Page 111 of Murder on Charity Lane

“Free as a canary,” Hamilton said. “On a hot tin roof!”

Which pretty much ended that conversation.

52

LILY-ANN

“We brainstormed a little before you arrived,” Lily-Ann told CJ.

“I—I can see that.” CJ glanced nervously at Ocean, then at the whiteboard. “That’s a lot of questions.”

“Don’t worry, dear,” Mrs. B said, as CJ helped her into a chair. “We’re in this together. And we’ve cracked harder cases in the past.”

“Cases?” Nicholas asked.

“Case,” Sophie corrected. “We’ve cracked a harder case in the past.”

Mrs. B tsked at them but Lily-Ann kept watching CJ, wondering about her. She certainly didn’t come across as a flight risk, wearing an oversized stripy sweater and jeans. Her signature eyeliner was missing, but she did have on red lipstick. She didn’t look like a killer either, but the jury was still out about that.

Ocean handed CJ a glass of tolerable Malbec and said, “I’m glad you’re back.”

“Thank you,” she replied.

There was a pause, or perhaps Lily-Ann imagined the pause, as the two of them looked at each other. So she said, “We have a few questions.”

“I noticed.” CJ gave an uncharacteristically timid smile. “But first I want to thank you. All of you. I already thanked Mrs. B for, um…”

“It’s nothing, darling,” Mrs. B said.

That was such an obvious lie that Lily-Ann almost spoke up. Using her property as collateral for this near-stranger was absolutely not nothing. CJ owed her a debt that she’d never repay, and Lily-Ann wanted to ensure that she understood that—that they both understood that. However, before she could open her mouth, she was struck by the notion that if Anthony were there he’d give her a look, so she didn’t say anything.

“I’m a little horrified that Mrs. B bailed me out,” CJ continued, looking to each of them in turn. “But mostly grateful. This was the worst week of my life and—and Mrs. B told me you’re trying to prove my innocence, and I can’t thank you enough.”

“Now that is genuinely nothing,” Mrs. B told her. “Everyone needs a hobby, and I never had a knack for pottery. We positively enjoy investigating.”

Lily-Ann frowned at CJ. “Even if we find you guilty.”

“Which we won’t!” Mrs. B blurted. “Because you’re not.”

“Of course not,” Sophie said.

“Still,” Ocean told CJ, “Lily-Ann’s right to warn you. ‘Investigating’ sounds good, but ‘gossiping, meddling, and prying’ not so much.”

Mrs. B pointed her glass of rosé at Ocean. “Stop tormenting her, you ungrateful child.”

“I’m just saying there’s no telling what we’ll do, because we don’t know what we’re doing.”

“We might even find evidence against her,” Lily-Ann said, trying to move things along.

“There is no evidence against her,” Mrs. B said, “because she’s not guilty.”

“The police found fifty-five thousand dollars in cash in a bag with her name on it.”

Mrs. B blinked. “Pardon? Fifty-five thousand what?”

Lily-Ann caught CJ’s gaze. “Were you aware of that?”

“Yes, I—the detective told me.”