Free Ax to Grind by Amelia Morgan Page A

never failed to hit the spot.  Connor was given the menu far more attention.  He was actually staring at it like it was going to show him the meaning of life.  It didn’t take the mind of a crack sleuth to know Connor had more on his mind than choosing between a casserole and a double cheeseburger. 
    He was staring at that menu so intensely that he wouldn’t even notice if Meg jumped in his squad car and took it out for a joyride.  Not that she’d ever do something like that.  She was a law-abiding citizen.  It was just crazy to think Connor was so oblivious to his surroundings because he was focused on a diner menu. 
    She tried to lighten the mood with a joke.  “I’ve seen chess players make quicker decisions than you.  Just pick something.  You can’t get a bad meal at Al’s.”
    That was enough to pull him out of his daze.  He looked up from the menu but didn’t laugh. 
    “Sorry.  I just have a lot on my mind,” Connor replied. 
    She nodded.  “Yeah, this case is a doozy.  Would it kill these suspects to not look guilty?”
    “I actually wasn’t thinking about the case.”
    “All right.  You’ve stumped me.  What’s going on in that noggin of yours?”
    “I was just thinking about how nothing ever stays the same.  I mean, no matter what you do, you can’t stop the world from changing.”
    Meg couldn’t help but laugh. 
    Connor furrowed his brow.  “What’s so funny?”
    “Well, normally, that’s true.  Except, you happen to be sitting in one of the few places that never changes,” she explained. 
    “That’s where you’re wrong.”
    Meg was taken off guard.  “What are you talking about?”
    He pointed to the menu.  “I guess you didn’t see the new vegetarian section.”
    “I never look at the menu.  I just order the pot pie and start salivating.”  She did a double take.  “Wait a minute, did you just say vegetarian?”
    He nodded.  “That’s not all.  There are vegan and gluten-free options, too.”
    Her eyes opened wide.  “This is still Al’s, isn’t it?”
    “That’s what I was wondering.  But even Al Gordon, a man who has kept his place unchanged for over fifty years, couldn’t resist change.”
    She shook her head.  “That’s crazy.” 
    He corrected her.  “No, that’s just life.  Everything changes.”
    Meg couldn’t help but see how discouraged Connor looked.
    “Connor, why don’t you come clean?  I know this is about more than new vegan options on a diner menu.”
    Connor took a deep breath, then laid his feelings out on the counter. 
    “When I left the city, I could have gone anywhere.  I came back to Enchanted Bay because it had always been quiet, quaint, and safe.  It was the perfect place to live a simple life.  Now look, there have already been two murders since I returned.”
    “Don’t worry.  We’re going to crack this sucker.”
    “I don’t doubt that.  I was more bemoaning the fact that there is a case to crack.  This town is changing in some disturbing ways.”
    “Vegan options included,” she joked. 
    He laughed. 
    “Sorry.  I couldn’t resist,” Meg said.
    He fired back.  “I thought a vegan meal was something you had no trouble resisting.”
    “So true.  Look, you know the saying, the only constant in life is change.”
    “Don’t forget taxes.  Those are a constant pain in my behind.”
    Meg didn’t like the government taking so much of her money either, but she knew Connor’s distaste ran deeper.  His last girlfriend left him for a tax auditor.  He’d certainly never look at tax season the same again.
    “You probably could have come up with a better example of something that never changes,” she pointed out. 
    “You, for example,” Connor said. 
    “Me?”
    He nodded. “You’re the same as ever.”
    Meg approached her next question with caution.  “Is that a good thing or a bad thing?”
    Connor smiled.  “Very good.”
    She gazed back at him. 
    He continued.  “You