they have waited until we got here before they removed it?”
Cairo nodded approval. “That’s right. Haste makes
waste,” he added with a disapproving glance at Joe,
who remained expressionless.
“I guess,” Dilys said slowly, “you should have told
them we were on our way. Now we’ll have to wait for
the autopsy.”
Cairo shot Dilys a sharp, wary glance. “They should
have known we were coming. But you’re right, only
the ME can tell us for sure how this guy died.” He gave
Joe an even darker look. “You know better, Flynn—
why didn’t you tell them to hold their horses?”
Joe stared up at the ceiling, looking innocent in his
choirboy costume. “I’m retired, I’m old, I forgot.”
Cairo grunted. “If you say so.”
Joe said nothing.
But his former colleague wasn’t giving up. “Hey,”
Cairo urged with an expansive gesture. “Share your
thoughts with us, for old times’ sake. Reach out. We’re
listening.”
“I never speculate,” Joe said quietly.
“No kidding?” Cairo gazed at Joe with feigned
shock, then swore as the faulty cupboard door swung
open and rested gently against his right ear. “What’s
with this thing?” the detective demanded. “Ghosts?”
Judith shook her head. “The spring is sprung. Or
something. It does that often.”
Cairo glared at Joe. “Can’t you or your slave here
fix the damned thing?” He gave the door a vicious
slam, rattling china and glassware in the cupboards.
Judith gritted her teeth.
But Cairo’s gaze was now on the spider above the
sink. He turned to Judith. “What about you, Mrs.
Flynn? Is that scary tarantula wannabe one of your
Halloween decorations?”
“No.”
“Oh?” Cairo grew curious. “Then who put it there?”
“I’ve no idea,” Judith replied. “I didn’t see it when I
was in the kitchen before . . . before Mr. Zepf died.”
Cairo nudged Dilys. “You hear that, young lady?
Mrs. Flynn doesn’t know how that nasty old bug got
there. What’s your idea?”
Warily, Dilys looked up at the spider. “Are you sure
it’s not real?”
Cairo reached up and gave the spider a spin. “Definitely fake.”
Dilys gave a nod. “So maybe . . .” Her small voice
trailed off.
“Yes?” Cairo urged. “Maybe what?”
