Charles frowned. “Not necessarily. Especially if it was too dark to make things out clearly.”
“So what now?” I asked, gnawing on one of my few untouched fingernails as nerves overtook me.
“Road trip!” Nan cried from the other room.
Charles nodded. “It’s our last shot at solving this in time to stop your mother’s story.”
Shoot, he was right. Even though just minutes earlier I’d been the one insisting we pay Michelle a visit, I felt much more anxious knowing that she may actually be the killer.
Chapter Fifteen FRIDAY
The next morning, I woke up before Octo-Cat for what was probably one of the first times ever in our strange relationship. The alarm on my phone sounded at four thirty and I had to nudge him awake so that we could both get ready for the long day ahead.
In hindsight, I really wished we had gone to bed earlier the night before, but when Mom joined us at Nan’s, we all wanted to hear her opinion on the progress we’d made so far.
“I have to admit,” she told us, shaking her head. “It really seems like you’re right about Brock not having done it.”
Mom offered to hold the story longer, but I insisted that she wouldn’t have to. We would solve this thing before the six o’clock news was set to air, and we’d give her the exclusive true story, too.
Charles didn’t share my optimism, but he did agree to wake up before dawn so we could make the long drive to Michelle’s college where we’d grill her live and in person so we could finally uncover the important answers we’d been missing all this time.
Predictably, Yo-Yo was excited for our big road trip, even though we hadn’t told him we were going to see his human sister.
I’d offered Octo-Cat the opportunity to stay at home, but he refused to get left out of the action. This worried me, because he had made zero progress in dealing with his car phobia and we had a very long drive ahead of us that day. Because I knew it would be impossible to change his mind, I decided to help him out. With his permission, I slipped some crushed-up medicine into his morning meal. It was just the kitty Benadryl his vet had previously prescribed in case of emergency, but it did cause him to snooze for a large part of our journey—and for that, everyone was very thankful indeed.
He really did look like an angel when he wasn’t insulting me, or clawing me, or questioning my life choices in general. And I suspected he was also starting to enjoy our crime-solving gig, even though for the time being it included a dog.
Nan joined us for the road trip, too. Yes, now that she’d been brought up to speed, she insisted on coming along for the ride. “In case Yo-Yo needs a friend,” she’d said, making me wonder why I was the one who’d gained the ability to talk to animals when it seemed she was the one who understood them so much better.
Despite trying hard not to, I snoozed for part of the trip right along with Octo-Cat. After all, I didn’t have Bethany to make coffee for me, and I’d already thrown out my home coffee maker for fear of sustaining another near-death experience, or worse—gaining weird, new superpowers. Luckily, Nan was more than happy to keep Charles company while Octo-Cat and I caught up on our beauty sleep.
“Rise and shine!” Nan shouted from behind me, forcing me to wake up again. Yes, indeed, the previously absent sun was now shining bright and high in the sky.
“We’re here,” Charles announced, maneuvering his car into the guest parking lot that serviced our suspect’s small liberal arts college.
“So what’s the game plan?” Nan asked eagerly, leaning forward with a hand on the edge of each of our seats.
“Didn’t you figure out the plan on the way over?” I asked in irritation. If I’d have known they were just going to shoot the breeze, I never would have allowed myself to nod off when there was still work to be done.
“Route One is lovely this time of year,” Nan answered in a cheery tone. “We were too busy admiring the scenery to worry about what we’d do when we got here. Besides, you seem to be the designated worrier of the bunch. So, why don’t you make the plan?”
I slapped a palm against my forehead. “I guess that’s what I get for sleeping on the job.”
Octo-Cat woke up and yawned in my face, sending a giant whiff of tuna breath straight up my nostrils. Let me tell you, it worked better than a double shot of espresso to snap me wide awake.
“It’s a small college, so I guess let’s just ask around,” I said with a sigh, hating that this was now our plan. Then I realized we had one very distinct advantage we hadn’t considered yet. “Maybe it’s time to let Yo-Yo in on who we’re here to see. He may even be able to sniff her out for us.”
Before Charles had a chance to either agree or disagree, Octo-Cat relayed the message to the Yorkie, who responded immediately and with great enthusiasm to the idea.
“He’s ready,” Octo-Cat said as he stretched his legs and spine to finish waking up himself. Miraculously, he only hissed at me once while I worked the harness onto him.
Nan had a much harder time readying Yo-Yo, who continuously threw himself against the car door in his eagerness to reunite with Michelle.
Once both animals were safely leashed, we were on our way. As we walked around the seaside campus, it struck me that we were probably one of the strangest groups of five who’d ever wandered these paths. It was still only about seven in the morning, which meant the campus was mostly empty, but that didn’t stop the people we did come across from sending pointed stares our way.
I smiled at each as they passed, but by the time the third or fourth person grimaced our way without so much as a proper “good morning,” I’d had enough.
“So what if I’m walking my cat on a leash?” I called, holding my chin high. They couldn’t possibly judge me any harsher than I already judged myself. “He likes to get some fresh air, too. And why should dogs have all the fun?”
“Yes!” Octo-Cat cheered, skipping a little as he ran beside me. “Now you get it. You finally get it!”
Yo-Yo stopped abruptly and went rigid, making the same pointing gesture he’d taken on when first seeing the sign for Calhoun Realty. This time his gaze was fixed on a three-story stone building that lay across a neat and tidy lawn.
He woofed once, twice, then stopped.
“He says his sister is in that building,” Octo-Cat translated.
“Is that a dorm?” I asked my human companions.
Charles jogged around the front and read the sign. “Yes, it is,” he said when he returned, not even the least bit winded from the tiny burst of exercise.
“He wants to see his sister,” Octo-Cat said as the Yorkie began to whimper and pad his paws on the ground impatiently.
“I’m going in,” Nan said, forging confidently ahead.
“Wait. Why you?” Charles demanded.
“None of us are relatives, but I’d wager whatever security they have in this place is far less likely to question a kindly old lady.” Nan paused for a moment. When neither of us argued with her, she straightened her posture and asked, “The mark’s name is Michelle Hayes, right?”
The mark? What? Had Nan been watching those con man adventure movies again? She was really getting way to in to this.
Now that I was awake enough to notice things a bit better, I realized that she had actually put together an elderly granny costume, complete with a knitted shawl and a high-waisted skirt. The ensemble was so very not her that it could only be intentional. She’d had this plan all along but hadn’t told me because she’d known I’d argue about her forging ahead alone.
Well, she was right about that much.
“I’m coming with you,” I said, handing Octo-Cat’s leash to Charles before trailing after her.
Charles grabbed me by my shoulder, forcing me to stop short. “She’s right. We’ll wait here until you come back or text us.”