Page 74 of For the Birds

I was going to kill NeelyKate.

Levi gave us both curious glances. I hated putting him in this position, but it would be rude to tell him no after the fuss Neely Kate had made. Besides, I did like his company, and maybe I could convince him to just be friends. It seemed highly unlikely, but maybe it was worth atry . . .

In the meantime, Levi was waiting for a response, and I couldn’t leave him hanging. “That’s a great idea,” I said with a smile I hoped didn’t look forced. “Besides, after all the dinners you’ve insisted on payin’ for, it’s the least I coulddo.”

“You don’t owe me anything. I just enjoy the pleasure of your company.” He leaned over and gave me a kiss on the cheek. “I really am sorry about last night.”

“I know, Levi. Please don’t give it another thought.”

“Okay. I’ll text you later.”

“Okay.” I watched him walk out the door and gave him a little wave as he walked past the windows.

“Who were you sleeping with last night?” Joe asked as soon as Levi was out ofview.

“That’s none of your business,” I said with a scowl.

“So you were sleepin’ with someoneelse.”

I was tired and off my game. “I never said that.” I picked up my coffee and took a sip to stall fortime.

“You didn’t have to.” He walked over to my desk. “Is Mason intown?”

I started to choke on hot coffee.

Joe shot a glance to Neely Kate. “Ishe?”

“Who Rose is sleepin’ with is none of your concern, Joe.”

I grabbed a handful of tissues and began to wipe the coffee off mydesk.

He started to open his mouth, then shut it. Then a dark look filled his eyes. “There are rumors goin’ around.”

That pissed me off enough to stop my halfhearted cleanup job. “And what exactly have you been hearin’?” I said, putting a hand on myhip.

“That you’ve been hooking up with Skeeter Malcolm. I’d dismissed them because I knew you were seein’ Levi, not to mention you’re a helluva lot smarter than that. Or so I thought.”

“I have not been sleepin’ with Skeeter Malcolm.” I told myself that last night was a fluke and couldn’t be included. “But I did help him resolve that incident a few weeksago.”

“With the necklace.”

“But we hadn’t seen each other since.” I hoped he didn’t notice I’d used past tense, something that technically kept it from being alie.

“Then whose clothes were you wearin’?”

Neely Kate came to my defense. “That’s none of your cotton-pickin’ business, Joe!”

I decided to try to use this situation to my advantage. “What do you know about Scooter’s disappearance?”

He blinked hard. “What?”

“I want to know everything you know about Scooter Malcolm’s disappearance.”

“Are you investigatin’ it?” He shot a dark look at his sister before shifting his gaze to me. “You know interferin’ with a case is illegal.”

“Well, first it would have to be a case, right?” I asked in a defiant tone. “Otherwise, it wouldn’t be interferin’. And second, it’s perfectly legal if we’re apprenticin’ with a realP.I.”

His eyebrows nearly shot up to the twelve-foot ceiling. “Excuseme?”

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