Cat Scratch Cleaver

way I’m ever falling into this bosom-laden bear trap again.
“Bates Barlow?” His name comes from me a little too chipper. “Is that you?”
“Huh?” He startles to as he opens his eyes in a lazy manner. “That’s me.” He flashes a drugged smile.
“I run the inn where your movie is being filmed.”
He squints over at me. “Oh yeah. Down in Cider Harbor.”
“Cove,” Georgie corrects. “Don’t you get snooty with my hometown, buster. I’m Cider Cove born and raised and I’m not afraid to put up my dukes and defend my people.”
Bates lifts his brows as if he were amused. “No offense, lady, but I saw where your dukes were just a few minutes ago. You’re the last person in this building I’d want to offend. Besides, I think Cider Meadows is pretty decent.”
Darby barks out a laugh. “Isn’t he a hoot? That’s my buddy, always cutting up. He’s a riot on set, too.”
So I’ve heard. A riot with a temper.
Darby leans my way. “Bates is thinking about investing in my new nightclub.”
“Yup.” Georgie nods and that wild, gray cloud sitting over her head wobbles. “It’s set to open in Edison in just a few days.”
“Edison?” I give Jasper a knowing glance.
“What’s the matter, Bizzy?” Camila chides. “Are you too good for a down and out town like Edison?” She sheds a greasy grin to Jasper. “Sounds like your fiancée is a bit snooty herself.”
“Not true,” Jasper is quick to defend me. “She’s just…very familiar with Edison.”
He glances my way a moment because he wishes I wasn’t so familiar. But I can’t help it if most of my suspects seem to congregate in that seedy town. And seedy isn’t a snooty term; it’s a literal term when it comes to Edison.
“Ooh”—Georgie reaches over and swats me across the arm—“you and the hunky homicide detective need to come down to the nightclub for the opening. You know, in the event the killer decides to strike again.”
“Georgie,” I mouth her name and hitch my head in Bates’ direction.
“Oh!” She gives an exaggerated nod and wink. “Not that we have any killers in our midst,” she says loud enough so the people in the back of this hot house can hear it, too.
Jasper sighs. Maybe we should leave.
I shake my head over at him.
Bates leans in and squints in Jasper’s direction.
“Oh, hey. Is that you? Detective Milder?”
“Wilder,” Jasper is quick to correct, and with a bit of a thunderous edge to his voice.
Bates leans forward and nods. “So how’s the case coming? I was pretty close with Heather.” He gives a wistful shake of the head. “I hate to say it, but she was practically asking for it.”
I nearly gasp at the thought. “I’m sorry, but nobody asks to have a cleaver embedded in their back.”
Bizzy, Jasper gives my back a quick rub, once a suspect gets worked up, it’s good to let him vent.
“Right,” I whisper.
Bates shakes his head at me with a confused look on that baby face of his.
“Of course, she didn’t deserve it,” he says. “But she was flaunting her affair with the director right in his wife’s face. In fact, I heard them having it out earlier that day. Jane said something about getting her out of the way for good.”
“Ah-ha!” Georgie spikes a finger in the air. “Jane is the killer. I bet she did it in the conservatory with a candlestick, too.”
Camila glowers at the wild-haired hippie. “If you can’t follow along, you should get back to tenderizing feet.”
“Nobody tells my friend to tenderize anything,” I snap her way.
I’ve got this. Jasper rubs my knee gently, and I do my best to shake Camila off my very last nerve.
He sheds a manufactured smile in Bates’ direction. “I heard about that affair. It certainly sounds as if things may have escalated.” I think we’ve put the suspect at ease.
Jasper flinches his cheek my way, and it’s as if all of time stops. Suddenly, I wish the two of us were very much alone. Jasper Wilder is hotter than a brushfire sitting here in that thick robe, his chest glistening underneath, and the dark scruff on his cheeks only seems to bring out the quicksilver in his eyes.
Bates nods as if he agrees with me. “That’s what I think happened. She used to tell me how much Jane was bothering her.”
I can’t imagine how much Heather was bothering Jane.
“So you and Heather were pretty close?” I’m ready to go for the sleuthing jugular so I can get Jasper into the nearest dark corner and have my way with him.
Bates takes a full breath. “We were hanging around.” In my bedroom. That girl had a body, and she wasn’t afraid to use it.
His mind immediately turns into white static, and I’m glad that my powers have a kill switch when it comes to the raunchier aspects of the mind.
Camila takes a moment to glower my way. No fair. You’re prying into his thoughts.
I give a little shrug her way.
All is fair in love and mind reading. It’s safe to say I will always have a leg up in the telesensual department.
A sleazy smile glides across Bates’ face. “You could say Heather and I were close.” He glances down at his abs. “Let’s just say, she liked what she saw.”
“Speaking of seeing,” I clear my throat, “I think someone mentioned that they saw you and Heather having a heated conversation the night she was killed.”
His eyes flit to the door. That’s it. Two more minutes and I’m out of here. I’m a good actor, but I’m not that good.
Great, Bizzy. Camila rolls her eyes. I don’t need to have the ability to nosey around in other people’s heads to know he’s about to take off. Way to go showing off your rookie moves. I’m sure Jasper is impressed.
She shimmies her shoulder toward Bates, and suddenly it looks as if he’s reconsidering his options.
“Who cares about all that?” Camila leans in and rakes her fingers gently through his hair. “I mean, Heather was