Assault and Batter(60)

“It’s not a problem for me,” the mayor said. “I’m usually up around four anyway.”

“Really?” Grace asked him incredulously.

“The older I get, the less sleep I seem to need,” George said.

“Well, it’s going to be a sacrifice for me, but I’ll manage somehow,” Grace said.

“Good. Now all that’s left is contacting our suspects,” I said, just as Momma came out onto the porch.

“Contacting them about what?” she asked.

“It’s not important,” I said, hoping that Momma would let it slide.

To my delight, she did. As she extended a hand to George, she said, “So lovely to have you, Mr. Mayor.”

“Thank you,” George said. “Sorry to be sprung on you at the last second.”

“Nonsense. I should have thought of it myself. If you are all ready, dinner is served.”

After a lovely meal, Momma said, “I hate to dash off, but I promised Phillip a plate tonight.”

“Go. We’d be delighted to do the dishes,” Grace said.

“It’s the least we can do,” I added.

“And I’ll supervise to make sure the job’s done right,” George finished as he winked at my mother. The mayor was certainly in a good mood, no doubt because he was back on our investigative team, albeit briefly.

“I trust that you’ll watch out for my girls,” Momma said to him in a serious manner.

“I’ll guard them with my life,” he said in all earnestness.

“I know you will,” she said as she patted his cheek. “I’m sure you know that if anything were to happen to them, there is no describing the level of my wrath.”

“I’m well aware of it,” George said.

Momma smiled brightly. “Then I’m off.”

After she was gone, I told George, “She knows what we’re up to.”

“She called me one of her girls,” Grace said proudly.

“Of course you are,” George said. “And Suzanne, your mother is a brilliant woman. I’m sure it wasn’t that tough figuring out what we were up to.”

“Then let’s get these dishes done and get started,” I said. “We have a busy night ahead of us.”

As we washed and dried the dishes, we finalized our plans.

“Okay, here’s the finished plan,” I said. “Tell me if either one of you spot any flaws in it. Grace, you and I are going to visit each suspect—in one case, two in one house—and we’re going to apologize for the trouble we’ve caused in our investigation. Then we’re going to drop the bomb that there is an eyewitness who won’t talk to the police without us. We don’t even know who it is yet; they left me a note at the donut shop. They will be meeting us at the diner at five, and the police are coming at six. We don’t know the details yet, but we’re in it up to our eyebrows.”

“What am I supposed to do while all of this is going on?” George asked.

“You’re going to be tailing us to make sure none of our suspects decide to jump the gun. Are you armed right now?”

“I don’t usually carry a weapon to dinner,” George said.

“Then we’ll wait until you can go home and get one,” I said. Honestly, I felt better knowing that George would be watching us from the shadows. He’d been a good cop before he’d retired, and I knew that he was a man we could count on. “What do you think? Have I missed anything?”

“It’s a simple plan, but it should be effective,” George said.

“It sounds good to me, except for the part about us being the cheese in the trap,” Grace said.

I took her soapy hands in mine. “Grace, this will work just as well if I’m the only bait we use.”

“No, thanks. I’m going to be right there with you, Suzanne. If anything happens to you, it’s going to happen to me, too.”

George said, “Ladies, while you’re under my protection, nothing is going to happen to either one of you. I promise you.”

“Don’t make promises you can’t keep,” Grace said.

“You don’t doubt me, do you?” George asked with a hint of hurt in his voice.

She put a hand on his shoulder. “George, I trust you with my life.”

“Good. Then let’s finish these dishes so that we can get started,” he said.





Chapter 21


Before I rang the doorbell at Lisa and Frank’s house, I looked around behind me. There was no sign of our escort. “George, are you there?” I whispered.

“I’m here,” he said so softly that I almost missed him.

“Shh. Someone’s already coming to the door,” Grace said as she tugged on my arm.