Chapter Twenty-One

In a way, Mira Downs did attack; she tackle-hugged Annie. She felt the woman’s sobs wracking her body even before she heard them.

Ben’s gaze clashed with Annie’s as she patted the woman’s back. He shrugged.

Mira pulled back, swiped at her tears with the long sleeves of her scratchy, wool sweater. “I’m sorry. I’ve been holding that in since we found out.”

Empathy swelled in Annie’s chest. She couldn’t imagine finding out something had happened to her parents. “Don’t apologize. Please. Come in.”

They led the sniffling woman to the kitchen where Annie did what she knew her mother would—put on the tea kettle.

It wasn’t until Mira sat down that she really took notice of Ben. “I’m sorry. I’m completely interrupting.”

Ben shook his head, sat across from her, and set a comforting hand on hers. “Not at all. In fact, if you want some relatively good news, your father’s cat, Shelby, had four healthy kittens. We were just about to go out and check on them.”

Mira laughed. It was watery but real. “He loved that damn cat more than me or my mother. Probably disowned it when she got knocked up. Is that why she’s here?”

Annie’s gaze widened. “I’m new to the area so I don’t actually know what brought Shelby to my parents’ garage.”

“Right. I met your mom once, I think. When I stopped by to see my dad, I usually arrived or left mad, so I wasn’t always in the mood for chitchat.”

Which was something she couldn’t say at the moment because this girl was talking as though she was being fast-forwarded.

“Would you like a cup of tea?” The kettle sounded even as she asked.

Mira nodded, pulling a Kleenex out of her purse. “That would be great. Thank you. You’re Ben, right?”

He nodded. “Yes. I think you were a few years behind me in high school.”

Mira ducked her head. Annie barely heard her response. “Five. My friends and I had such huge crushes on you.”

Annie bit her lip, forcing herself not to look at Ben. She’d be able to tease him later even without checking to see if his face turned redder than his grandmother’s tomatoes.

“Uh. How’s your mom?” Ben asked.

“Heartbroken, angry. I guess that’s what you’re left with when a person you’re always at odds with dies. I thought we’d have time. That we could keep spinning around in the same circles and one day we’d figure it out. Smooth things out. Now we never will. I’m still so angry at him, but now when I feel it, I feel guilty, too.”

Annie brought tea over, then found a little pitcher for milk and grabbed the sugar bowl. She brought them to the table as well, wondering if she should put out some muffins.

“I think anything you’re feeling is acceptable and understandable, Mira,” Ben said in that soft, smooth doctor voice that probably soothed animal parents every day.

“Maybe. But regardless of how I feel or felt about my father, he didn’t deserve to be murdered.” Her curly hair bounced with the energy in her voice. Her fingers curled around a teacup, which she added nothing to before sipping.

“You’re absolutely right.” Annie took a seat beside Ben on the bench.

They sat a moment, each of them sipping their tea. Annie was happy to see Ben added a healthy dose of sugar to his as well. He glanced at her, knowing she’d noticed.

You should be thinking about this poor young woman in front of you and not tea. “Will you be staying at your father’s?”

Mira set her cup down. “Yes. I’ll start packing his things. My mother can’t do it. She broke her foot two weeks ago and has been bedridden, which is driving her bonkers.”

Annie had to stifle her laugh. She didn’t think anyone outside of the Mad Hatter’s tea party said bonkers. It was oddly charming. Pressure built in Annie’s chest. This was a terrible way to meet someone she could see herself being friends with. Mira removed her glasses, huffed on them, then cleaned them, using the sleeves of her sweater. She had to be sweltering in that thing.

Annie started to say something but realized what Mira said. “Your mom is bedridden?”

Mira nodded. “Well. Not entirely. But she’s out of commission. She fell off of a stool trying to get a platter down from the cupboard. She’s an awful patient. I’ve been staying with her to help.”

Which means Bethany is officially off the list. There was no way she stabbed her ex-husband. Would Ginger have known that?

Tears trailed down Mira’s cheeks again. “Maybe if I’d been on better terms with my father, this wouldn’t have happened.”

“You can’t know that. What-ifs will drive you…” Ben said, pausing with a sweet smile, “bonkers.”

It lightened the moment, which made the next words out of Mira’s mouth hit twice as hard.

“I know who killed my father.”

Annie choked on her tea.