially after she’d just moved everything from one side of the page to another. “What? No. He’s healthy. He just got his shots at his annual last month, why?”
“The syringe you use is the one that Edith uses on Romeo. She said she could give him his shots since she was a nurse before she retired. So why do you have a syringe?” Now Jonathon was watching her.
“I found it under the cabinet when I swept. I thought it was from the EMT visit for Mason. Are you telling me it’s not?”
Jonathon shook his head. “These guys are anal about making sure all the sharps are accounted for. If they’d lost one, someone would have come and checked the area.”
She stared at him, wondering if they were thinking the same thing. “We need to get this to Drew.”
