“What’s she angry about?” he continued.
She looked at him sharply. He must have picked up an undercurrent when he met Willow in the shop. “Maybe I’ll explain one day. Let’s get out here.”
They left the cab and hurried the last few yards. Rather than leap with joy at the sight of Marley, Winnie turned her back, thumping Willow’s shin with one end of the massive plastic bone in the process.
“Winnie,” Marley said, running to greet the spoiled little beast. “Don’t you love being with Auntie Willow anymore?”
Marley scratched her dog’s head. Immediately, Winnie all but threw herself into Willow’s arms, snuffling and managing to sound as if she was sobbing. She didn’t let go of her bone.
“Hey, sis,” Willow said, grinning. “This dog is what you made her.”
“She’s what you’ve helped her become,” Marley said, giving Willow a poke in her ribs. “We’ve ruined her perfectly. Thanks for bringing her to me.”
Willow stood and looked up at Gray. Marley was short, but Willow was shorter, and Gray’s face was a very long way up for her. She studied him speculatively, took a step or two back and gave him a slow once-over. “Mmm,” was all she said.
“Are you going right back to the shop?” Marley said, taking hold of Winnie’s leash. She was anxious for Willow to leave.
“One of my people called in sick,” Willow said. “I’ve had to take her jobs all day. I’ve still got an apartment to do on Clay. We only work in the Quarter,” she informed Gray.
“What do you do?”
“I own a maid service,” Willow said. “Mean ’n Green. D’you live in the Quarter?”
Marley wanted to shake her sister. Willow never missed an opportunity to look for business.
“Marigny. My dad would really like you and we’ve been looking for someone. We’d send a cab for you.”
Marley ground her back teeth.
Willow crossed one green-and-white hightop sneaker over the other and deep thought furrowed her brow.
“Of course, you don’t go out of the Quarter,” Gray said, “I understand.”
“You’re so busy,” Marley said, imagining Gus sparring with Willow—and some of the things Willow might decide to share. “You wouldn’t be able to do the job yourself.”
“I wouldn’t trust anyone else to do it,” Willow said, and her eyes twinkled. “Yes, I’ll fit you in somehow, Gray. We provide our own supplies and transportation. We can also run errands, do the grocery shopping, and we do clean windows. We do minor repairs, too. Gardening. Organizing. Mean ’n Green will consider any task.” She whipped a fold-over card from the pocket of her shirt and gave it to him. “Talk to you soon. Bye.”
She swung away and swung back. Her expression blanked. For seconds she stared at Gray and Marley saw her swallow. “Bye,” she said, more quietly, and rested a hand on his arm. “I’m glad we’ve met.”
“I like her,” Gray said while they watched Willow dodge between pedestrians on the sidewalk.
“Me, too.”
“You didn’t get a call about Nat wanting to see you,” Gray said. “How did you know?”
She didn’t meet his eyes. “I thought we were finished with the third-degree.” She had also hoped that since he hadn’t mentioned it before, he hadn’t noticed.
“I was waiting to see if you’d tell me the truth.”
Marley started toward the precinct. “I don’t owe you anything. I heard the detective was looking for me. You don’t need to go with me, but if you do you’ll find out I’m telling the truth. Nat’s got something to tell me.”
“Ouch!”
“What?” Marley stopped. “What’s the matter?”
“Your dog slammed her weapon into my ankle.”
She wouldn’t allow herself to laugh. “Winnie is very protective of me. She doesn’t like it when someone gives me a hard time.”
“Hard time? Me?” He widened his eyes. “I couldn’t give you a hard time if I tried.”
She walked past black, wrought-iron gates and up to the precinct house. Once inside she stopped and turned a sweet smile on Gray. “I’d rather go straight down to Nat’s office without passing the front desk barracudas. Can we do that?”
“Sure.” He held her elbow and guided her toward a door.
“No dogs,” a voice boomed at them.
Gray looked over his shoulder. “This one’s evidence,” he said and pushed Marley through the door ahead of him.
No one chased after them.
Downstairs, he knocked on Nat’s door and pushed it open without waiting to be asked. When Nat saw them, his feet slid from the desk and thudded on the floor. “Your uncle said he didn’t know where you were. He tracked you down pretty fast.”
“We’ve got cell phones,” Marley said, knowing how snide she sounded and making sure she didn’t catch Gray’s look. “I don’t know what we did without them.”
“Yeah,” Nat said.
He took a mouthful from a paper cup. “For you?” he said, holding the cup up to Gray.
“No, thanks.”
“You?” Nat said to Marley. “It’s vodka. Good stuff. Bong.” He pulled out a tall, elegant bottle from a drawer in his desk.
She didn’t think cops drank on the job, except in mystery novels. “Not for me, thank you.”
“You don’t know what you’re missing. Had a nice day?”
Marley took a moment to respond. “Great. Thanks.”
“You, Gray?”
“Memorable,” Gray said.
A silent pause followed. Nat took several sips of vodka and hummed. Then he set down his paper cup, but kept on humming.
“You wanted to see me,” Marley said.
“I did—do. Nice dog. There’s something about Boston terriers. Glad you brought her back. C’mere, puppy.”
Winnie considered, but not for long. She trotted to Nat and rolled on her back.
“Slut,” Marley muttered.
Nat scratched the dog’s belly. He made the mistake of trying to take hold of one end of her bone, but let go when she snarled.
“What’s up?” Gray said.
“I had a command appearance with Blades.”
“Yeah?”
“Shirley Cooper died hard.”
Gray cleared his throat and Marley didn’t miss his significant glance in her direction.
“You don’t have to edit material for my tender ears,” she said.
“How’s the case looking?” Gray said. “Anyone interesting on the radar so far?”
“Apart from you, you mean?” Nat said. One side of his mouth flickered up. “We’ve got some interesting clues.”
“Did Blades come up with something you can work with?”
“Loads of it,” Nat said.
“If you want a swab from me, say the word,” Gray said.
Nat nodded. “Marley, you really thought you saw Liza Soaper and Amber Lee after they went missing?”
The room was too hot. She shifted in her seat. “Yes.”
“This kind of thing has happened to you before?”
“Yes.”
“Couple of times with search and rescue?”
“Yes.” Let him work out whatever he wanted.
