“Everybody is missing the point. Who cares if this Ty guy didn’t kill Miles? The cops still think I killed Robyn. They’re closing in. I don’t want to end up a
Dinah got a round of applause as she made a grand entrance and joined the group. Sheila surprised all of us by standing up and telling us we would all feel better if we’d focus on making something with one of the impatient crochet patterns for the donation box.
“Crocheting will calm your nerves,” she said. “And thinking about making something to help somebody else will make you forget your own problems.”
Nobody could argue with that.
“Mom,” a voice called. Don’t they say that a mother always recognizes her kid’s voice? I knew it was Samuel before he’d said the second
I took out another cell sock I’d started. This time I’d tried some glittery silver yarn with the idea of making an evening cell sock. It was much thinner than the cotton yarn, and I was surprised how different the same stitches looked done in it. Though I tried not to, I started thinking about Barry. I knew without a doubt that he had to know about the episode in the afternoon. I thought he would call or something, but there was just silence. It still seemed so odd how everything had turned upside down in a couple of days.
I worked until closing, still trying to make up for lost time. When I was turning off the lights and Mrs. Shedd and Mr. Royal were shutting everything down, I saw Mason standing outside. He remembered my car was still by the Crown Apothecary. When I came outside, I could see the effect of my presence on his face. He seemed very happy to see me.
“Hmm, this is interesting. We don’t have to pretend this is a legal-defense dinner. We can just do it for fun.” Mason caught my expression. “I know you’re still adjusting, but the best way to do it is get out there—”
“And get back on the horse,” I said, finishing the cliche. “I need some time to just walk along the path for a while first,” I said. “Besides, until Nell is cleared and has her job back, I can’t worry about my social life. It’s her whole life we’re talking about.”
We went to a busy sushi restaurant in Encino. While we were waiting for a table, Mason brought up his plan, apparently undaunted by my comment.
“Okay, but once everything is settled, after all that you’ve been through and are going through, don’t you think a change of scenes would be good? I was thinking we could both take a few days off and drive up north. So many great places to choose as a destination. Personally, I love Carmel. Lots of cozy little inns and interesting little restaurants. But my favorite thing to do is to take a cappuccino to the beach and watch the sunset.”
Hmm, it sounded nice.
CHAPTER 34
A WEEK WENT BY AND NO WORD FROM BARRY. IN the past when we’d split up, he’d still driven by at night to check that everything was okay. But now there was no Tahoe driving by in the middle of the night, at least that I saw. There weren’t any stops in the bookstore, either. There was just the big silence.
Mason did his best to keep from looking too happy about the situation, but he didn’t succeed. He kept pointing out how he showed up when he said he would and never rushed off in the middle of a meal because he had to go chase down a lead. It was hard to feel glum with him around.
Dinah and Commander included me in their plans to run karaoke at the senior center. I had to admit it was fun. In short, I barely had time to notice how quiet my house had become. Maybe it was because I was getting older and had been through Charlie’s death, but after the week with nothing, I began to really let go and stopped looking for Barry to show up.
Mason found out the results of Miles’ autopsy and toxicology screens. He’d died of an overdose of heroin, but they’d also found Rohypnol in his system. Commonly known as roofies, the drug has the effect of knock-out drops. They traced it back to a bottle of fruit punch in Miles’ room. They surmised someone had knocked him out with the fruit punch and then administered the heroin. But the question was why. When they checked Miles’ cell phone records, they noted the call to me.
Detective Henderson from the sheriff’s department got in touch with me and wanted to know why he’d called. She caught me off guard and I forgot about giving her the silent treatment and answered. “He wanted to tell me something. I’m guessing he thought it might help me find out who killed his sister,” I said. Big mistake. Apparently Detective Henderson called Detective Heather, and the next thing I knew, Heather got in touch with me.
“You’re doing it again, Ms. Pink,” she said. “Interfering with a police investigation. If Miles had some information that pointed to his sister’s killer, it seems pretty clear who killed him. If you want to help Nell Collins, get her to tell us the truth.”
It didn’t make me feel any better to realize the spotlight was off me.
The next day, I broke the news to CeeCee and Nell as they came into the yarn department. “Oh, this can’t be,” Nell said. “Now they think I killed two people?”
“Dear, we really should get you a lawyer,” CeeCee said. Both of us had been saying it all along, but Nell had continued to insist it made her look guilty. This time, she nodded in agreement.
“Everybody thinks I did it anyway,” she said in a forlorn voice.
I called Mason, and we made arrangements for her to come to his office. Nell wanted CeeCee and me to go with her. I could see that CeeCee was squirming. All of this made her very uncomfortable, but she said she would go. I wasn’t sure of the exact proportions, but the balance had changed. CeeCee was more concerned about her niece than her career—even with the Oscar buzz.
I’d never been to Mason’s office before. Only to the building the time he’d picked up his briefcase. This time we parked and rode to the fortieth floor in one of the primo Century City office buildings. The law firm had half the floor. Mason had a corner office with a west-facing view. I could see the sun reflecting off the ocean as I stepped inside. I was surprised to see Spike. The toy fox terrier had his own area, complete with water, toys and his own blanket. He barked when we came in and gave us all the once-over before going back to his blanket and watching us. You had to love a man who would take his dog to work with him.
It was odd seeing Mason at work. He was more formal than I was used to. Everything in the office was big. Big desk, big windows and big comfortable chairs. You could almost smell the power in the air. His assistant came in and offered us refreshments. We’re not talking coffee that’s been sitting in the pot for hours, either. They had an espresso machine, imported bottled water, any kind of soda you could think of and finger sandwiches. CeeCee said all this had been such a drain on her, she needed to keep her strength up. The assistant came back with the works.
Nell insisted that she wanted CeeCee and me in on everything, so there would be no problem for him to discuss her case with us.
“I think that whatever evidence they have against you is too easy to blow away. But that doesn’t mean they won’t keep showing up and questioning you. In this situation, the cops’ best chance is getting you to confess,” Mason said.
“But I didn’t do it. You have to believe me,” she said, suddenly worried.
Mason got up and walked around the desk and stood next to her.
“I know you didn’t. No worries. If the cops or the sheriff’s investigator show up, don’t say anything, just have them talk to me.” He put a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “I have a daughter your age. I’m not going to let anything bad happen to you.” I wanted to hug him for being so sympathetic.
