He looked up from his notebook. “Isn’t that a slight exaggeration?” he asked dryly.
I shook my head. “At some point, everyone in town has probably threatened Mona for some reason or another.”
I caught Grey silently telling me to stop talking.
I tried to fix what I’d already started, “But to kill her? I don’t think anyone hated her that much. Although…”
Anyone who didn’t know Grey wouldn’t have seen the subtle shake of his head. I caught it.
“Although?” Dumbo Cop prodded.
“She didn’t like her ex-husband.” His pen stopped moving for a moment, then he resumed scribbling without looking up. Heck, at this point he could be doodling a picture of Mickey Mouse for all I knew.
“Did you hear anyone threaten Ms. Michaels?” he asked.
“The smaller list is who hasn’t threatened Mona.”
“Which list are you on?” He finally looked at me.
I glanced at Grey for direction.
“Why stop now?” he sighed.
“It’s all over town. You’ll find out sooner or later. I didn’t threaten to kill her, but I did have a public argument with her at the Fur Ball. And then again today at my boutique.”
“You argued today? About what?”
“She wanted me to make a public apology for what happened at the Fur Ball.”
“What happened?”
I could feel my face warm. “I spilled my wine, and some may have got on her dress.”
His eyebrows rose, and his lips twitched. “I see.”
“I had nothing to do with her death. I can account for my whereabouts all day.”
“Let’s start with where you were this morning.”
As the police took my statement, with Grey at my side silently leading me along, Detective Judd Malone walked through the front door. He could never do undercover work. He exuded the Miranda Rights by simply breathing. His uniform consisted of jeans, blue shirt and black leather jacket.
He’d recognize Caro’s name. He was pretty much annoyed by the fact that they shared the same air, let alone that she had poked her nose in his murder investigation.
“Detective Malone,” I whispered.
Everyone turned in his direction.
The uniformed officers stood a little taller. Malone’s gaze traveled between all of us and rested on Grey and me. Unlike the other two, Malone had the neutral gaze down. There was no question who was in charge. I seriously doubted he’d be snookered by a handshake. Even Grey’s.
Once Malone intersected our circle, the uniformed duo fell all over themselves to update him. Apparently, the other two officers had found Mona and Fluffy and had “secured the crime scene.”
I was about to introduce myself when Grey squeezed my hand.
“Detective Malone. Grey Donovan. This is my fiancee, Melinda Langston. She found the victim.”
Malone’s unreadable expression gave nothing away except he was making mental notes of some kind. “I need to ask you some questions. Wait here.”
He didn’t kill time waiting for a response; he just left us standing there, assuming we’d obey. I could see why Caro found him obnoxious.
He was back within a few minutes. He had a brief conversion with the cops who had questioned me, then he made his way over to us.
I told him what I knew, and he scribbled in his notebook. He seemed satisfied, but it was hard to tell. He informed me he’d check my alibi and handed me his business card-in case I remembered something important later. Like what, I had no idea.
And the word “alibi” made me a tad nervous.
I kept my relationship with Caro to myself. If he didn’t know we were cousins, I wasn’t about to bring it up.
“What about Fluffy?” I asked.
Malone looked up from his little black notebook. “What about her?”
“Where are you taking her?”
He shrugged a broad shoulder. “To the ARL.”
I shook my head. Wasn’t he listening to me? I had just explained why that wasn’t an option. “They won’t take her. Call if you want, but you’re wasting your time. Trust me, Don Furry was adamant. There’s no room.”
I felt a twinge of pity for Don as I realized he wasn’t going to get his big contribution after all. Maybe they’d get lucky and Mona had named the ARL in her will.
Detective Malone didn’t look too thrilled to be ambushed by my objections. “Don’t move.” He walked away and pulled out his cell phone.
It had taken him a while, maybe thirty minutes, but when he came back he gave me the once over again. The hair on the back of my neck stood at attention. I had a bad feeling. Had he called Don? Surely he confirmed he’d stopped by the boutique.
“Your cousin says you’ll take Fluffy,” he said.
“What?” I sputtered.
He’d obviously known who I was. I could understand why he’d kept that to himself, but why on God’s green earth would Caro throw me under the bus? “I don’t want her.”
Malone looked bored. “I was able to confirm Don Furry was at Bow Wow. As you said, they’re full. That dog would never survive the pound. It’s you or nothing.”
“It’s just for tonight, Mel,” Grey said. He gave me that look I hated. I imagined it was the same one he gave a suspect as he worked them into a confession. I narrowed my eyes and gave it right back.
The missing police officers came trotting down the staircase. “That dog needs drugs. She’s mean.”
Against my will, the image of Mona sprawled on the floor and Fluffy laying beside her popped into my head.
“She’s not mean. She’s protecting her human.” I pointed at Malone. “Tonight only. Tomorrow she goes to the ARL.” I broke away from the Good Ole’ Boys Club and rushed up the stairs, with an audience trailing right behind.
“You can’t go up there,” someone yelled.
“I’ve already been up here.” I pointed out the obvious.
I stopped at the doorway to Fluffy’s room. She was exactly where I’d left her, next to Mona. My heart broke.
She was a dog. How was she ever going to understand she had to bond with someone new?
“This place is a disaster,” Grey said softly.
“Probably a robbery interrupted,” someone muttered.
“Cliff.” I spun around and bumped into Dumbo Cop.
“Who?” the uniforms asked in unison.
“Mona’s ex. Cliff.” I looked past all the police and focused on Grey. “Someone needs to call him. I bet he’ll take Fluffy.” I couldn’t keep the excited desperation out of my voice.
Cliff, the reason I was here in the first place, was suddenly the answer to the dog situation.
“Mona wouldn’t want him to take her dog,” Grey said.
“Legally, Fluffy is half his,” I argued.
“Do you have his number?” Detective Malone asked.
“Not on me. It’s at my shop.” I refused to feel guilty. If Mona hadn’t gone and gotten herself killed, Fluffy wouldn’t have to go to Cliff’s.
Fluffy got up and slowly walked across the room, leaving a trail of dark red paw prints on the hardwood floor. She stood in front of me and nuzzled my hand.
“Melinda. She chooses you.” Grey’s voice wrapped around me and squeezed the part of my heart I’d worked so hard to keep protected.
I didn’t want to deal with this anymore. I didn’t want to do the right thing. I didn’t want to be chosen.
