“Stay in the bag,” I reminded him.
Mac, Rose and Charlotte ended up riding with me. Liz and Avery said they’d meet us at Sam’s.
“Nonna, could I drive?” I heard Avery ask as they started for the car. “I think I know a faster way.”
When we got there, Sam had a table saved for us. “Have you heard anything yet?” he asked.
I shook my head. “It’s going to be a while.”
He gave me a reassuring smile. “It’ll be all right. I asked around. Josh Evans knows his stuff.”
“Good,” I said, shrugging off my jacket and hanging it over the back of my chair. “Could you do me a favor?” I held out my keys. “Elvis is in the SUV—I got it today, by the way. I’m parked about three spots down on this side of the street. Could you take something out to Elvis?”
“Your cat’s in your new SUV?” he said, tipping his head to one side and narrowing his gaze at me.
I crossed my arms over my chest and nodded. “Yes, I brought my cat. People drive around all the time with dogs. Why does everyone think it’s weird if someone drives around with their cat?”
Okay, so I sounded more than a little defensive.
Sam looked like he was having a hard time not laughing. “I didn’t mean I thought it was strange that you drive all over town with your cat. I’m just wondering if you’re sure he’s actually in the SUV.”
I stared at him, a sinking feeling in my stomach. “That’s where I left him. Why are you asking?” I’d definitely locked the doors and I was holding the keys, so there was no way Avery could have “rescued” Elvis. There was no way she could have coached him to unlock the door. Was there?
Sam opened his mouth and closed it again, swallowing a laugh—with difficulty—before he spoke. “Sarah, why does Rose have your gym bag? And why is it . . . moving?”
Rose and Avery were on the other side of the round table, probably still talking about the little fertility statue. My black gym bag was on the floor next to Rose’s chair and Sam was right: the bag was, well, squirming.
I held up a finger to Sam. “Don’t move,” I said.
I walked around the table. “I know what you two are up to,” I said, glaring at Rose and Avery. Avery looked guilty. Rose, on the other hand, was the picture of innocence.
“We’re just trying to decide whether or not to split a fish platter,” she said.
“I’m talking about that.” I pointed at the nylon bag on the floor. Elvis had stopped moving, probably the moment he’d heard my voice.
Rose glanced down and then her eyes met mine again. “Oh, I guess I brought your bag in,” she said. “No harm. I’ll just keep it here with me.”
“I know that Elvis is in that bag,” I hissed.
Avery looked very uncomfortable. Her eyes kept sliding away from my face and she shifted restlessly from one foot to the other. She was an awful liar, which in a teenager was a good thing.
Rose leaned toward the bag, squinted, and then put a hand to her mouth. “Oh, my goodness, you’re right. He is.”
“This is a restaurant,” I said sternly. “If the health inspector came in and found Elvis here they’d shut Sam down. Do you two want that to happen?” I felt a twinge of guilt about lecturing them, seeing as how Elvis and I had had breakfast in the back booth just a few hours earlier. I reminded myself that the pub had been closed then, not more than three-quarters full of people, all eating.
Rose gave me a sweet smile. “Sarah, dear, that’s not going to happen. Elvis will sit right here next to me. It’s not like he’s going to get up and dance on the table.”
Out of the corner of my eye I saw Avery smirk at the idea. She had the good sense to hide it when I looked at her again.
“Elvis is not going to dance on the table or anywhere else because he’s going to be in Sam’s office,” I said.
Avery groaned. “That’s not fair. Elvis isn’t hurting anything. And . . . and it’s like you’re putting him in jail.”
I pressed my lips together, closed my eyes for a moment and mentally counted to five before I opened them again. “Sam’s office is not jail,” I said. “Elvis can have some supper and stretch out on the futon until we’re ready to leave.” I knew Sam had an old fourteen-inch TV in his office. Elvis could probably watch Jeopardy! if he wanted to, but I didn’t say that.
I bent down and picked up the bag before Rose and Avery got any more ideas. I looked from one to the other. They were both trying to look innocent, but Rose was doing a much better job of it. I frowned at her although we both knew I wasn’t really mad.
“You’re old enough to know better,” I said, sternly, raising my eyebrows at her to make my point. “And you,” I said, pointing at Avery, “are clearly the more mature person, so I’m counting on you to act like it.”
I walked back around the table to Sam. Mac and Charlotte had their heads together over a menu.
There was a mischievous gleam in Sam’s eyes. “Could I check your cat for you?” he asked.
“Very funny,” I said. “Could Elvis stay in your office?”
He laughed. “Sure.”
I handed him the bag.
“I have some pretty decent halibut tonight,” he said. “Okay if I give him a little?”
A meow came from the bag. Luckily it was noisy enough in the pub that no one else heard it.
I leaned sideways. “He’s not talking to you,” I said quietly in the general direction of the bag. “Yes, he can have a bit of fish,” I said to Sam.
“I’ll send a waitress over,” he said, and headed in the direction of his office with Elvis.
Josh didn’t call for almost another hour. Everyone’s head came up when my phone rang. It was noisy in the bar. “Hang on a second,” I said to Josh. “I’m just going to move somewhere where I can hear you better.” I pushed my chair back from the table. “I can’t hear very well,” I said. I pointed. “I’m just going over by the washrooms.”
I walked to the back before anyone had a chance to get up and follow me, and stepped into the small hallway to the men’s and women’s bathrooms. It was a lot quieter there, but I’d also wanted to be away from the table to hear what Josh had to say without so many sets of eyes watching my face.
“Okay, go ahead,” I said, turning my back on the restaurant.
Josh was officially Maddie’s lawyer. He’d advised her not to say anything and she’d followed that advice.
“She’s going to have to spend the night in jail, Sarah,” he said.
I sighed. “I kind of expected that.”
“It’s not a night in a five-star hotel, but it’s not a hole in the ground, either. She’ll be all right and she’ll be arraigned first thing in the morning.”
I repeated Liz’s offer of bail.
“That’s good. I don’t think the judge will set bail too high, given her age and the circumstances.” I could hear him shuffling papers.
“Can we be there in court?” I asked, wrapping my free arm around my midsection.
“Yes, you can,” he said. “In fact, it would be good for the judge to see that Maddie has a support system.”
We made arrangements to meet at the courthouse in the morning. I thanked Josh again and we said good night.
I thought about Mac’s question to me earlier. Was I certain Maddie hadn’t had anything to do with Arthur Fenety’s death?
I remembered the night of my fifteenth birthday. We’d had a party in Gram’s backyard and we were making s’mores in the outdoor brick fireplace when Maddie arrived. She’d hugged me and handed me a beautiful bouquet of flowers from her garden. “I have something else for you out in my car,” she’d said. We’d walked out to the street and she’d taken a guitar case from the backseat. I’d looked at her, wide-eyed. “I can’t,” I’d started to say, knowing my parents would never let me keep a guitar. It was way too expensive a gift.