Read The Chocolate Cat Caper Online
Authors: Joanna Carl
Tags: #Fiction, #Mystery & Detective, #General, #Women Sleuths
The Chocolate Cat Caper (27 page)
“The Visa card!”
Joe laughed. “Yeah, you did it with the check on her Visa card. I saw Clem when she heard that her Visa was maxed out. She was furious. Marion panicked, and she and Duncan poisoned the chocolates. Chief Jones may be right—Marion may not have realized the stuff they injected was deadly. What the cops haven’t figured out is where they got the cyanide.”
“I’ve wondered if Duncan didn’t provide it. In fact, I’ve wondered if he hadn’t meant the poison for Marion.”
“That would make sense,” Joe said. “Marion wasn’t really Duncan’s type. Which might be why she insisted on holding the passports and getaway cash. She was smart enough not to trust him, even though she bought a slinky black nightgown for him.”
“Or he bought it for her.”
“The cops traced it. It was one of those Dallas purchases. My theory, by the way, is that Marion left it in Duncan’s room, and he sneaked it into the office closet. Marion would have put it in Clem’s dressing room.”
“Or just left it in her own room. But how could the two of them think they were going to get away with this?”
“I don’t think they intended to get away with it. They just wanted to buy time—keep out of jail until Monday morning, when they could get the passports out of the bank box and split.”
I stared at the lake. “It’s a sad story.”
“True, but I hope it’s going to get happier.”
Joe stretched his arm along the back of the boat’s seat, and his hand found the back of my neck. I looked at him. “Joe . . .”
“Yeah?”
I didn’t know what to say, so I didn’t say anything. So Joe leaned over, and I could see that he was going to kiss me.
And I really wanted him to. He was leaning closer, and the thought of our bodies stretched out together was absolutely wonderful, and . . . I gathered all my strength and remembered what a rat Rich Gottrocks turned out to be. “Joe,” I said.
Before I could say anything more, Joe sat back and leaned against his side of the boat. “I didn’t really ask you down here to make a pass at you.”
“I
think
I’m glad to hear that. Just what did you have in mind?”
think
I’m glad to hear that. Just what did you have in mind?”
“First I wanted to apologize for acting like such a jerk the first couple of times we met.”
“You already did that.”
“Yeah. But I finally figured out why I did it. See, when Clem and I split up, I was really mad at the world. So I just went out to the boat shop—and sulked. I hadn’t looked at another woman. I hadn’t wanted to.”
He leaned over and took my hand. “Then I saw you, standing up to that stupid Hugh, and you were beautiful and spunky, and I knew I liked you right away. But that didn’t fit my picture of myself as a woman-hater. So I tried to act as if I didn’t like you.”
“You were quite convincing.”
“Well, it only took me a couple of days to get over it!”
We both laughed. Then Joe went on. “I guess I wanted to say that I’d like to go out with you, but—well, the next couple of months are going to be a mess.”
“I can see that you’re going to be really busy, both with your own business and with tying up Ms. Ripley’s estate.”
“It’s not just the time factor. It’s—well, I thought I’d gotten out from Clem’s shadow, and now here I am back under it.” He banged his fist against the boat’s side. “I like you, Lee. I like you a lot. But if Clem’s hanging over us, I might not be very good company.”
I considered that for a few moments before I replied. I could see his point.
“I think I understand, Joe. You feel as if you have to get uninvolved with the first woman in your life before you can think about getting involved with a second one.”
“Yeah. Only . . .” He banged the side of the boat again. “Only if I sit on my duff, some other guy is going to come along and beat my time!”
I laughed. “Thanks for the compliment! But so far you have nothing to worry about.”
Joe looked at me then, and he smiled. “Well, I did bring you something. Something that might convince you I’m serious, even if I’m not able to move too fast.”
He turned and reached over behind us and brought out a plastic Superette sack. I caught a whiff of mothballs as he shoved the sack into my lap. Something heavy and bulky was stuffed inside.
“What is it?” I opened the sack, and the mothball smell grew. Inside was a heavy wool jacket. It was dark in color and had light leather trim on the shoulders. I held it up, and I saw the letters WPHS across the back. It was a Warner Pier High School letter jacket.
I laughed for five minutes before I could say a word. “Joe! I’m thrilled!”
Joe was laughing, too. “I went over to my mother’s house and dug it out of the attic. You’re the first girl ever to get my letter jacket.”
We both leaned into the middle of the boat, and our lips met. It was a lingering kiss, full of promise, but a little fearful.
When we finally moved apart, I was the first one to speak. “I think you’ve got the right idea, Joe. We both need to move into this a little at a time. And for now, I guess I’d better get on home.”
“I’ll walk you up.”
“Sure.”
Joe jumped out of the boat, then turned around and held his hand out toward me. He laughed again when he saw that while he was stepping onto the beach I had put the jacket on.
He lifted me out of the boat, and we kissed again, standing there at the edge of the water. Then we turned and walked across the beach, holding hands in the moonlight.
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