They went back into Brooke’s office. Brooke sat down behind her desk and Theodosia took a chair across from her.
“You did a lot of work here,” Brooke said as she paged through the printouts.
“If anything pays off, it’ll be well worth it.”
Brooke went through the stack of papers, studying everything. Then she went through it a second time. When she’d finally turned the last paper over, she said, “The only ones I really recognize are Sabrina and Luke Andros, Lionel Rinicker, and Professor Shepley.” She gazed at Theodosia. “But Rinicker, only because I’ve seen him hanging around at the Heritage Society, never at my shop. And, of course, Shepley, because he crashed the party.” She tapped a grainy photo of Rinicker. “He looks . . . interesting, though. Do you think he could he have been part of the robbery gang?”
“Maybe,” Theodosia said. “If anybody could get away with it, I have a feeling he could.” She remembered how Rinicker had chortled about the FBI dropping in on him. Who did that? Who was that brazen and calm?
“So how are we going to resolve this?” Brooke asked.
Theodosia gave a faint smile. “Eeny, meeny, miny, moe?”
“Seriously.”
“I don’t know yet,” Theodosia said. “There are a lot of suspects, but only circumstantial evidence. I guess I have my work cut out for me.” She also had a nervous inkling that things might just shake out at the Heritage Society tomorrow night.
? ? ?
Back at the Indigo Tea Shop, Theodosia decided it was time to stop dancing around Haley. In fact, she decided that she had to be open and honest and lay everything out for her.
“Haley,” Theodosia said, ducking into the kitchen. “Can we talk?”
Haley had just removed a pan of popovers from the oven. They were golden brown and super puffy, looking almost like miniature chef’s hats. “Sure. About today’s menu?”
“Actually, it’s a little more serious than that.”
Haley set her pan down. “Uh-oh.”
“You know Brooke asked me for help.”
Haley nodded. “Sure. I was there, remember? I seconded the vote.”
“Yes, of course. And you know Drayton and I have been whispering about a few suspects . . .”
Haley picked up a jar of strawberry jam and wiped the top of it with the edge of her apron. “That’s all you two have been doing. Pretty much all week long.”
“And one of our suspects . . . mind you, he’s kind of on the periphery.”
Haley leaned in closer to her. “Yes?”
Theodosia took a gulp.
“Just spit it out, Theodosia.”
“Okay, I will. One of our fringe suspects happens to be your new friend Billy Grainger.”
“I knew it!” Haley slapped a hand down hard on the butcher-block table, jarring a bowl of frosting and sending a spoon clattering to the floor. “I just knew you were still suspicious of him. Even though you kind of told me you were going to drop the whole thing. It’s because Billy rides a motorcycle, isn’t it?”
“That and a couple of other things,” Theodosia said.
“But you’re wrong about him,” Haley said. “You’re so far off base it’s ridiculous.” She wasn’t so much angry as she was insistent.
“I’m actually glad to hear you say that.”
“In fact, you are so wrong that I’m not even going to worry about this,” Haley said. She smiled, but Theodosia thought that she saw hurt behind Haley’s smile.
“Then I won’t say any more,” Theodosia said. “We’ll just let this whole thing play out.”
“I think that might be best.”
“No hard feelings?” Theodosia asked.
Haley shook her head. “No. Well, one question. Did you tell Detective Tidwell that you considered Billy a suspect?”
“No, I did not.”
“Really?”
“You have my word on that, Haley.”
“Okay, then,” Haley said. “That’s one small load off my mind. I’d hate to think that Tidwell was dogging Billy’s every footstep.”
“So we’re good on this?” Theodosia asked.
Haley held up a finger. “As long as we never mention this again.”
“If that’s the way you want it.”
Haley nodded vigorously. “It is. Pinky swear you’re not going to bring it up again?” She held up her little finger.
Theodosia hooked fingers with her. “Pinky swear.”
“Okay,” Haley said. “Now. Do you want to know what’s on the menu for lunch?”
Theodosia breathed a sigh of relief. Haley wasn’t mad. In fact, she just wanted the subject dropped. “Yes, Haley,” she said, “I’m dying to know.”
23
“We’ll be serving a mixed green salad, pepper jack quiche, and crab salad on a croissant,” Theodosia told Drayton and Miss Dimple. “Plus cinnamon apple scones and chocolate cake for dessert.”
“Perfect,” Drayton purred. “I’m delighted to see that Haley’s come up with a slightly more manageable luncheon menu since we have to turn things around fast for our Full Monty Tea later on.”
“What time is that supposed to start?” Miss Dimple asked.
“Two o’clock,” Theodosia said.