The crowd scattered. Mrs. Beasley hoofed it just as fast as she could back across the street to her knitting shop, which suddenly and mysteriously opened amid the chaos. Several others began shopping my mother’s store with extreme gusto, trying to look busy. Still others took off in the direction of June’s café.
It was only me, Allie, and my mother, left up front by the time Cooper actually reached the shop. Allie quietly left my side, and my mother disappeared into the storeroom as Cooper entered the store.
“You came back,” he said quietly.
“Yeah,” I said. “Didn’t exactly feel like a festive shopping trip considering all that happened.”
“I take it you know this guy, Ryan?”
“A little,” I hedged. “We’re not close. Anymore.”
Cooper nodded. He looked like he wanted to ask more, but he refrained. “He keeps telling me that he needs to talk to you. I told him you don’t want to, and that you certainly don’t have to.”
“Good,” I said. “I don’t want to speak to him.”
“That’s fair,” Cooper said. “I respect your wishes, and I will continue to tell him that. But I was wondering if I could buy you a cup of coffee. Ask you a few questions.”
“Why can’t I seem to stay away from murder investigations?”
The tip of Cooper’s lips quirked up in a humorously dark, wry sort of grin. “Attempted murder.”
“In that case...” I threw my hands up. “What the heck. I could use a coffee.”
COOPER LED THE WAY down Main Street to June’s café. Suspiciously, there was no one out and about. Everyone had clustered behind various storefronts to peer out from behind the safety of sale signs. As we walked, I felt eyes following us from all angles. The only sounds I could hear came from behind us, from the movie set.
When we reached June’s, I paused at the door and glanced back at the street blockers that signified the start to the movie set. Except now, crime scene tape was wrapped all around the end of the block. There were a few large trailers that mostly obscured the set from view. Every once in a while, a person would become visible as they buzzed between trailers, glancing around furtively as they moved.
“Good morning... well, now, I suppose it’s afternoon,” June declared as we entered. “What can I get the two of you?”
I didn’t miss the way she gave a sneaky smile at us. I gave a shake of my head, but June promptly ignored it and focused on Cooper’s face.
“I’ll take...” Cooper glanced at the menu, though at this point, anyone who looked at the menu was either a tourist or was simply doing so as a formality. “Two black coffees?”
“Cream on the side,” I added with a sigh. “It’s that sort of day.”
June nodded solemnly. “I’ll throw in a scone. But it’ll have to be lemon raspberry. The film crew bought me plum out of the snickerdoodle ones I baked special for this morning.”
Cooper led me to a small table in one corner of the café. As usual, there were a few groups of people scattered around the shop enjoying a variety of coffee beverages: teas, pancakes and waffles. I didn’t spend long studying the rest of the customers, instead turning my attention to the man before me.
“What could you possibly want with me?” I asked innocently. “I wasn’t even in town when the murder—sorry, attempted murder—happened. I didn’t see anything. Didn’t do anything.”
“But you know Ryan.” Cooper spoke softly. “Any chance you feel like telling me a little about him?”
I hesitated. Shook my head.
At that moment, June appeared with two teacups filled with black coffee. She set them down, then disappeared and returned seconds later with one large scone.
“You’ll have to share,” she said, resting two forks on the plate. “Enjoy.”
“I’m not hungry,” I said, glancing at the two touching forks as if they were poisoned. “Dig in.”
“Be my guest.” Cooper raised his coffee and took a sip. “This is my second trip here this morning.”
I shrugged, then took a knife and sliced off a piece of scone. I took a sip of my coffee, a bite of scone. I studied Cooper.
“If I don’t talk to you,” I said dubiously, “are you going to make me pay my half?”
Cooper burst into laughter. “This is not a bribe.”
“Good,” I said. “Because I don’t have much to say about Ryan.”
“Okay,” Cooper said. “I just thought I’d check.”
We sipped our coffee in peaceful silence for a few moments. There was a light chatter around us as the rest of the patrons continued their conversations. I suspected there were a lot of murmured musings about what had happened on set this morning, but I didn’t listen particularly closely because I was trying to convince myself not to care.
“Fine,” I said, looking guiltily at Cooper. “I’m sure you’ve already guessed it, but I do know Ryan Lewis.”
“Is that right?” Cooper remarked lightly.
“I knew him, I should say. Pretty well,” I said. “I mean, we dated.”
“Ah.”
“Out in LA. He’s the one that broke up with me for someone else.” I scowled at Cooper. “You don’t seem surprised. You did your homework.”
“Are you surprised? I’m a cop.”
“Yeah, well.”
“That, plus you seemed really keen to avoid him,” Cooper said. “Most people in this town would be running toward the set if a movie star wanted to talk to them... not away from it. You know, Ryan Lewis is a big name these days.”
“Right,” I said. “I know. Too well. You know how he got his start?”
Cooper winced. “I’ve heard rumors.”
“I helped him,” I said. “But do I even get a thank-you? No.” I shook my head. “I just get called when he’s suddenly a murder suspect. How did he get suspected of murder, by the way?”
“Attempted murder.”
“Whatever.”
“Though,” Cooper revised. “It will be murder if Tennison doesn’t make it.”
I froze, the coffee cup halfway to my lips. “Is that a possibility?”
“He’s in critical condition,” Cooper said. “It’s a definite possibility. We should know more by tonight, the doctors think. He was lucky—the bullet didn’t hit any major organs, but it did some serious damage and caused significant blood loss.”
“As bullets do,” I said dryly. “So did people see who pulled the trigger?”
Cooper’s eyes twinkled as he glanced my way. “I thought you didn’t want to know anything.”
“I said I didn’t want to talk to Ryan,” I corrected. “If I’m going to dish on the details to you about my ex-boyfriend, then I think I deserve some details in response.”
The chief shifted in his seat. “I can’t tell you everything, but most of this will be made public anyway. So here goes nothing.”
I waited, slicing off another hunk of scone as Cooper swallowed a gulp of piping-hot coffee.