Part 4 (2/2)
We searched each other's face for some type of rea.s.surance. I wasn't sure if he found what he was looking for. I know I didn't, and it scared me. He released my hand. It shook as I tucked a lock of hair behind my ear.
”What's going on?” he asked. ”Why are the police here?”
I cleared my throat, thankful for a change in topics. ”Richard Eriksen, one of the owners, was shot on the canyon road. He's dead.”
”Are you okay?”
I nodded. After a quick glance over my shoulder, I said, ”But I'm afraid Betty might be in trouble.” I quickly filled him in from the beginning, up to the last conversation with Malone.
”What do you think she was doing?” he asked.
I shook my head. ”I don't know. She's not saying. You know, she has a thing for you. Maybe if you asked her . . .”
He placed his palm on the small of my back. ”Let's go talk to her.”
As we made our way back to my a.s.sistant, I savored the feel of his hand. I missed the natural connection we shared.
”Hey, good-lookin',” Betty cooed. ”Cookie said you were in New York. I guess you couldn't stay away.”
Grey bent down and kissed her wrinkled cheek. ”You're looking good yourself. Melinda tells me you're in a bit of trouble.”
She waved her hand. ”You know Cookie. She's exaggerating.”
”Hardly.” I rolled my eyes in exasperation at her insistence on making light of the situation.
Grey unb.u.t.toned his suit jacket. ”The police do not play games. If you can tell them exactly where you were, and who you were with, that helps them rule you out, and concentrate on finding the person who did this.”
Betty scrutinized him. ”You seem to know an awful lot about how the police work.”
Grey shoved his hands in his pockets. ”And you're changing the subject.”
”You think the police believe I shot that idiot?” Betty huffed.
”You've got to stop calling him that.” I looked over my shoulder double-checking Salinas wasn't close enough to overhear Betty's rant.
”Even if it's true?” she asked.
”Yes.”
”From what Mel's said, I'd be surprised if you weren't a suspect.” Grey, the voice of reason, leveled a stern look her way.
”I didn't shoot anyone. Isn't there some kind of test they can run? I thought these coppers were smart now, with their new technology.”
Grey studied a group of crime-scene techs walking toward their van. ”We could ask them to run a test for gunshot residue.”
I groaned. ”No good. Betty glommed onto Malone like a leach when he first arrived. He'd been at the firing range. Chances are Betty's got residue all over her.”
She examined her top. ”I don't see anything.”
Grey shook his head. ”You won't.”
Betty crossed her arms. ”Well, I didn't do anything wrong. I don't care how crazy s.e.xy that Malone is, he can't make me confess to a crime I didn't commit.”
GREY STEPPED AWAY to take a call while Betty and I waited for Malone, who was taking an extra-long time to return. Lenny and Pickles hung off to the side. Smart, since he'd publicly argued with the dead guy's wife.
I spotted Darby surrept.i.tiously snapping pictures of the crowd standing behind the crime scene tape. She still had Missy with her. I waved for her to join us. She rushed over, Missy b.u.mbling behind her.
”I've been looking for you two,” Darby blurted. ”What's going on?”
”Cookie's hunk-of-burning-love is back.”
Darby's eyebrows disappeared beneath her blond bangs. ”Grey's here?”
”Surprise,” I sang out. I bent down and hugged Missy's stocky body, hiding my unease at Grey's unexpected appearance. After a few kisses on her head, I rubbed her behind the ears. She happily licked my face. With a quick shake, she showered me with bulldog drool. I wiped the back of my hand on my jeans.
”Thanks for taking care of her.” I stood and accepted the leash from Darby.
”Anytime. Sooo . . . we're not talking about Grey right now?”
I shook my head. ”No. I, uh . . . I stumbled over another dead body.”
Darby and I had discovered Laguna's celebrated plastic surgeon Dr. O'Doggle, who'd been strangled and left for dead, outside my boutique not too long ago.
Darby gasped. ”What? Who?”
”Ricky-d.i.c.ky,” Betty spat out. She pulled a dog biscuit from her handbag and slipped it to Missy who eagerly chomped the treat.
”What happened?”
”When I was looking for Betty, I found him instead. He's been shot.”
”Was Zippy with him?”
”No. Hopefully Malone's crew is looking for him.”
”Did you find Betty's gun?” Darby whispered.
Betty waved her hands in front of our faces. ”h.e.l.lo. I'm standing right here.”
”Sorry,” Darby said, sheepishly.
”Not yet. Did you find the filmmaker?”
Darby shook her head. ”Do you think they'll postpone the last few races?”
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