Free Daisies for Innocence by Bailey Cattrell Page A

“Dropped it?”
    I nodded. “Just one pan.”
    “That Karl. He is a clumsy one.”
    “Will Harris fire him?” Astrid asked, placing money on the bar for her drink and waving away Maggie’s offer of change.
    “Nah. At least he hasn’t so far, and it isn’t the first time. I think that man of yours just likes to yell sometimes.”
    “Not mine, Maggie. Not for a long time.”
    “Good for you, honey. Boy, he and Josie sure got into it last night . . .” she trailed off.
    “They fought?” I prompted.
    Maggie whispered. “By the time we closed, they weren’t even speaking to each other.”
    “Come on, Ellie.” Astrid tugged on my arm.
    But I leaned closer to the bartender. “When did she leave?”
    Maggie shrugged. “The usual time. Around midnight.”
    “And what were she and Harris arguing about?” I asked, wondering if it was because she’d told me they were dating.
    The door to the kitchen banged open, and Harris filled the door. Suddenly I didn’t care what their fight had been about. I was ready to leave.
    Astrid pulled at my arm again, and this time I didn’t resist. “Gotta go,” I said. “See you later,Maggie.”

CHAPTER 7

    O N the boardwalk outside, foot traffic was increasing as the dinner hour approached. “I never got my martini,” I said ruefully.
    “I have an idea,” Astrid said. She was grinning.
    “What?” I asked, instantly suspicious.
    “I have a key to Josie’s apartment. Let’s go over there.”
    “Are you insane?” I asked.
    “Listen, from what you’ve told me, the police consider you a serious suspect, Ellie. Harris only made it worse with his lies. I don’t get the feeling he’s going to retract what he said, either. So it might just come down to you finding out what happened to that poor girl yourself.”
    “You
are
insane,” I said. But that didn’t mean she was wrong.
    “There’s a fish,” she said.
    “A . . . what are you talking about?”
    “Josie had a fish,” Astrid said. “I know because she hired me to feed him when she had to be gone for a few days—which is why I have her key. Pretty little betta fish, all by his lonesome in his little acrylic tank, with no one to feed him now. He could starve to death.”
    I made a face. “That’s dirty pool.”
    She raised her eyebrows. “I just have to pop by my place to pick up the key. And we don’t have to look around if you don’t want to. Just grab the fish and run.”
    I opened my mouth to protest again, then stopped. I looked at my watch. “Well, I guess it can’t hurt to take a look. And there is that poor fish.”
    “Now?” Astrid asked with a smile.
    I hesitated for moment before nodding. “Yeah, okay.”
    We hurried back down Corona. I had to double step to keep up with my taller friend.
    “God. I hope her apartment isn’t some love nest for those two,” I said.
    Astrid made a noise of derision. “Please. It was a perfectly nice little apartment when I was there before.” Her eyes cut to me, but she didn’t break stride. “Or is Harris into something weird?”
    I snorted a laugh. “Hardly.”
    “Well, they probably spent all their time in your old house, anyway,” she said.
    We’d reached the corner of Corona and Gilpin, and she turned right. “I’ll grab the key and ride over on my bike.”
    She owned an old Peugeot, but drove it only when she had to haul her animal clients—or other people—around.Otherwise she was always on her bicycle. I, on the other hand, was more of a walker.
    “Okay. See you in a few,” I said.
    She strode away, and I continued toward Scents & Nonsense.
    I eyed the yellow crime-scene tape out on the boardwalk and on my gate, then let myself into the shop and locked the door behind me. As I stepped out the back door, I thought about the ranch-style home Harris and I had lived in. I’d liked it well enough, but it hadn’t been hard to give up as part of the divorce settlement. Pseudo-suburban living hadn’t really been my style, I