this and every other case they have to do it for probably pushed Gil’s case back to twenty years before anyone touches it.”
I nodded. “All this technology but no way to put it together quickly in so many cases.”
“Well, I don’t know that there’s anything else to see here,” Gertie said.
“I agree,” I said. “Let’s grab something to eat and see about that movie. We’ll come back tomorrow and talk to some people in the building across the street and then wait for rehearsal and talk to the actors.”
And hope they know anything.
We were almost finished with lunch when my phone rang. Carter.
“I’m surprised it took him this long,” I said and answered.
“Still in New Orleans?” he asked, and I could tell by his tone that he didn’t buy our story at all.
“Yep,” I said. “Just about to finish up lunch and head back to the shops.”
“Lunch, huh?”
Again with the tone.
“I’m going to switch you to FaceTime,” I said.
Once the video pulled up, I flipped my phone around to show Ida Belle and Gertie, who waved, then turned it back on myself.
“Are you at Mother’s?” he asked, his tone almost reverent.
“Yes, and I just had the best soft-shell crab ever,” I said as I switched back to a regular call. “It’s a shame you think I’m a big fat liar or I might have considered bringing you something.”
“Fine, so you’re really there, but you can’t blame me for thinking you guys are up to something.”
“Like what?”
“Like poking your nose into my investigation.”
“Well, we can’t do that at Mother’s, so looks like you’re in the clear. And what in the world is up your craw? And why are you at the sheriff’s department? I thought you were off today.”
“I got called in for a situation.”
“What kind of situation?”
“The kind I’m not telling you about.”
“Oh, I see. Something happened that you figured we did so this phone call is about trying to prove you were right and we were up to shenanigans.”
He sighed. “That’s not true. I don’t think you had anything to do with this. It’s not your style.”
“You might as well tell me because if it happened in Sinful, we’ll know in probably ten minutes or so.”
“Someone left a headless chicken on Tiffany Forrest’s porch.”
I frowned. “What the heck?”
“I don’t know, but it’s beyond tasteless and now the girl is scared half to death.”
“That sucks. Any idea who would do such a thing or why?”
“I can’t begin to think of a good reason why and without a reason why, I have no idea who.”
“I don’t suppose you can identify the owner of the chicken, right?”
“It was a basic chicken. It’s not like people brand or tag them. Anyway, I guess I better start talking to people and see if they’re missing one. Assuming they’d even know.”
“Okay. I’ll talk to you later.”
I disconnected and filled Ida Belle and Gertie in. They looked as confused as I felt.
“What is the point?” Gertie asked.
“Got me,” I said.
Ida Belle shook her head. “The only thing I could think of is maybe it’s someone who really doesn’t like Tiffany. Trying to scare her out of town, maybe.”
“You’d think they would have tried that before she went through with her marriage to Gil,” I said. “What’s the point in scaring her away now?”
“Maybe she did it herself,” Gertie said.
“To distract the police?” Ida Belle asked.
I stared at Gertie for a moment, then nodded. “A lot of times, if you’re a victim, you don’t get as hard a look.”
“This is Carter we’re talking about,” Ida Belle said. “He wouldn’t cut his own mother slack.”
“But does Tiffany know that?” I asked.
“Okay,” Ida Belle allowed. “But unless she killed Gil, why does she need to be a victim?”
I shook my head. “That’s a good question.”
“Do you think it could have been Liam?” Gertie asked.
“But if Liam and Tiffany are in on something, why would he do that to her?” Ida Belle asked.
“Maybe so she’d leave town,” Gertie said. “And not try to contact him anymore. If Carter sees the two of them together, he’ll start digging deeper and my guess is he’ll get on the same track we are.”
“Especially when he hears about the will,” I said.
“Could be Liam and Tiffany cooked up this plan,” Ida Belle said. “For whatever reason, I can’t picture Tiffany cutting off a chicken head, but clearly Liam wouldn’t even blink.”
“And he has access to chickens,” Gertie said.
“Someone else has access to chickens too,” I said. “And doesn’t like Tiffany.”
Gertie’s eyes widened. “Judith?”
I shrugged.