a little ways behind Tiffany’s property to the park. You know the one—there was pink glitter everywhere.”
“I don’t know where you keep getting these ideas,” I said.
“I can’t imagine,” Carter said.
“I don’t suppose Tiffany has offered up a confession and an explanation for all of this, has she?” Ida Belle asked. “Because we’d love to have the blanks filled in.”
“So would I,” he said. “But Tiffany is insisting she didn’t do it and asked for a lawyer.”
“What does Detective Casey think?” I asked.
“She thinks her case is a wrap,” he said.
“What do you think?” I asked.
“I think Casey has a darn good motive, opportunity, and a murder weapon with only one person’s prints on it,” he said. “It’s a solid case. More solid than a lot that go to trial.”
“But do you think she did it?” I asked.
“I guess I have to,” he said. “Understand, I don’t know Tiffany any better than anyone else in this town, so I can’t speak to her character or her sanity. But Casey said one of those actor guys told her Gil said he was thinking about divorcing Tiffany. According to their prenuptial, she would have been out with the clothes on her back.”
“Sounds like our work is done,” I said, feeling a bit miffed that Paul Easton had held out on us about the divorce thing, because I was sure he was Casey’s source.
“You were never supposed to be working it to begin with,” he said. “And I’m not even going to ask why you didn’t so much as raise an eyebrow over the divorce revelation.”
“Over half the marriages in the US end in divorce,” I said. “If I was playing the odds, I’d go with divorce every time.”
“Uh-huh,” he said. “I’m going to leave you guys to it and go make my rounds. Try not to cause any trouble.”
“He says that like we’re always the ones causing trouble,” Gertie said.
“I’d say our record weighs more heavily in being in the midst of trouble rather than being the catalyst,” I said.
“I don’t think Carter wants to differentiate,” Ida Belle said. “That’s why I don’t tell Walter anything and he doesn’t ask. What little he knows has him shooting back a dose of whiskey every night.”
“Marrying you was probably the worst thing he’s done for his health in his entire life,” Gertie said.
“Probably,” Ida Belle said. “But he had a lot of decades to see that. His choice. Do you think the actors told Casey that we questioned them?”
I shrugged. “Hard to say. And even if they did, since they weren’t suspects, technically, we weren’t interfering in her investigation.”
“Do you think technically will matter to her captain?” Ida Belle asked.
“Only if he finds out,” I said. “Hopefully Casey will keep that to herself if someone tattles.”
Ida Belle nodded.
“Hey, there’s Emmaline over at the arts and crafts booths,” Gertie said. “Do you guys want to go say hello?”
“Sure,” I said. I hadn’t seen Emmaline in a while as she’d been busy getting her paintings ready for her upcoming show.
She looked up and gave us a big smile as we approached and directed the kids she was leaning over to start with the glue, then add glitter to their paintings.
“How are you ladies tonight?” she asked. “I loved your costumes the other night but didn’t get a chance to see you before all that trouble happened. Did you see Celia while you were wearing them?”
“Saw and offended her,” Gertie said.
Emmaline laughed. “That woman is so predictable. And gullible.”
“Are you ready for your show?” I asked.
“Almost,” she said. “I have to tell you, it’s been nerve-racking, trying to pick the right paintings for this. And then second-guessing what I picked and the framing and just doing the show altogether, really.”
“You’ve waited a long time for this and you deserve it,” I said. “I don’t pretend to know anything about art but your stuff looks great.”
She gave me a huge smile and I could tell she was pleased. “Thank you so much. I hope you ladies will be able to make the show.”
“We wouldn’t miss it,” Gertie said and Ida Belle nodded.
I picked up a putty knife from a table, remembering I’d seen one with Gil’s art books.
“What do you use a putty knife for?” I asked.
“That’s actually a palette knife,” she said. “They look similar. Artists use them for mixing paints, scraping off paint, and some paint with them.”
“I’ve seen those paintings,” Gertie said. “They look like they have lines in them.”
“Some do,” Emmaline said. “It’s a