We get right to the business of stuffing our faces, and when the appetizer disappears, I regale everyone with the story of Georgie running down the wharf in Whaler’s Cove just about buck naked.
Dinner comes and goes and Leo fills us in on his day.
“But unlike you, Bizzy”—judging by that smirk on his face, I can feel the zinger coming—“I wasn’t chasing down any suspects.”
Emmie opens her mouth with delight. “How did you know she was chasing down a suspect?”
Jasper nods my way. “Because Needlepoint Tattoos just so happens to be a haunt for not one but two suspects.”
“You got me.” I cringe playfully. “But in my defense, Georgie was determined to have a butterfly plastered to her backside for the duration of her time on this planet.”
Emmie wrinkles her nose. “Too bad it didn’t work out for her. I’ll get her some temporary tattoos to hold her over until she works up her nerve again.”
Dinner wraps up and Emmie excuses herself to the ladies’ room. I wait until she’s out of earshot before leaning across the table.
“Leo, I beg of you to be careful with her.”
He glances in her direction. “Bizzy, she’s not made of blown glass. Just know that my feelings for her are real.”
Jasper takes a breath. “If you think you’re getting serious, if you think you’re going to tell her, maybe let Bizzy tell her first.”
“What?” It comes out weak. “But I never really… I guess I never thought I’d…”
Leo shakes his head my way. “You don’t have to tell her, Bizzy. If it ever comes to the point where I decide to share my secret, you don’t have to share yours.”
Jasper offers a solemn blink as if concurring, and my heart breaks just considering it.
Emmie comes back and we opt to raid the Country Cottage Café for dessert instead of hanging around. It seems those lemon tarts have been in the forefront of our minds all week. Jasper and Leo drop a few bills onto the table and we head outside to the warm summer night air that holds the scent of the briny sea mingling with sweet jasmine.
My eyes drift up the street and catch on that gold and black sign that reads Killer Books and I startle for a moment.
“Hey”—Jasper wraps an arm around my waist and pulls me close—“it’s okay.”
I open my mouth to say something and look to Emmie and Leo instead.
“Why don’t you guys go ahead?” I say. “Save some lemon tarts for us.”
Emmie and Leo say goodnight and we watch as they walk into the night, holding hands as happy as can be. I couldn’t be happier for Emmie to feel this way with someone. It’s been a long time and I want her to be happy. But the thought of her finding happiness with the one person who could jeopardize our relationship gives me an ache I can’t describe. It’s selfish, and if she and Leo work out, I’ll have to get over it. I’ll have to tell her my deep, dark secret and hope she doesn’t resort to homicide.
I turn to Jasper. “I just remembered something about that meeting with Stormy—” Before I can finish, another couple holding hands heads this way, and if I thought I couldn’t wrap my head around Emmie and Leo, I sure as heck can’t wrap my head around these two—for entirely different reasons.
“Hux?” I hardly recognize my voice as it pitches. “Mackenzie?”
My brother sheds an easy grin. He’s still in his suit from work, I’m presuming, but with his suit and her little black dress, this looks like a formal sit-down event that’s threatening to bring up that bucket full of calamari I shoved down my throat.
Here we go. Hux pulls me in for a quick embrace. “Biz, Detective.” He nods to Jasper. “How’s the case? I see my sister is still a free woman. I guess that’s a good sign.”
Mackenzie nods at the two of us. “It’ll take a miracle to land Bizzy behind bars. Now that she’s got an in down at the sheriff’s department, she could slaughter a basketball team and sleep in her own bed at night.”
Hux and Mack share a laugh at my expense.
“Nice seeing you.” Hux waves as they duck inside the Blue Brick Steakhouse.
“Huh.” I give the back of my head a quick scratch. “I think I just figured something out.”
“What’s that?” Jasper says, pulling me into his arms once again.
“I can’t control anyone else’s relationship.” I cringe a little. “I think I owe Leo an apology.”
Jasper’s chest expands with his next breath and he presses against me.
“Don’t worry about it,” he whispers. “Leo knows how much you love Emmie. And you’re afraid. Don’t be. Whatever you decide about telling her your secret, or not, I support you in this.”
“Thank you.”
“Now, what were you about to say?” He ticks his head toward Killer Books.
“The night of the killing, Wyatt mentioned he had a first print run of a very valuable book. He keeps it in a glass case on the second level of the bookshop. Stormy thought maybe that was what Thomas and Wyatt were fighting over.”
Jasper’s glowing eyes flit in that direction.
“How valuable?” he asks, already navigating us down the street.
“I don’t know, but it’s an Agatha Christie. It must be worth a fortune.”
We hit Killer Books and Jasper procures a key from his pocket, dangling it in the air, and the moonlight glints off it until it flashes like lightning.
“Jasper, we can’t go in there. That’s like breaking and entering.”
“I’m the investigating lead detective. I promise we’re not breaking in.”
We head inside and Jasper flicks on the lights. The yellow caution tape is lying around haphazardly, and there’s a large dark stain over the carpet where poor Wyatt lay dying.
Jasper takes me by the hand as we head upstairs. The black walls decorated with rhinestones glint like stars in some unknown universe.
And then we see it.
The glass case—it’s empty.
Chapter 12
The first print run of Agatha
