“So, you killed him because he killed somebody?” Amy asked. “Hypocrite.”
Ryan and Peters led Alec Bradshaw away. Heather and Amy walked slower behind them, chatting amongst themselves.
“I think we did pretty well with this case,” Heather said. “We solved two murders and a robbery, and cracked the biggest mystery of all.”
“What’s that?”
“What does it take to make Mr. Rankle smile? It turns out the answer is a kitty cat.”
Jamie’s Question
Nina, think about what you’re doing,” Digby begged.
“Digby, leave her alone,” Heather said.
She was getting ready to close up Donut Delights for the day. Nina was ready to leave for her date, but Digby was trying to stop her.
“But he’s a Rankle. He’s obviously not who we thought he was. Maybe he’s even a spy who is going to plot to shut down the donut shop with insider information.”
“Then I promise not to give him any insider information about the shop,” Nina said.
“I think grouchiness is genetic,” Digby said. “He could turn out just as bad as Mr. Rankle.”
“He’s not grouchy now. He seems really nice.”
“Nina, you’re always so nervous about what you do. Give in to your nerves this time and cancel the date.”
“I am usually nervous,” Nina admitted. “But I’m not right now. I’m excited.”
The door to the shop opened, and Nick entered. Digby groaned, sensing his chance to stop the date was passing.
“Hi Rankle,” Digby said. “Have fun tonight.”
Digby returned to the kitchen, and Heather and Nina made up for the lukewarm reception with their own greetings.
“Hi,” Nina said. “We’re just about done closing up. I’ll be ready to go in just a minute.”
“You can head out now,” Heather said. “Or just as soon as Nick finishes telling me how his uncle is doing with his new cat.”
“He and Otis are getting along fine,” Nick said. “In fact, I think this was exactly what he needed while he’s recovering. He has someone who is there all the time when Ethel can’t be. He also feels like he’s doing something worthwhile because the cat is dependent on him for care.”
“That’s great to hear,” Heather said. “Otis needed to go someplace where he was loved.”
After a few more words of catch up, Heather said goodnight to Nick and Nina. She heard Digby groaning in the other room.
“It’s going to be fine, Digby,” Heather said. “There can only be one Mr. Rankle.”
The shop door opened again, and Amy entered.
“Are you almost done closing?” Amy asked. “I could walk home with you if you want.”
“Is this so you can get the leftover donuts of the day too?” Heather asked.
“Not everything I do has an ulterior motive,” Amy said. “But yes, that was part of my plan.”
Heather was laughing when saw Jamie’s mobile grooming van parked in front of the shop.
“Maybe we won’t have to walk home after all,” Amy said.
Heather held her comments to herself. Jamie walked inside with such purpose that she knew he had something important to discuss with Amy. Heather moved to the side to give them some privacy.
“Amy, I’ve been meaning to ask you this, and I can’t put it off any longer.”
“What is it?” Amy asked, happily, expecting his proposal.
“First, I want to give you this,” Jamie said.
He handed her a brown paper bag. Amy raised an eyebrow. This was not the ring box that she was expecting him to hand her. She opened the bag and saw what was inside.
“A donut?” Amy asked.
She sniffed it and thought it smelled odd, but if her ring was inside, she was willing to take a bite.
“No. Don’t eat it,” Jamie said. “It’s a dog donut.”
“What?”
“It’s one of those donuts that Heather made especially for Miss Marshmallow before the dog learned that she liked donuts.”
“Right,” Amy said, slowly. “I remember.”
“I thought this was a good reminder of how far Miss Marshmallow has come. She may still be prissy and require special care, but she’s a donut lover now. And I think she loves us too.”
“I think you’re right,” Amy said, not sure of the direction this conversation was taking.
“There’s no easy way to say this, so I’m just going to go for it,” Jamie said. “I think we should adopt Miss Marshmallow.”
“That’s what this is all about?” Amy asked.
“I know that we didn’t think she was right for us at first and we said that we were only going to foster her, but I think we should keep her.”
“The nice breakfast and the fancy dinner?” Amy said. “It was all about the dog?”
“What do you think?” Jamie asked.
“I think,” Amy began. “Yes. I think we should keep her too.”
“I’m so happy you said that.” Jamie beamed. “She’ll make a wonderful addition to our family.”
Amy nodded. She kissed Jamie, but then shared a look with Heather.
For professional P.I.s, they sure botched that investigation. Jamie wasn’t planning on proposing a wedding. He was planning on proposing a dog adoption!
Heather chuckled quietly to herself. However, as she watched Amy and Jamie talk about their plans for making the adoption official, she started to think that maybe they weren’t as far off the mark as they thought. Maybe Jamie’s proposal really was just around the corner.
The End.
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About the Author
Susan Gillard is a lover of all things mysterious. She grew up in Kansas City, Missouri where her love of murder mystery novels grew.
Now she travels the country in search of the best baked goods and engaging with the locals who often become the inspiration for her wacky characters.
Get in Touch with Susan
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