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about gave me a heart attack when I caught her sitting by the window with a long-lensed camera in the middle of the night. I was worried she’d get herself in trouble.”
    “What’d she have to say about that?”
    “Told me there was plenty of things I should be worrying about, but she wasn’t one of them,” said Bill with a chuckle. “She was right. I still worried, though. Just like I’m a little uneasy about you working on Bruce’s murder, even with Ryan and Chief Harris around.”
    “I’ll be careful.”
    “Guess I can’t convince you to just focus on the work at the branch, huh?”
    “Nope,” said Georgia with a smile.
    “You’ve always taken after her. She’d be proud.”
    A tightness closed Georgia’s throat for a moment before she said, “I used to try and solve mysteries in school. I figured out Bobby Pruitt was the one who’d taken my friend Sadie’s chocolate chip cookies out of her lunch. I told Mom when I got home, and she made me chocolate chip cookies of my own.”
    “Sounds about right,” said Bill.
    They sat in comfortable silence for a bit before Bill said, “I can’t believe someone I know was murdered. It doesn’t seem real. I keep finding myself thinking of things I should have said to him.”
    “I’m sorry, Dad.”
    “Thanks, hon.”
    Georgia sat silently chewing on her bottom lip, wondering if she should ask the question that was gnawing at her.
    “Dad,” she said eventually, “are you sure Bruce wasn’t having an affair?”
    Bill’s eyes narrowed and his jawline hardened. “Why? Did some girl come forward?”
    “No. It’s just a hunch we have.”
    “Well a hunch isn’t enough to sully a man’s name, Georgia,” said Bill. “Bruce was past all that. It was a mistake he made when he was young. It shouldn’t be held over him for the rest of his life. He loved Victoria. He told me so, and I never saw anything to suggest otherwise. He liked to flirt, sure. It was his way of having fun, and it was just about the only way he knew to talk to women, but he was settled down and true to his wife.”
    “All right, Dad,” said Georgia softly, seeing she’d upset him. “I didn’t mean to insult Bruce’s memory. I know he was your friend.”
    “It’s all right, hon. I just don’t want to talk about it anymore.”
    “Okay, Daddy. Tell me another story about Mom.”
    They passed the rest of the evening away like that, sitting in the living room and reminiscing about the woman they had both loved so dearly. Bill seemed really happy for the first time since discovering Bruce’s death. He even gave Mittens a good night scratch on the head before Georgia headed out to her own place. Georgia managed to fall asleep quickly, the case nearly forgotten.
    It came back full force, however, in the form of the morning paper. Georgia nearly choked on her coffee when she saw it. Bruce’s murder had been front-page news ever since his body had been discovered. This morning’s headline read: FOWLER’S FORMER CLIENT SAYS ‘GOOD RIDDANCE.’ Georgia read the whole article twice. It was Hilary Frankenburg. The article said an “inside source” in the police department claimed Miss Frankenburg was under suspicion after having a falling out with Mr. Fowler over a business exchange. When reporters interviewed her, she had been so brash as to say “good riddance” about his death. She had also threatened to sue Mason Real Estate.
    Georgia’s phone rang.
    “You read the paper?” said Ryan as soon as she answered.
    “Yeah. She’s really got a mouth on her,” said Georgia, her nose wrinkled in distaste.
    “Call your policeman friend,” said Ryan. “He needs to get a handle on his men. One of his guys leaked a suspect to the press. Whoever it is might leak another, and our girls will start clamming up.
    “I’m sure the chief is going to want to talk to Miss Frankenburg sooner rather than later. Make sure he keeps his promise and lets us tag along.”
    “Got it. I’ll call