Free Irregardless of Murder (Miss Prentice Cozy Mysteries) by E. E. Kennedy Page B

but he was laughing.
    We pulled up in front of my house.
    “You and Lily are going to have a busy day tomorrow.” So he had been listening to me, after all. “Go get a good night’s sleep. I’ll use my sources to check out this police thing.”
    “And you’ll let me know what you find?”
    “Maybe. Or maybe I’ll let you read about it in one of my editorials.” He sped off.
    As I trudged up the steps, I realized I was glad to be home. I felt terrible, tired and sore all over. I touched my bandage gingerly. I hadn’t seen a doctor about this yet. Maybe I would sometime tomorrow.
    Later, in bed, as I pulled the covers over my shoulder and settled in for the night, I thought about Hester and Bert. We had been pretty quick to judge them, and they had been nothing but gracious to us. I felt ashamed.
    Still, I had to wonder: what had happened to the capsules that Bert had failed to use on Flippy? And were they as toxic to young women as they were to little dogs?

CHAPTER SIX
    I was just washing up my breakfast dishes when Lily Burns rang the doorbell. I looked at my watch: eight-fifteen on the dot.
    “Oh, no,” I murmured as I went to open the door. I had forgotten all about our trip to the JJ Peasemarsh sale. My plans for the day, as I had mentally outlined them over my morning cereal, were to include a little grocery shopping and a surprise visit to the newspaper office to see if Gil had learned anything.
    “Come on, Amelia, get moving. The ferry won’t wait for us, you know—ohhhhh, look, it’s my tweetheart!” Lily had spotted Sam. Without even breaking stride, she changed her tone from brisk and businesslike to utterly idiotic.
    “Pwesious kitty,” she cooed, “is oo gwad to see me? Is oo?” She scratched behind Sam’s ears and his answering purr needed no amplification to be heard all over the room. “Does oo know what Mama got here?” Lily asked teasingly, reaching into her purse. “Does oo want a widdle turprise?” she squealed, pulling out a tiny gray felt pillow and tossing it across the kitchen.
    Sam, fat as he was, could move rapidly when he had a mind to, and today he did. He was a blue-gray blur, pouncing on the catnip mouse, rubbing his nose on it, wallowing on it, and batting it around the room in a decidedly pointless manner, all the while uttering the most uncivilized noises.
    “For heaven’s sake, Lily,” I complained as we locked Sam in the house, happily alone with the object of his desire. “Was that necessary? He makes such a fool of himself over those things.”
    “He’s having fun, isn’t he? Give the poor ol’ guy a break.” As Lily unlocked the door of her big black car, the passenger door unlocked also. I slid in.
    “I guess Sam does get some exercise that way,” I conceded, “but it seems like we’re robbing him of his dignity.”
    Lily turned on the engine and looked at me meaningfully. “You already did that some time ago.” She pulled out into traffic.
    “That’s none of your business. Besides, the veterinarian recommended it.”
    Lily shrugged and changed the subject. “I noticed that you’re wearing our coat. I thought it was my turn today.”
    I looked down at my olive green trench coat. “That’s ridiculous. So we both have the same coat? Who cares?”
    “I do. We look like a couple of Girl Scouts.”
    “What do you know about Girl Scouts other than cookies?” I asked, smiling.
    Lily gave me a frosty look.
    I laughed. “Look, here’s that scarf you gave me for Christmas,” I said, pulling it from my coat pocket. “I’ll drape it over my shoulder thusly and tuck it in here, et voila , we’re twin Girl Scouts no more.”
    “And what about the shoes?”
    “Shoes?” I looked at my feet. “Oh no.” I had originally dressed to see Gil, not to go shopping. I was wearing my high-heeled Sunday shoes, which were surprisingly similar to Lily’s.
    “So who’re you dressing up for, Amelia, hmm?” she asked. “Gil Dickensen, maybe?”
    “I have