“Bizzy.” Jasper leans his head back a notch, the distinct look of defeat on his face. “You are everything to me. You’re my wife. You’re going to be the mother of my children one day. I don’t want anything to happen to you.” His fingers twirl through the hair at the base of my neck. “Look, I know I can’t stop you, but if I didn’t try and something did happen? I couldn’t live with myself. That being said, maybe it’s time we look into a weapon for you.”
I pull back. “Like a gun?”
“Yes, like a gun. You can use it for self-protection. I trust you with it. And I might feel a little better knowing you’ll have it on you since I can’t be with you twenty-four seven.”
“No way.”
“Think about it.” He takes a sip of his cider before setting the mug down. So who’s still on the suspect list for the murder of Ember Sweet?”
A hard groan comes from me as I lay my head on his shoulder.
“I don’t know. There’s Willow Taylor. But I don’t think she did it. She’s wanted for petty theft in another state, and the only thing going through her mind is keeping her nose clean.”
Sherlock and Fish stop in their tracks as Sherlock lands by our feet and Fish hops up onto the coffee table next to the donuts.
She belts out a sharp meow. Time for the suspect circle! she calls out and the trio of cuteness hops over like a bunch of bunny rabbits.
Willow isn’t happy with Macy, Pumpkin mewls. I think Macy should stay away from the donuts.
Spice meows in agreement. But they look so delicious.
Macy doesn’t stand a chance, Cookie adds.
“They think Macy is toast.” I shrug over at my handsome hubby, and he nods.
“She might be. Anything else about Willow?”
“She’s closing up shop. She did say—or think—that Ember’s death felt like Christmas and her birthday all rolled into one. I think she’s just so relieved that she didn’t have this woman making her do any and everything on a whim just because she had her by the cookies.”
Jasper ticks his head to the side. “I would imagine she is relieved. Who’s up next?”
“There’s Marigold, I guess. She’s married to Warner Sweet, Ember’s wealthy father. He’s been in Africa, but he may have just gotten back. I’m not sure on that. And both poor Marigold and Willow claim they were visited by Ember’s ghost.” A mean shiver rides through me. “I’ll admit, strange things have been happening at the inn. I just want this all to be over and for everything to go back to the way it was. Of course, it’ll never be over for Ember—not in any good way.”
“Or the killer.” He lands a kiss to my cheek.
“Anyway, Marigold is the one who told me to look into Flint. She said she heard Ember and him arguing about Laurel Crabtree. Which brings me to my next point. I didn’t get a chance to speak with my prime suspect, Flint Butler”—I say, giving Jasper’s facial scruff a quick scratch—“but I did speak to Hunter Knox.”
The kittens all mewl at the very same time.
Pumpkin rears her cute little head. Tell me he’s not the killer. He seems like such a kind soul.
I quickly relay it to Jasper. “And I agree with her. Hunter is nice. Honestly, he should be my number one suspect, but he’s just so darn likable.” I try to scroll through my memory of any and every meet-up I’ve ever had with Hunter, and my mind sticks on something. “Wait a minute. The day of the murder, I saw Flint and Hunter going at it, but toward the end of their conversation Hunter held his hand out and Flint clasped it. I remember thinking it didn’t look like a handshake or a high-five. What if Hunter was giving something to Flint? Like the strychnine that was used to kill to Ember?”
Jasper blows out a breath. “Possible. But why would Hunter team up with Flint to kill her? I would think if one of them had the desire to pull it off, they wouldn’t drag anyone else in on it. That would be messy.”
“True, but Hunter had some odd thoughts tonight. He said that he and Flint had some unfinished business. That he owed him for what he’s done for him. And if Flint paid up, Hunter thought he just might come out of this mess on top.”
Jasper closes his eyes a moment. “Okay, so I’d say it’s a definite possibility they teamed up.”
No! the three kittens mewl like a choir, and I laugh as I shrug up at Jasper.
“The Hunter Knox Fan Club is taking umbrage with the fact.” I poke my finger to his chest. “Speaking of taking umbrage with the fact, why didn’t you tell me that you called Hunter into questioning twice already? Shouldn’t I be privy to this information? What did he say?”
Jasper’s lips twitch. “The legal answer is, no, you shouldn’t be privy to it. The proper answer as your husband is, I’m sorry.” His lips flex in a wry smile.
“You’re forgiven. Did you learn anything new?”
“Nothing. Because apparently you need to be a mind reader to crack this case. He’s definitely climbing the suspect list.”
I nod. “He’s right behind Flint.” I told Jasper about what Hunter said regarding Laurel on our ride home. “So we know now that Laurel was working on one of Alderman Butler’s campaigns, and now she’s gone. She was young. Maybe he knocked her up?”
“Maybe.” He shrugs. “Or maybe she threatened to expose him and was blackmailing him?”
“I like her more already.”
“This new information is going to make tracking her down a heck of a lot easier. I hope.”
“I hope so, too.” I wrap my arms around him tightly. “I think Flint may have done this. If Ember knew the details of Flint’s sexual dealings with an underage girl, this could cost him his entire future political career. I think he had the most
