realize he’s wrong eventually. Detectives report to the attorney general. Even if LaVerdiere
doesn’t, the A.G. will realize there’s no case against you”
“Is that supposed to reassure me?” In her agitation,
she couldn’t seem to sit still. She jumped up and began to
pace, her steps taking her the length of the living room
and back again. “I can’t just sit around and wait for
LaVerdiere to see the light. I need to prove I’m not
guilty.”
“How?”
“Well, I can ask around. Find out if anyone saw anything.”
“The cops will do that. Probably have already.”
“What if they didn’t ask the right questions? If they think I did it, they wouldn’t have tried to find out who else
was around yesterday.”
He hated to douse the light of battle in her eyes, but if
she interfered with LaVerdiere’s investigation she’d only
make things harder on herself. “Bad idea, Liss. It may even
be illegal.” He didn’t know if that was true or not, since
his only information on how the police solved crimes came
from watching television, and he wasn’t a fan of cop
shows.
“It’s the best one I have. And really, think about it. I
know this town. Or at least I used to. And I know things
Scottish. Whoever was in the shop, whoever killed
Mrs. Norris, that person must have had some connection
to Aunt Margaret or her business.”
“How do you figure that?” His money had been on a
stranger. He didn’t want to think any of his neighbors
might be a killer.
Liss came to a halt in front of the sofa, hands on her
hips. “Because Mrs. Norris wouldn’t have gone into the
stockroom for no reason. She must have seen someone
enter through the back door, someone who shouldn’t have
been there. There were no signs of robbery or vandalism.
Maybe whoever was in there did plan to rob the place, but
if Mrs. Norris had thought the intruder was there to commit a crime, she’d have called the cops instead of going
over herself.”
“I thought the same thing last night,” Dan reluctantly
admitted. “She could see the door to the stockroom from
her back porch and it doesn’t make sense that she’d take a
foolish risk if she saw a stranger break in.”
“So, it was someone she knew. Or at least someone
she recognized and thought of as harmless. And I’m better equipped to figure out who that someone might be
than LaVerdiere is.” Liss looked extraordinarily pleased
with herself.
Dan caught her hand and tugged her back down onto
the sofa beside him. Her determination to play detective
alarmed him. He was glad she no longer seemed to be
frightened or apathetic, but there was no sense going
overboard.
“Think about this a minute, Liss.” He angled himself
so that he could look her straight in the eyes. He kept
hold of her hand. “If Mrs. Norris thought this person was
harmless, aren’t you likely to make the same mistake?”
“I’m just going to check on one or two little things on
my own. Come with me if you’re worried I’ll get into
trouble.”
“I’m not sure that would help much if a murderer
takes exception to your snooping. I can’t watch your back
twenty-four/seven”
“I can take care of myself!” Blue fire in her eyes, Liss
jerked her hand free in a sudden display of temper.
“Okay, Liss. If you say so” She’d been on a real rollercoaster ride since yesterday. Dan supposed he couldn’t
blame her for resenting his words of caution.
“Humoring the little lady, Dan?” She hopped up, dancing lightly on the balls of her feet. “Come on. Try to take
me down”
Dan stood slowly, suddenly wary. “I’m not going to assault you”
“No, really. It’s okay. Come at me like you want to
grab me and strangle me” She bobbed and weaved like a
prize-fighter, face alight with anticipation. Euphoria, he
thought. A false sense of security in reaction to the emotions she’d been feeling earlier.
“This is-” He broke off when she jabbed him
doesn’t, the A.G. will realize there’s no case against you”
“Is that supposed to reassure me?” In her agitation,
she couldn’t seem to sit still. She jumped up and began to
pace, her steps taking her the length of the living room
and back again. “I can’t just sit around and wait for
LaVerdiere to see the light. I need to prove I’m not
guilty.”
“How?”
“Well, I can ask around. Find out if anyone saw anything.”
“The cops will do that. Probably have already.”
“What if they didn’t ask the right questions? If they think I did it, they wouldn’t have tried to find out who else
was around yesterday.”
He hated to douse the light of battle in her eyes, but if
she interfered with LaVerdiere’s investigation she’d only
make things harder on herself. “Bad idea, Liss. It may even
be illegal.” He didn’t know if that was true or not, since
his only information on how the police solved crimes came
from watching television, and he wasn’t a fan of cop
shows.
“It’s the best one I have. And really, think about it. I
know this town. Or at least I used to. And I know things
Scottish. Whoever was in the shop, whoever killed
Mrs. Norris, that person must have had some connection
to Aunt Margaret or her business.”
“How do you figure that?” His money had been on a
stranger. He didn’t want to think any of his neighbors
might be a killer.
Liss came to a halt in front of the sofa, hands on her
hips. “Because Mrs. Norris wouldn’t have gone into the
stockroom for no reason. She must have seen someone
enter through the back door, someone who shouldn’t have
been there. There were no signs of robbery or vandalism.
Maybe whoever was in there did plan to rob the place, but
if Mrs. Norris had thought the intruder was there to commit a crime, she’d have called the cops instead of going
over herself.”
“I thought the same thing last night,” Dan reluctantly
admitted. “She could see the door to the stockroom from
her back porch and it doesn’t make sense that she’d take a
foolish risk if she saw a stranger break in.”
“So, it was someone she knew. Or at least someone
she recognized and thought of as harmless. And I’m better equipped to figure out who that someone might be
than LaVerdiere is.” Liss looked extraordinarily pleased
with herself.
Dan caught her hand and tugged her back down onto
the sofa beside him. Her determination to play detective
alarmed him. He was glad she no longer seemed to be
frightened or apathetic, but there was no sense going
overboard.
“Think about this a minute, Liss.” He angled himself
so that he could look her straight in the eyes. He kept
hold of her hand. “If Mrs. Norris thought this person was
harmless, aren’t you likely to make the same mistake?”
“I’m just going to check on one or two little things on
my own. Come with me if you’re worried I’ll get into
trouble.”
“I’m not sure that would help much if a murderer
takes exception to your snooping. I can’t watch your back
twenty-four/seven”
“I can take care of myself!” Blue fire in her eyes, Liss
jerked her hand free in a sudden display of temper.
“Okay, Liss. If you say so” She’d been on a real rollercoaster ride since yesterday. Dan supposed he couldn’t
blame her for resenting his words of caution.
“Humoring the little lady, Dan?” She hopped up, dancing lightly on the balls of her feet. “Come on. Try to take
me down”
Dan stood slowly, suddenly wary. “I’m not going to assault you”
“No, really. It’s okay. Come at me like you want to
grab me and strangle me” She bobbed and weaved like a
prize-fighter, face alight with anticipation. Euphoria, he
thought. A false sense of security in reaction to the emotions she’d been feeling earlier.
“This is-” He broke off when she jabbed him
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