Mona groaned with joy, once she was in her soft bed. The window, that should have been locked, was open and there was a wonderful breeze. Best of all, there were no dead guys in the back yard. At least she hoped there weren't. Everything was quiet and she was asleep in minutes
She woke up, before the sun made an appearance, and found the cat curled up in the crook of her legs.
"Sugar? What are you doing here?"
The cat, obviously unhappy at being pushed awake, glared at her, then stretched, gracefully.
"I'm not giving you tuna at five-thirty in the morning, but I do have to start baking, so you can either come downstairs, or stay here and sleep."
The cat stepped onto her pillow and rolled into a ball.
"Fine," said Mona, rubbing the cat's ears.
Once in the kitchen, she was afraid to open the back door. She did not want to see another body laying there. But she did it anyway, and when she finally opened her eyes, the yard looked normal, except for all the yellow crime tape.
She was finished with the cookies and tarts, when Carla walked in.
"I don't suppose you looked out in front."
"No, why?"
"Aside from the dead guy, there's a line of customers waiting to get in. Everyone is excited about what's going on."
"There's a dead guy out in front?"
"Yes. The police are taking the body away right now."
"Maybe that's why Sugar is upstairs sleeping on my bed."
"I'll call Joyce."
Mona nodded. "See if you can get us a discount, since we're repeat customers."
"Will do."
Forty-five minutes later, Joyce came downstairs.
"Sugar saw the whole thing," she said. "She was in the bushes. She said this dead guy is the same guy that brought the second dead guy into the yard. Somebody in a big black car drove up, pulled this dead guy out of the trunk, dropped him by the flowers, then drove away."
"Carla, call Dickie and tell him what Sugar said."
"He's out in front," said Joyce.
"Carla, please go out in front and tell Dickie what Sugar said."
"You have a pretty interesting life," said Joyce, grabbing a cookie.
"Believe me, I do not have an interesting life."
"I disagree. You know that cop is madly in love with you."
"He's not. He's an old friend."
"I don't care how old a friend he is and I think there's a key buried in your yard. I misunderstood what Sugar was trying to tell me yesterday, but she was crystal clear today."
"A key? To what?"
"She didn't say. I doubt the cat knows."
"It was a rhetorical question," said Mona, smiling.
"Ah." She took another cookie. "You and Carla have been friends since first grade?"
"Yes. We pretty much went through school together all the way through Junior Collage."
"What happened then?"
"We went away to different schools for the last two years. Then we came back here."
"The cop loves her too, but as a sister."
"He practically grew up at her house. He was best friends with her brother."
"The cat said she wants to live here. With you."
"What?"
"I know, right? She likes it here a lot better here, than with the stuffy people at her place. Those were her words, not mine. I don't think she's going to leave. I found out where she lives, and I'm thinking you need to talk to her servants and tell them that she's okay and moving in with you."
Mona stared at her.
Carla came in and said she got yelled at for telling Dickie to put the car in the back.
"I told him it wouldn't have mattered where he put the car because whoever is doing this would have just put the body wherever the car wasn't."
"So," said Mona, "we have three dead guys, a perp who looks like he's been through the wringer, a cat who wants to relocate, and the possibility that there's a key buried in the yard. Right?"
Joyce nodded and took cookies.
"A key? What key?" asked Carla.
Mona shrugged. "No idea."
"Okay, but we have to open soon, or there will be more violence out in front," mumbled Carla, with a cookie in her mouth. "The cops are holding the customers at bay, but I don't know for how long."
"Take a tray of cookies out to them, while they're waiting," said Mona. "That will make them happy, at least for a few minutes."
Carla picked up a tray of chocolate chips and left.
"You should take the cat," said Joyce, standing up, ready to leave.
"How much do I owe you?"
Joyce waved her away. "Nothin' it's on the house."
"Thank you."
"Anytime," she said, taking two more cookies. "These are really good."
"You can have some anytime," said Mona, smiling at her. "Just stop in."
For a few minutes she was alone in the kitchen. Then Dickie walked in.
"Do you love me?" she asked.
"Sure, but Carla said something about a key."
"I mean love me, as in LOVE ME. Like move in together, love me?"
"Yes. So?"
"How did she know?"
"Who?"
"Joyce. She told me you loved me."
"I thought you knew that."
"How would I know that?"
"I don't know. Women's intuition?"
"Were you ever going to tell me?"
"Maybe."
"Maybe?"
"Why are we doing this now when three dead guys have been found right here, on your property."
"Because it seems important. How did I not know?"
"You don't pay attention to me."
"I don't?"
"No. You just expect me to be here."
Mona frowned. "I do, don't I. I'm sorry about that. I take you for granted. I think you'll always be here. How could I do that to you?"
"Because I'm always here."
"Why do you love me?"
"Beats me," he said. "I just always have."
"I need another tray of cookies," said Carla, grabbing a tray of ginger snaps. She looked at Mona and Dickie and said, "You can tell me what this is all about later."
"Was the new dead guy shot?" asked Mona.
"Stabbed."
"Has the guy you arrested said anything?"
"No. Not a single word."
"They'll kill someone he loves, if he talks."
"I know."
"Get Charlie and let him smell the guy."
"I already did. The man started crying and Charlie licked his face."
"So, not a bad guy."
"No. Not a bad guy. I better get back to work."
"Me too," she said, getting another tray out of the oven."
The cat walked into the kitchen and sat in front of the fridge.
"Fine. I'll get the tuna."
Sugar was pleased, knowing her new servant would be easy to train.
"You're living here now?"
The cat smiled and the decision was final.
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