Bundle of Trouble

“What are we going to do about day care?” Jim asked.

My throat constricted. Leave my angel with strangers all day? “We won’t need day care.”

“Honey, we have to be realistic. I mean, even if you solve this homicide for Mrs. Avery, we still need a second income.”

“I could get another client.”

Jim looked at me, a cross of pity and love on his face.

“You think I’m kidding myself, don’t you?” I asked.

He wrapped his arms around me. “I totally believe in you and support you and love you.”

“You think I’m kidding myself.”

“How about I ask for a raise today?”

I pulled out of his embrace and looked into his eyes. “You certainly deserve one.”

“Yeah. I’ve been landing them new clients left and right. You should have seen the ad campaign I presented last week. Maybe I can squeeze a few more dollars out of them, or hell, even a promotion.”

Relief washed over me. Maybe I could stay home after all.

“You better get going then,” I said. “You don’t want to be late on the day you get promoted.”

To-Do List:

1. Find Brad and/or Michelle and Svetlana’s killer.

2. ?

3. Get some sleep.

4. ?

5. Figure out how to launch this PI business-need license?

6. Research day care for Jelly Bean-just in case.

7. Start diet.

8. Pick up some dental whitener.

9. Find time for manicure/pedicure.

I looked over my list. How could I prioritize that to-do list? Could I really find a killer?

Well, I had found George, hadn’t I?

Please don’t be one and the same, I prayed, unable to control the nausea that surfaced.

The phone rang, interrupting my thoughts.

“Kate. Nora Collins here. How are you and the baby?”

My boss from corporate hell.

“Fine. Fine. Everyone is good.”

“Great. Glad to hear it. Did you get the basket we sent?”

The staff from my office had sent a baby bathing basket. In it was a little yellow ducky robe complete with a bill hood and two feet dangling from the end of it, a couple of rubber duckies, baby shampoo, lotion and soap, and a waterproof bath book.

I hadn’t had the time or energy to mail the thank-you cards. What had happened to my manners? I reached for the pen that was near me and re-added “Mail thank-you cards” to my to-do list.

“We got the basket,” I said. “Thank you.”

“Glad you like it. Sheryl picked out everything. You know how she likes to shop.”

Sheryl was Nora’s ever faithful and devoted assistant. Everyone in the office knew Nora would be lost without Sheryl.

“Have you thought about your return date?” Nora asked.

I’d thought of little else, except for Laurie and solving this mystery.

What to tell Nora?

I want to launch my own business so I can stay home with my little treasure and my husband is hopefully going to get a raise today, so maybe I won’t be coming back. Besides, I’d probably crack in two if I had to leave Laurie, so you don’t really want me back.

“I don’t have a return date yet. I have to see my doctor first and get a release,” I said.

“Of course,” Nora said. “I understand.”

Did she understand? She didn’t have any children, or a spouse for that matter. She had given up everything to climb the corporate ladder.

I tried to put a little cheer into my voice. “Thanks for calling and checking in. Tell everyone I said hello. I’ll let you know about my return date after I see my doctor.”

We hung up.

I paced.

Return to work? Ugh!

Not that there was anything wrong with my job. It was a good job, and I worked with decent people. I was responsible for the management of the entire architectural office. It was a creative place to work, and things were always busy around me. But I would have to be away from Laurie all day, every day.

I had to find a way to solve this crime. Investigation was much more exciting than my corporate job ever had been. And more important, if I could launch my own business, it would give me freedom and flexibility.

I googled “starting a business” and got busy reading.

Laurie was nestled comfortably in the baby carrier, lunch barely on the table, when I heard the front door slam. Laurie and I peeked into the hallway in time to see Jim let his briefcase fall to the floor with a loud thud.

“What are you doing back so soon?”

He stared at me. “I was fired.”

“Fired? I thought everything was going well.” I swallowed the lump in my throat. “You said the presentation went great. What about the promotion? The raise?”

“My presentation was great. We got the account. I landed my firm a multimillion- dollar account and they canned my ass.”

“I don’t understand.”

“They found out that I got arrested.”

“What? How? And what does that have to do with anything? You’re not guilty of anything! You were released.”

Laurie began to wail, as though she sensed we were upset. Funny how intuitive people are when they start out.

“That cop, McNearny, plays poker every Saturday night with Josh Garner, the top partner at my firm. Turns out McNearny blabs that I was arrested. Josh pulled me into his office this morning and said I’d violated, get this, a moral turpitude clause in my employee contract.”

I sat on our couch, stunned. Waves of disbelief washed over me. “I can’t believe it! You haven’t been convicted of anything!”

“I know. He said it didn’t matter, said it was bad for the firm’s image.”

“Maybe if you talked to another partner. What about Dylan-”

“Screw it! I’m not going to beg for my job. Ungrateful bastards!”

I stared at the mallard print that hung above our fireplace. A bird in flight. I love that picture simply because it’s an incredible act of nature. Such a small creature defying nature’s biggest law. Gravity.

I mustered the most courage I could. “Honey, we’re a team. We’re going to figure this thing out. Together!”

Jim’s shoulders slumped. “I’ve never been fired before.”

Pain shot through my temples. “You think I should go back to the office?”

His eyes searched out mine. “I don’t know what I think. I know how you feel about being home with