Page 17 of Promise Keeper

Irene and Stewart were sitting in the family room with Ben and Mia when I got home. Ellsworth, the cat, snooped around the coffee table, sniffing. Liam sat on Mia's lap, her hands wrapped around his middle so he didn't pounce on the cat. The low rumble of displeasure I'd heard him express toward the raccoons was aimed at the cat.

"They'll get used to each other," Mia said.

Dropping my handbag on the table, I greeted Irene and Stewart, then asked, "I thought you were leaving next week?"

"Yesterday, I said next week," Irene said. "Yesterday was Saturday, and Sunday is the start of a new week, so the next week."

"Oh," I said. "That explains it."

Ellsworth pranced over to me and arched his back, winding his tail around my ankle.

"Hi, little buddy," I said, reaching down to scratch his head.

"Did you know this town is overrun by raccoons?" Irene asked.

"It's a darn shame," Stewart said, shaking his head. "Used to be so nice when we lived here."

"That wasn't very long ago," I said, and they lived one town over, barely ten minutes down the road. I doubted our raccoon trouble started because they weren't there to keep them away.

"I'm going to have a chat with Soapy," Irene said raising one penciled eyebrow and looking for all the world like a Disney villain. "If he wants to remain mayor of this town, he'll do something to get rid of those pests."

Ah, yes, Irene, the consigliere of the Daughters. "Or he'll sleep with the fishes and Metamora Mike in the canal," I said.

"What?" Irene cocked her head to the side, confused.

I waved a hand. "Fuggedaboutit."

Ben chuckled.

"It's a Godfather reference," Stewart told her, grinning. "You ladies do take your club seriously."

"It's not aclub," she shot back at him. "It's a historical society, and if not for us this town would've crumbled a long time ago."

An idea struck me. Maybe I wouldn't have to break into the train depot after all. "Who founded the Daughters, anyway? I'd like to read about it if the history is written down somewhere, like in an old diary or something."

"Why on earth would you be interested in that?" Irene asked. "You turned down my invitation to join, now all the sudden you're curious about our humble beginnings?"

"I should probably know since Mia's a Daughter," I said. "Just because I didn't join you doesn't mean I'm not interested."

Ben's forehead creased, and he gave me a questioning look. I averted my eyes. It was hard living with a cop who knew me so well. I couldn't get anything by him.

"I'm not sure about diaries, but my mother did leave some notebooks. Of course, any information is proprietary to the Daughters so I'll have to go through them first, but you're welcome to read any of them after I make sure they're cleared for outsider eyes."

"Okay, thank you," I said, deflating on the inside. It could take her months to go through those notebooks, if she even remembered after her vacation. By that time, who knew where we'd be with this investigation. Those bones weren't telling their own tale, so I guessed that meant I was still on the hook for the breaking and entering.

I twisted back and forth, stretching my back, and went to the cupboard beside the sink where I kept the Tylenol. "Ben, did you offer your parents anything to drink? Coffee, tea? A glass of wine, Irene?"

"We're fine," she said. "We only stopped to drop off our best boy," she said, wiggling her fingers at Ellsworth. "Our best fur-boy, that is." She blew a kiss at Ben. "I set up his box on the landing to the basement, so make sure the door stays cracked. His food and water bowls are on the dining room table so the dog doesn't get to them. I put his wet and dry food in your pantry, and a jug of distilled water in the refrigerator. His bed is in the living room on the couch. I hope the dog isn't allowed up there to harass him. Mia says Liam sleeps with her, so maybe Ellsworth can sleep in your room with his brother."

"Brother?" Ben said.

"Of course. You're his human brother."

"Got it," I said. "We'll be just fine with Ellsworth. I'm sure he and Liam will be best friends in no time. Liam's not used to having someone his size around. It'll be a nice change for him."

I downed a couple Tylenol and put a pot of coffee on. All I really wanted was a heating pad, my couch, and peace and quiet to think of what to do next. A nap wouldn't be out of the question, especially if I'd be up in the middle of the night breaking the law.

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