mistake if they’ve already arrested someone.”
“Is that what a double bluff is?”
Noreen stopped at a red light. “We need to find other suspects.”
“How do we do that?”
***
Because visiting hours were pretty narrow on Sunday and the police took a long time to "process" Mom, Missy didn't get a chance to speak to her again. Instead Noreen drove her and Cody home.
They went inside and parked it on the couch, Cody nestling between them. Missy sat back and stretched out.
"We have one lead," Missy said. "But I have no reason to talk to him..."
"Cooper Merritt? That man's a hornball. Just wear your favorite pair of jeans. You look great in them."
Missy wanted to complain about how they didn't fit anymore, but she hated complaining about her weight. "You want me to just show up at his door?"
"Why not?" Noreen got up. "I could use a drink. Do you have anything in the house?"
Missy pointed vaguely toward the kitchen. "Check the fridge, but fair warning it's probably old."
Noreen got up. Cody changed position and rested her long snoot on Missy's lap.
"What do you think I should do, Nor?"
Cody rolled over and stuck her paws up in the air. Missy remembered she hadn't called the vet to set up an appointment. With Mom getting arrested today, her schedule had been completely thrown off. It was crazy to think that in one day she'd gone from worrying about getting to the gym and refurbing Switzer's old cabinet into a drink station to being prime suspect in a murder investigation and having to hire an attorney for her mother.
Her friend came back with the bottle of wine and two glasses. Noreen poured.
"Cheers." They clinked glasses.
“To Mom.”
“To your mom.”
“To the woman who never tells me anything important.”
Noreen looked at her sideways. “Out of love, Miss. Out of love.”
Missy shrugged and they both drank. The wine had aged—badly—but Missy drank anyway. She needed to take the edge off. Cody picked her head up and looked expectantly at Missy
"No way, girl. No wine for you."
Cody dropped her head back into Missy's lap. She actually looked sad.
"Seriously, how do I manufacture a meeting with Cooper Merritt?" Missy said. "I can't just show up at his door."
"Wing night."
"Excuse me?"
Noreen turned to face her on the couch and sat cross-legged. She had already finished her wine and was going in for seconds. "At Hank's tomorrow night. Wing night. He's usually there."
Missy had forgotten completely about one of Noreen's weekly rituals. She always attended wing night and had competed locally in wing-eating competitions. Of course she had remained a size four despite frequently gouging on fried food like this.
"I haven't been to Hank's in..." Missy couldn't even remember.
Noreen chimed in. "Two years. I remember."
"Wow."
Noreen shrugged. "We used to have a lot of fun."
Missy had stopped doing the local pub thing. Grove City was a small town so it was basically just going out to see everybody she already knew, and beer and fried food did not help in the weight department. In her twenties she had gone out as frequently as Noreen but these days she just couldn't hang and didn't want to drink the empty calories.
"This will be great!" Noreen rubbed her hands together. "The dynamic duo, finally going out to Hank’s again. We're going to have a great time! We should pick up an outfit for you tomorrow."
Missy shook her head. The outfit was the least of her concerns. She didn't think it was right for her to be bar-hopping while Mom sat in jail. But then again, the only reason she was going to Hank's was to help Mom in the first place.
"I'm working all day tomorrow, so I don't have time to shop for an outfit."
"Even better. I'll get you something."
The warning bells inside her head went off immediately. Noreen dressed nicely, always found a way to look sexy without appearing slutty. But she had never been a big woman, which meant she had no idea how to shop for Missy. What worked for Noreen
“Is that what a double bluff is?”
Noreen stopped at a red light. “We need to find other suspects.”
“How do we do that?”
***
Because visiting hours were pretty narrow on Sunday and the police took a long time to "process" Mom, Missy didn't get a chance to speak to her again. Instead Noreen drove her and Cody home.
They went inside and parked it on the couch, Cody nestling between them. Missy sat back and stretched out.
"We have one lead," Missy said. "But I have no reason to talk to him..."
"Cooper Merritt? That man's a hornball. Just wear your favorite pair of jeans. You look great in them."
Missy wanted to complain about how they didn't fit anymore, but she hated complaining about her weight. "You want me to just show up at his door?"
"Why not?" Noreen got up. "I could use a drink. Do you have anything in the house?"
Missy pointed vaguely toward the kitchen. "Check the fridge, but fair warning it's probably old."
Noreen got up. Cody changed position and rested her long snoot on Missy's lap.
"What do you think I should do, Nor?"
Cody rolled over and stuck her paws up in the air. Missy remembered she hadn't called the vet to set up an appointment. With Mom getting arrested today, her schedule had been completely thrown off. It was crazy to think that in one day she'd gone from worrying about getting to the gym and refurbing Switzer's old cabinet into a drink station to being prime suspect in a murder investigation and having to hire an attorney for her mother.
Her friend came back with the bottle of wine and two glasses. Noreen poured.
"Cheers." They clinked glasses.
“To Mom.”
“To your mom.”
“To the woman who never tells me anything important.”
Noreen looked at her sideways. “Out of love, Miss. Out of love.”
Missy shrugged and they both drank. The wine had aged—badly—but Missy drank anyway. She needed to take the edge off. Cody picked her head up and looked expectantly at Missy
"No way, girl. No wine for you."
Cody dropped her head back into Missy's lap. She actually looked sad.
"Seriously, how do I manufacture a meeting with Cooper Merritt?" Missy said. "I can't just show up at his door."
"Wing night."
"Excuse me?"
Noreen turned to face her on the couch and sat cross-legged. She had already finished her wine and was going in for seconds. "At Hank's tomorrow night. Wing night. He's usually there."
Missy had forgotten completely about one of Noreen's weekly rituals. She always attended wing night and had competed locally in wing-eating competitions. Of course she had remained a size four despite frequently gouging on fried food like this.
"I haven't been to Hank's in..." Missy couldn't even remember.
Noreen chimed in. "Two years. I remember."
"Wow."
Noreen shrugged. "We used to have a lot of fun."
Missy had stopped doing the local pub thing. Grove City was a small town so it was basically just going out to see everybody she already knew, and beer and fried food did not help in the weight department. In her twenties she had gone out as frequently as Noreen but these days she just couldn't hang and didn't want to drink the empty calories.
"This will be great!" Noreen rubbed her hands together. "The dynamic duo, finally going out to Hank’s again. We're going to have a great time! We should pick up an outfit for you tomorrow."
Missy shook her head. The outfit was the least of her concerns. She didn't think it was right for her to be bar-hopping while Mom sat in jail. But then again, the only reason she was going to Hank's was to help Mom in the first place.
"I'm working all day tomorrow, so I don't have time to shop for an outfit."
"Even better. I'll get you something."
The warning bells inside her head went off immediately. Noreen dressed nicely, always found a way to look sexy without appearing slutty. But she had never been a big woman, which meant she had no idea how to shop for Missy. What worked for Noreen
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