Free Flourless to Stop Him by Nancy J. Parra

sugars and spices. “I doubt there are drugs behind my xanthum gum,” I said.
    “Just doing my job,” he muttered. “I’m here to catch a killer and I won’t let any part of the investigation go wrong.”
    I shoved my hands in the pockets of pink-and-white pajama pants. I had put on a long-sleeved tee shirt and discarded my bra as I’d been feeling bloated and hated anything tight on my body. Right then I wished I had grabbed my bathrobe when I’d come downstairs.
    Emry ignored me and went through the drawers, searching the kitchen thoroughly from top to bottom. I casually snagged my purse and phone and went back to the front parlor, where Tim sat sprawled out in Mom’s blue wingback chair. His hands were in his pockets. His legs were spread wide and his feet shoved out in front of him. His hair still stood on end on the left and his expression was one of disgust.
    Aubrey sat at his feet, his head between his paws, looking for all the world as if we had let the bad guys in and wouldn’t let him do his job.
    “Are you okay?” I asked.
    “Ridgeway said he’d be here soon to look at the warrant and ensure they don’t go any further than the judge said they could.”
    I sat on the blue-and-white-striped settee and put my purse at my feet. “I’ll call Tasha and give her a heads-up.”
    I hit her number on the phone and put her on speaker. I perused the warrant as the phone rang.
    “Hi, Toni.” Tasha’s voice came through the speaker. “I’m at the school in the pickup line. Do you need something?”
    “Hey, Tasha, you’re on speaker. I’m at the house with Tim. Officer Emry showed up with two helpers and a warrant to search the premises.”
    “Oh dear, that’s not good.”
    Aubrey raised his head and cocked it to the side at the sound of Tasha’s voice.
    “Are you a suspect?”
    “No,” I said.
    Aubrey sat up as if he wanted in on the conversation.
    “It’s Tim, isn’t it?” Tasha sounded worried.
    “I haven’t done anything, Tasha,” Tim said loudly.
    “I didn’t think you did,” Tasha agreed.
    “I thought you should know that they may be going through your things.” I glanced out the window to see Brad’s Cadillac pull up behind the police cars. “Brad’s here.”
    “I’ll take Kip to the deli for a snack,” Tasha said. “Seeing the police go through the house will upset him.”
    “I agree. We’ll keep you posted.”
    “Thanks, Toni,” Tasha said. “I’m pulling for you, Tim!”
    “Thanks, Tash, but there’s nothing you have to pull for.” Tim flung his right leg over the arm of the chair. His posture was that of a surly teenager.
    “What is going on?” Mindy walked into the parlor. “I was online when they knocked on the bedroom door, said, ‘Police,’ and entered before I could say anything. It’s a good thing I was dressed.” She wore a comfy-looking pair of black yoga pants and a tee shirt. Of the three of us, Mindy seemed the most pulled together. Her light brown hair curled perfectly around her face.
    “According to this warrant, they have reason to believe there is the possibility of drugs and/or drug paraphernalia in our house.”
    “It’s a dictatorial regime.” Tim sneered.
    Mindy laughed at my brother’s obvious frustration. “The whole thing is ridiculous. They seriously got a judge to issuea warrant to search the homestead for drugs?” She held out her hand and I handed her the warrant.
    “Tim’s under investigation for a homicide,” I said.
    “Even more ridiculous,” Tim grumbled. “I came over here to get some sleep. Can I sue for work missed brought on by sickness from lack of sleep?”
    “Only if you can prove the correlation,” Mindy said as she looked over the warrant. “This warrant is iffy at best.”
    “How do you know?” I stood and held out my hand to get the document back.
    “I’m a paralegal.” She shrugged. “Law is kind of my thing. I work at Shubert and Engle.”
    “Shubert and Engle?”
    “One of the most