I shrugged as if none of it mattered to me.“That’s my offer. Take it or go hungry. Frankly, I don’t care what you do.”
“Are you going to change?” Charles prompted, staring pointedly at my messy lap once more.
I sighed, knowing I didn’t have any good options waiting for me in that suitcase. But he was right. Even if not for the incriminating berry stains, the outfit was decidedly filthy, thanks to our brief adventure in the woods.
Back in my room, I found a floor-length dress made of black crushed velvet. It had no back, which meant I couldn’t wear a bra with it, but seeing as it was far less ostentatious than the other option—something that looked like a cast-off from the old film adaptation of Gone with the Wind—I pulled the garment over my head without giving it a second thought.
Of course, floor-length on Nan equated to mid-calf on me, but if anything, that just made it easier to move around in.
“You look amazing,” Charles said, taking me in his arms when I exited the bedroom. He sang an old love song we both liked, and together we swayed between the kitchenette and the dining area.
“Ugh, get a room!” Octo-Cat cried when Charles bent down to kiss me.
“Get a life!” I shot back.
“I already have one. And she’s currently right in my arms,” Charles said, flashing me a debonair smile.
I giggled and rolled my eyes. But that was Charles for you. He made everything better, even an open murder investigation.
“Be right back,” he said, letting go of me.
“Where are you going?” I pouted. I loved our impromptu dances and didn’t want this one to end.
“If you’re wearing this, then I’ve gotta change. I can’t be camping while you’re over here glamping it up,” he said, then closed the door behind him.
Chapter Sixteen
“This is the best I could do on such short notice,” Charles said when he emerged from the bedroom, spinning to show off his form-fitting black polo shirt and smooth khaki short combo.
“Not exactly black tie, but I suppose black shirt will do.” I giggled as he pulled me in for a hug. “Oh hey, I rummaged through our supplies a bit while you were changing and found a bottle of champagne. That gave me an idea.”
Charles crossed to the mini fridge and grabbed the bottle by its neck, then reached into the cupboard and pulled out a box with two glass drinking flutes inside.“I was saving this for our last night out, but I guess we could have it now,” he said with a shrug.
“No, don’t open it yet!” I cried as he began to work at the foil top.
He paused, his shoulders tensing as he waited for me to reveal my big idea.
“We need to take it to Sharon’s,” I said.
Of course, he didn’t get it. “What? Why?”
I put a hand on his waist and leaned in close.“As a means of entry. I’ll apologize for being weird earlier, thank her for the tuna, and present the champagne.”
He smiled now, coming around.“Yeah, and then what?”
“Well, we’ll have Octo-Cat with us, too, and I’ll ask her if her offer from earlier still stands. The one that involved coffee and gossip. She won’t be able to resist. Once we’re inside, you distract her while Octo-Cat and I talk to Chessy.”
His brows pinched.“Chessy?”
“Her cat. If she really comes here as often as she says, then I bet Chessy has picked up on some gossip as well. He can also tell us if he noticed anything funny with Sharon earlier today.”
“Like putting poison in a pie?” he suggested with a mischievous smile.
“Exactly.” It might not be that easy, but given Sharon’s penchant for gossip, it might not be that much harder, either.
“My girlfriend is so smart,” Charles said, giving me a quick peck. “Do you think it matters that we only have two glasses?”
I pulled away from him.“I’ll abstain. I need my wits about me anyway.”
“There’s one problem with your plan,” Octo-Cat said from where he lay splayed across the sofa. “I’m not going.”
I sat down beside him and attempted to stroke his fur, but he batted my hand away.“Please? You’re kind of our ticket inside.”
“I don’t want to go, and you can’t make me,” he pouted, his expression sour.
But I knew how to get kitty to come out and play.“I still have that can of tuna, you know.”
He turned his face away from me and mumbled,“If you’re trying to bribe me, it won’t work.”
“Charles?” I said, holding my hand out.
Catching on immediately this time, he retrieve the can from the glove box and placed it on my hand, then went to the kitchenette and retrieved a crank-style can opener. He handed that to me, too.
As soon as the seal popped on the can, Octo-Cat’s tongue poked out of his mouth and his eyes grew wide. No cat could resist the sound—or the smell—of a freshly opened can, and that’s exactly what I was counting on now.
“Just a small taste now, but you can go nuts once we’re back,” I said, waving the can around to entice him. “I promise we’ll be as quick as possible.”
“I’m not sharing with the raccoon,” the tabby responded, unable to look away.
I glanced around the camper. Usually, the promise of food would send Pringle into a tailspin as well, but he was nowhere to be seen. Had probably snuck out to do some snooping again. The scamp.
“It’s all yours, promise.” I plucked the lid from the top of the can and grabbed a chunk of fish from inside. “In fact, here’s your down payment.”
Octo-Cat gobbled down the flaky morsel in a single breath.“Very well,” he said after licking off his chops and tending to some light grooming ministrations.
“Can you put this somewhere Pringle can’t get into it?” I asked Charles and went to wash my hands.
And then we were off.
Refusing to be carried in my arms, Octo-Cat trotted at my side.
Charles walked on my other side, hanging onto the wine and both glasses. I was also counting on the fact that Sharon wouldn’t be able to resist him, given her flirtatious overtures earlier.
Sure enough, all the various pieces of my plan came together. It took almost no convincing at all for Sharon to welcome us into her home on wheels.
Inside, her best feline friend Chester lay curled up on the sofa, napping peacefully.
Octo-Cat took one look at him and turned his nose up.“Ugh, what a house pet.”
Since we were in mixed company, I couldn’t exactly point out that he was a house pet, too. Instead I kept quiet as Charles deftly maneuvered the conversation, seeking out a way to buy me some alone time with the cats.
After about five minutes of fawning over her luxury camper, Charles said,“I bet this baby has a massive cargo hold.”
Sharon was quick to take the bait.“Oh, yes. It really does! C’mon. Let me show you.”
My boyfriend turned to me with raised eyebrows.
I laughed and waved both him and Sharon off.“Go, go. You know that stuff isn’t very interesting to me, anyway. Nope. Octo-Cat and I will just hang out in here and get to know Chester a bit better.”
As soon as the door shut behind them, I nudged the white cat awake.“Chester, Chester. Sorry to bother you, but we need to talk.”
His blue eyes blinked open slowly.“I must still be dreaming,” he muttered to himself. “Otherwise I could have sworn there’s a human here talking to me. Strange.” He chuckled and then curled back up into a sleeping position.
“You better believe this is real and not a dream,” Octo-Cat shouted, jumping up and getting right in the other cat’s face. “This is my human, Angela, and she’s special. Shecan talk to us.”
Chester lifted his head slightly but appeared unimpressed.
Seeing as I didn’t know how long Charles would be able to keep Sharon occupied outside, I cut right to the chase. “Chester, there’s been a murder, and I was wondering if you know anything about it.”
“No, I don’t watch those channels,” he said, craning his neck to look past me and stare at the TV on the far wall, which was still tuned in to the nature channel. “Sharon says they’re a bad influence.”