Cat Nap полностью

She deposited her food on the passenger’s seat and got behind the wheel. On the other hand, finding out that Martin Rigsdale apparently had at least two lady friends—and might have been two-timing them—that’s priceless. It means there are at least two other people besides Jane who might have a motive to do him harm. Plus, like that waitress said, when a guy fools around with a lot of women, there might be an angry husband waiting in the underbrush with a baseball bat.

She arrived at the office to find no more phone calls on the answering machine.

Dodged a bullet there, Sunny thought. It would have been just like Ollie to ring up and check on me while I was AWOL.

After sticking the grilled cheese in the office microwave to try and revive it, Sunny revved up her computer. Okay, a couple of e-mails to deal with, business as usual. She retrieved the sandwich and settled in for a working late lunch.

The grilled cheese was soggy and tasteless. Sunny didn’t think she’d be adding that diner to the recommended list for tourists in the area. The soda had gone flat, too. But she chewed methodically, fueling up for the afternoon.

Just as well that she did. As soon as Sunny tossed the packaging in the trash, the phone suddenly came to life. She spent the rest of the afternoon making arrangements for three separate shopping expeditions to arrive on the coming weekend. Then, as the day drew to a close, she got a call from her dad.

“We’re going to have company for dessert,” he announced.

“Do I have to get out my pearls?” she asked.

“No, just the nice coffee cups,” Mike replied. “Helena said she’d bring some of her coffee cake. The really good news is that she’s leaving that damned puppy at home.”

Sunny hurried home to find Mike had already started the sweet potatoes baking for dinner. She trimmed the excess fat off the pork chops and slipped them into the toaster oven, then got a package of frozen whipped squash out of the freezer and put it in the microwave. Flip the pork chops, give them some more time, slice one to see how done it was . . . okay, almost. She topped the chops with some applesauce and a quick sprinkling of ginger, stirred up the squash, and put it back in for a final zap.

Sunny sighed. Dinner pretty much accomplished, even with a good-sized cat twining his way around my ankles.

She dropped to one knee on the kitchen floor and smiled down at Shadow’s gold-flecked eyes staring up at her. “And how was your day?” she asked, running her fingers down his furry sides.

“I guess we both napped,” Mike said from where he was setting the kitchen table. “After Helena called, I straightened out the living room. Then I dug out the company coffee cups, gave them a wash, and dried them.”

Sunny rose to her feet and smiled. “Mom had you well trained.”

“Do we have anything nice to put in the cups, though?” he asked. “We’re kind of at the bottom of that coffee you picked up on sale.”

“Didn’t Mrs. Martinson give you a bag of fancy coffee for Christmas?” Sunny said. “I think it’s in the back of the fridge.”

She loaded up a couple of plates, and they had a quick supper. By the time Helena Martinson arrived, the aroma of cinnamon-flavored Christmas coffee filled the house.

The older woman gave Mike a kiss on the cheek and handed Sunny a covered dish. “I made a little cake this afternoon.” She smiled at Mike. “It’s fresh, and there won’t be much left over for temptation.”

Mike’s smile wavered as he took Helena’s coat. Caught between an excellent baker and the food police, there wasn’t much he could say.

Shadow came into the foyer and made a wide circle around Mrs. Martinson. Then did the same in the middle of the living room and stalked off to the kitchen again.

Sunny had to hide a smile. Either he smells dog on Mrs. M., or he remembers her mutt from last visit.

“Why don’t you sit down, and then I’ll go get some coffee. What brings you over this evening?” Sunny said, hoping she already knew the answer.