Fish gives a sharp meow. Say no, Bizzy.
“No.” I don’t hesitate to follow the direct order from my cat. In fact, if I took her advice more often, I wouldn’t be in half the pickles I’m in today. “Speaking of meals, that’s why I’m here.” I pin a smile to my lips as I look up at the hot stud muffin before me. “I thought we could picnic in your office. Sort of a getting to know you date. And if you’re good, I might even let you fill me in on all the secret details surrounding the Buckingham case.”
Camila grunts as she swallows down a bite, “That case is crazy, isn’t it? I mean, that whole Bobbie Buckingham thing was sort of dramatic, don’t you think?”
“She was shot,” I say. “I guess you can’t get more dramatic than that.”
Camila averts her eyes. “I mean, yeah, but really? Everyone knew something was coming. I’ve heard rumors Chip was cheating on her for months.”
“Really?” I say as I free Sugar and Fish from the carrier and set them on her desk. As much as I love to have them close, they’re essentially little heaters—more like lava fields. I need to take a break once in a while to keep from passing out from all the nuclear thermal fission taking place.
“Yes, really,” Camila says. “I’m a huge fan of the Perfect Pairing podcast. Their focus is relationships. For the last two years, all Bobbie talked about was her relationship with Chip. That was her shtick. She played the happily married woman, while Lacey’s role was the friend always looking for her next date. It’s a formula that worked because it covered their audience nicely. But for the last few months, Bobbie had gone radio silent when it came to Chip.”
Jasper and I exchange a glance.
“Silent?” he asks. “As in she didn’t bring him up? Did she hint at any trouble on the marital front?”
“Nope.” Camila pulls another slice of pizza from the box. She must have really meant what she said about needing a free lunch. I’m only mildly amused. “But that’s when you know a marriage is in trouble. I see it all the time with people on social media. If they break their my-husband-is-so-great bragging session for a spate of time, it’s usually followed by a divorce announcement. People just don’t stay married the way they used to.” She manufactures a smile as she looks from Jasper to me.
“We’re staying married.” Jasper dots a kiss to my lips.
I look her way. “Anything else we should know about the Buckinghams? What do you know about Diane Regal? She’s Bobbie and Lacey’s manager.”
She makes a face. “Did they really need a manager? They run those podcasts from Bobbie’s home office. Not that it’s actually in her home. Bobbie lives on a couple of acres out in Rose Glen. She does a live video blog a couple of times a week where she walks around her house. Sometimes, she lets us see her wraparound porch or the she-shed in her backyard where she says the magic happens. That’s where her home office is actually located. Last year, she hosted a ticketed event in her backyard for fans of the Perfect Pairing and close to a thousand people showed up.”
“Did you go?” I can’t help but ask. Camila seems to be in the know when it comes to the dealings at Buckingham Palace.
Her eyes ride up and down my body. “You bet your nosy britches I went. I’ve been following Bobbie and Lacey for so long, they feel like friends.” Camila gets a dreamy look in her eye as she sighs at the thought. “It was magical. They had twinkle lights strewn up everywhere. A light buffet and mixed drinks. Bobbie and Lacey talked for hours about this and that. It was the best night out I’ve had in years.”
Sadly, I believe her.
“What about Chip?” Jasper nods her way. “Was he around that night?”
“Oh yeah.” Camila helps herself to another cookie, and Fish swipes a paw in her direction. “That’s when he was still in on the action. Of course, he was always a sideline kind of a guy. I guess that had to be emasculating. He was basically unemployed. His wife was earning a good chunk of change. He was the butt of a few harmless jokes, but then, he is a man. I’m guessing his ego was pricked so, of course, he had to go out and find another honeypot to dip his—”
“We get it,” I say, picking up Sugar just as the tiny cat was about to snag a cookie. “Jasper, was Chip really unemployed?”
“He was on the board at a nonprofit down in Rose Glen called the Village Kitchen. They primarily help feed the hungry. I talked to a few of the regulars who are hands-on with the organization, and they all said he was more or less eye candy for the website. The guy sat in his office and pretty much twiddled his thumbs. I think Camila is right, the guy was emasculated. I looked into all his social media. He wasn’t shy around the camera, lots of tats, showy clothes, always trying to make himself look tough. He had an ego. There’s no disputing it. And according to those pictures we saw, he was looking for attention elsewhere.”
“But Bobbie is beautiful.” I shake my head with disgust. “Why couldn’t she have been enough for him? I listened to a bunch of her podcasts this morning. She’s smart, witty, warm. What more could he have wanted?”
“Oh, dizzy Bizzy.” Camila doesn’t hesitate with the insult, and both Fish and Sherlock make a play for her, with both a yowl and a bark. “Shoo!” Camila waves her hands and Sherlock is quick to wrap himself around Jasper’s legs, but Fish doesn’t retreat. She simply doubles down with her icy cold stare. “What I was going say is, it takes
