“I know that.” Frannie picked up the chicken wrap. “According to my source, the final guests left the luau at 2:37 a.m. and they were the last ones to see Regina alive and conscious.”
“Who told you that?” Dani poured herself a cup of coffee, grabbed a plate of triple chocolate chip bars, and joined Frannie.
“I can’t reveal my sources.” Frannie opened the water bottle.
“How about the identity of the last guests?” Dani selected a cookie.
“That I can do.” Frannie grinned. “It was her fiancé, Lazarus Hunter, and his pal Lance King. It seems Mr. Hunter was royally pissed with Ms. Bourne about something and, according to his buddy, the guy made quite a scene as he peeled out of the driveway.”
“I wonder what they were fighting about.” Dani chewed thoughtfully.
“My guess is”—Frannie tapped her pen on her lips—“Regina wouldn’t let Lazarus spend the night.”
“Perhaps,” Dani agreed. “He probably would expect to, since they were engaged.”
“Exactly.” Frannie’s brown eyes sparkled. “So why did she send him away?”
“Well…” Dani considered how much she should say, but there was no oath of confidentiality for a caterer and aiming the spotlight at another subject was a smart idea. “Laz was drinking heavily, as was his pal Vance. Maybe Regina didn’t want to deal with a drunk.”
“It’s possible,” Frannie said thoughtfully. “But I thought SummerPalooza was one big booze fest. Wasn’t Regina drinking too?”
Dani wrinkled her forehead. “I don’t know.” Had she seen Regina drink anything? “I was pretty busy keeping up with the food.”
“And saving everyone’s bacon when that idiot King nearly burned down the place.” Frannie nabbed a paper napkin from the holder in the center of the table and wiped her fingers. “Mr. Hunter said you were awesome.”
“It wasn’t that big a deal.” Dani twitched her shoulders. “It was a small blaze and I just used my fire extinguisher to put it out.”
“My friend Skye says we all have to learn to accept the credit for our accomplishments.” Frannie shook her finger at Dani. “She says it’s just as important as admitting when we screw up.”
“She sounds like a smart cookie,” Dani said. “But if you’re assigned to the obituaries and Miss Fortune column, why are you asking me about Regina?”
“Because if I solve the murder and scoop everyone else with an awesome story, maybe I won’t have to write obits or advice to the lovelorn anymore.”
“I’d like to help you with that, but you seem to know a lot more about the case than me.” Dani stirred sweetener into her coffee.
Frannie dug a notebook from her purse. “But you were there.” Her voice was hypnotic. “Tell me everything that happened from the minute it started.”
“It really just seemed like a normal party.” Dani cradled her mug. “I mean it was very high end, with the best of everything, but otherwise, it had loud music, lots of people, and too much alcohol.”
“Still…” Frannie drew out the word. “I doubt there’s a fire or a hostess throwing a tantrum about desserts at every event you cater.”
“You heard about that too, huh?” Dani was beginning to dislike Frannie’s informant.
“Of course.” Frannie beamed. “Another one of my sources is really convinced you killed Regina.”
“What?” Dani squeaked. “Is that source a certain obnoxious detective?”
Frannie ignored Dani’s question. “The thing is, this guy or gal is a little too anxious for the perp to be you. Hence you have even more at stake in discovering who rubbed out Regina Bourne than I do.”
“Why do I get the feeling this isn’t your first murder investigation?” Dani narrowed her eyes.
“Because I have a friend back home with many unusual talents. Solving mysteries is just one of them.”
Chapter 10
The automatic doors swished shut behind Dani as she pushed her cart inside the local Meijer superstore. She shivered and rubbed the goose bumps on her arms as the overcooled air surrounded her.
Her mouth watered at the aroma of frying chicken coming from the nearby deli, but she ignored the temptation and headed into the produce section. She quickly skimmed her list and began selecting what she’d need for the rest of the week.
While she bought most of the dry and canned ingredients wholesale, she had yet to find a reliable supplier for fruit and vegetables. She had feelers out to various farms in the area, but with the Midwest weather, they’d only be able to provide what she needed for a few months out of the year.
As she tapped cantaloupes and sniffed honeydews, she thought about her morning visitor. Frannie Ryan was an interesting woman. She’d told Dani that she’d graduated from college in the spring and was thrilled to find work in Normalton because her boyfriend, Justin, had one more year to go. He was finishing his degree at the University of Illinois, which was less than half an hour away, so they could still live together.
Frannie and Justin had both grown up in Scumble River, a small town that apparently had more than its fair share of homicides. She had recounted several cases that she and her friend Skye had solved.
If Dani wasn’t already convinced that she needed to look into Regina’s murder herself, Frannie’s stories would have persuaded her. She just couldn’t trust her fate to a cop with a grudge.
As Dani continued to shop, she considered her next move. She and Frannie had agreed the best suspects were Regina’s fiancé and closest friends. Which one would be the easiest to talk to first?
After contemplating the trio of potential culprits, she fished through her purse for her cell. Once she located the sneaky device, which had been hiding under her wallet, she sent a quick text to Ivy:
Has Laz Hunter returned your necklace yet?
Ivy instantly answered: No.
ask him to bring it over tonight. he can stay for dinner.
A short pause and Ivy responded: Okay. You want to grill him about Regina, right? Do you think he killed her? Cuz he’s not like that.
In reply, Dani sent Ivy an emoji of a face
