Free It's a Wonderful Knife by Christine Wenger

pockets, searching for a flash drive, but no luck. “Antoinette Chloe, did you happen to find a little flash drive in Liz’s purse?”
    â€œNo, but I’ll look again. Why do you ask?”
    â€œLooks like she was working on something called Buff and Bing quite a lot. They might be important.”
    â€œI wonder what it means,” she said. “Buff . . . as in no clothes?”
    â€œI didn’t know Liz very well, but I doubt if she meant
buff
as in no clothes. I don’t have a clue what it stands for. But maybe Bing means Bing Crosby and ‘White Christmas.’”
    She brought over the mugs and set them down. “I’ll go through her purse again.”
    Dumping everything on the table, she turned the lining inside out and felt the cloth, then the leather. “Nothing here.”
    The two of us searched everything. Then I sat back and took a sip of tea. “Maybe it’s in her house. Or it could be in her office at the church.”
    â€œWe’re going to have to look in both places, Trixie.”
    â€œIn case you haven’t noticed, I can’t get around all that great.”
    â€œI’ll help you.”
    â€œAnd I can’t run,” I said. “Not that I ever really could.”
    â€œThen I’ll roll you.”
    I tried not to laugh. My ribs were still hurting, and I hated to open my mouth due to my missing front tooth. Speaking of which . . .
    â€œAntoinette Chloe, I wanted to remind you that I need a ride to the dentist’s office tomorrow. Hopefully he can glue something on temporarily so I don’t look like a Halloween pumpkin.”
    We both heard a shuffling on the porch outside the kitchen.
    â€œIt’s Ty!” ACB said jumping up. “He’s back with Blondie.”
    I pulled the sleeve of her magnolia muumuu to get her to sit back down. “Toss everything back into Liz’s purse. Hurry!”
    While she did that, I put Liz’s laptop back into the case and put it under the table.
    When Ty walked in, all he saw were two friends having a cup of tea.
    After he got done wiping Blondie’s paws with a towel that I keep by the door, he looked up. “You both look guilty. What are you two cooking up?”
    â€œWhy, nothing, Ty,” ACB batted her eyelashes, feigning innocence. Ty didn’t buy it.
    â€œI know guilty looks when I see them. Spill,” he said.
    â€œYou’re mistaking guilt for sadness. We were talking about Liz’s murder.” I wasn’t lying. We
were
doing that in a roundabout way.
    â€œAnd I was reminding Antoinette Chloe that I have to go to the dentist tomorrow. She’s going to take me.”
    He turned to ACB. “I can drive Trixie if you can’t.”
    â€œNo, I’m free. It’ll be my pleasure. Would you like some tea, Ty?”
    â€œNo, thanks. I’d better get home. It’s been a long day,and tomorrow will be even longer,” he said. “I have to find Liz’s next of kin.”
    â€œPastor Fritz should know. Or his wife, Darlene,” ACB said.
    â€œThey don’t seem to. They said that Liz was kind of quiet and never spoke about any family members.”
    â€œMaybe there’s a will in her papers,” ACB suggested.
    â€œIf we can find one. Or if someone steps forward,” Ty said. “Speaking of that, where’s Liz’s purse?”
    â€œHere you go.” ACB lifted it up and handed it to him. It was a little more lumpy and sloppy than when we’d gotten it from the church. He narrowed his eyes but didn’t say anything.
    â€œIs there anything in the purse that might help me with finding Liz’s next of kin?”
    â€œMy goodness, Deputy Ty Brisco. How on this snowy earth would we know?” ACB put a hand on her throat and looked appalled. “Do you think we’d purposely dig through a woman’s purse?”
    â€œIn a New York minute!” he