Cat Trick

“Passion,” she said. “It’s the difference between a plain brownie and one with nuts and chocolate frosting. I want the nuts and the chocolate frosting.”

“You are nuts,” I said. “Marcus and I don’t have passion.”

Laughing, Roma shook her head. “Wisteria Hill? This morning? Something was going on between the two of you, although it didn’t look like something that was going to end with Marcus flipping you over his shoulder and swinging through the trees.”

“That wasn’t passion. That’s this case—Mike Glazer’s death. I just kind of stumbled into it.” Hercules lifted his head and meowed softly. “And it really wasn’t me. It was Hercules.”

The cat went back to washing his paws now that he’d been acknowledged. Owen, on the other hand, immediately moved into Roma’s line of sight, lifting a paw almost as though he were saying “I did something too.”

“And Owen, too,” I added.

Roma’s head was bent over her plate. She didn’t even look up. “I know I’m going to be sorry I asked this,” she said, “but what do you mean ‘and Owen too’?”

Before I could answer, the cat did. He stalked over to Roma’s chair, looked up and meowed at her. Then he sat down and looked expectantly across the table at me. Clearly it was my job to fill in the details.

I gestured at the little gray tabby. “Owen found something that could have been a clue, but it turned out not to be.”

“I’m not even going to ask how that happened,” Roma said.

Mags smiled at Owen and gave him a thumbs-up. Then she straightened up in her chair. “I don’t suppose these two could figure out what happened.” She shook her head and sighed. “I’m sorry. That isn’t very nice of me. Mike’s dead and I’m thinking about the tour pitch.”

“Is it really that big a deal?” Roma asked.

“It could be,” Maggie said. “At least that’s what Liam believes. You know how quiet it is around here in the fall. Anything that could bring in tourists has to be good. He and Mary and Ruby, a couple of people from the hotel, Thorsten—they’ve put so much time and energy into this pitch.”

“I think you do like Liam,” I said teasingly.

She rolled her eyes. “Not in the way you mean. It’s just for fun between us. Liam likes to rescue damsels in distress and I’m not really the damsel type.” I saw her hand move and knew she’d just managed to slip Owen something from her plate. “For instance, last Thursday I’m meeting him for lunch at Fern’s, and as I’m coming from the parking lot, I see him with Wren Magnusson of all people, heads together, talking about something.” She gave her own head a little shake. “Turns out she’d had a flat the night before and Liam had stopped to help. Then, of course, Liam being Liam, when he saw her the next day, he had to make sure she’d gotten a new tire. He’s always doing things like that.”

“He sounds like a nice guy,” I said.

Maggie wiped a dab of sauce off the side of her mouth with her napkin. “He’s got a big heart,” she said. “I wouldn’t want him to be any different.” She gestured at Roma with the napkin. “It’s just that when Roma walks into a room, she’s the only person Eddie sees.”

Roma grinned and her cheeks got pink.

“And you and Marcus, I swear, the two of you could be standing in the middle of a hurricane and all you’d notice is each other.” She shot me a warning look. “Don’t say it’s not true, because the entire town thinks you two should just get on with it and admit you’re nuts about each other.”

“Well, Mary did offer to teach me a few things,” I said.

“What kind of things?” Roma asked, her voice edged with suspicion.

I did a little shimmy in my seat and copied Mary’s tugging-off-the-glove motion.

Roma covered her eyes. “Way more information than I need,” she said.

“Did you say yes?” Maggie asked, a teasing gleam in her eyes.

My cheeks were burning. “No, I didn’t,” I said. “Time to change the subject.”

“Kathleen, have you decided what you’re going to tell Everett?” Roma asked, pushing back her empty plate.

I dipped a potato wedge in the last bit of sauce on my plate. “There’s a lot to think about,” I hedged. “I like Mayville Heights, and I can’t imagine not sitting here with the two of you, or going to tai chi, or being at Eric’s for lunch.”

“So stay,” Maggie said quietly.

“I miss my family,” I said. “I didn’t realize how much until I went back to Boston to see them. They drive me crazy, but I do love them. And my life was in Boston for a long time. I have connections and people I care about there, too.”