"I'm going home," Mrs. M said, and stomped off.

"Am I in trouble?" Amelia asked.

"Not with me," Officer Norris said. "What your mother decides is out of my jurisdiction."

Chapter 25.

Tuesday, October 30 Jane held a martini gla.s.s the size of a punch bowl.

"I bought this for you," she said. She shoved the gla.s.s at Josie and walked into her kitchen with her sidekick, Stuart Little.

The monster martini gla.s.s felt surprisingly light. "Thanks, Mom, but I don't need a drink at nine in the morning."

"It's not for you," Jane said. "It's for your wedding. It will look cute on the candy bar we're having for the children at the reception. It's acrylic, so if they knock it over, it can't hurt anyone. I could use a cup of coffee."

Jane poured herself a cup and sat down at the kitchen table. Stuart Little sat at her feet. "Woof!" he said.

"Uh, good morning," Josie said.

She filled a bowl of water for the shih tzu and he wagged his tail. His pal Harry gave him a friendly swat; then both pets slurped their water.

While her guests had their drinks, Josie examined Jane's gift. "I like it," she said. "We can put the Hershey's Kisses in it. I've bought all the candy and hid it."

"From Amelia?" Jane asked.

"From me," Josie said. "I'd eat it all before the wedding. Your hair looks nice."

"Aggie did a good job, didn't she?" Jane said. "I got back from my appointment right after the police left. I couldn't believe that old meddler called the police on my granddaughter. Are you going to punish Amelia? You weren't sure yesterday."

"I needed to sleep on it," Josie said. "I was furious at Mrs. Mueller and didn't want to take it out on my daughter. This morning, I told Amelia I didn't like that she'd lied to me about doing a school science experiment.

"Amelia said she didn't lie. She never said it was a school science experiment, just a science experiment."

"She's right," Jane said. "That's exactly what she said when we had our cooking cla.s.s. You missed a good round steak, by the way."

"I'm sure it was," Josie said. "Amelia could have told me she was going to have soda geysers erupting in the backyard."

"It was harmless," Jane said. "She cleaned up afterward, and even recycled the bottles. Science is important for young women. I had to take home ec. Now girls are encouraged to go into the same professions as boys. She could be a research scientist."

"Not by the way she talked about that science experiment," Josie said. "Amelia told me the truth-but only the truth I needed to know. She's going to be a lawyer."

"Like her grandfather," Jane said.

The man who abandoned us, Josie thought. The conversation wilted. The two women sipped coffee and watched Stuart Little chase Harry around the kitchen. The cat skidded across the floor and knocked over his water.

"Time-out," Josie said, stepping over the puddle. She captured Harry, who went limp as a peaceful protester, and shut him in Amelia's bathroom. Harry howled. Stuart followed his pal into exile and sat outside the closed door, whimpering.

Josie mopped up the spilled water, then refilled Harry's bowl and the two coffee cups.

"Now, where were we?" she asked, sitting down.

"I asked if you were going to punish Amelia," Jane said.

"No. She didn't do anything wrong," Josie said. "But I'm glad we're moving away from that old troublemaker."

"I wish she'd move," Jane said. "It will be strange not having you and Amelia living here with me."

"We couldn't have made it without your help, Mom," Josie said. "All your free babysitting. All the times you took Amelia to school or picked her up. You gave me the luxury of a free on-call nanny."

"You gave me a beautiful granddaughter," Jane said. "I'll still be here for you, anytime you need me. She can stay with me if you and Ted need some time together."

Josie squeezed her mother's hand. "Thanks, Mom. But it's time we left your comfortable nest so you can rent this apartment for what it's really worth. More coffee?"

Josie felt uneasy having such an emotional conversation with her mother. She knew Jane loved her, but she'd had high expectations for her only child. When Josie dropped out of school to have Amelia, Jane had been bitterly disappointed-and made sure Josie knew it.

"No, thanks," Jane said. She hesitated, then said, "Josie, I'm sorry."

"For what?" Josie asked.

Jane's voice cracked. "For being so mean when you were carrying Amelia." Tears streamed down Jane's face. "If you weren't such a good daughter, I would have driven you away forever."

"You had good reasons to be angry at me," Josie said.

"I thought I had good reasons," Jane said. "I didn't want you to be dependent on a man for your living, the way I was. I didn't want you to take a job that paid nothing while you raised your daughter. I didn't want you to make my mistakes."

Jane was quietly weeping.

Josie grabbed a handful of tissues and hugged her mother. "Sh. It's okay," she said. "You have nothing to cry about."

"You handled your life better than I did," Jane said, sniffling and mopping her eyes.

"Only because I had your help," Josie said, and kissed her mother on her soft, worn cheek. She caught Jane's familiar scent of Estee Lauder perfume and saw the small bald spot on her crown that her carefully sprayed hair didn't quite cover.

My mother's life was hard and I made it harder, Josie thought. She hugged her again.

Jane blew her nose, straightened up, and said, "Well. I'm sorry for that silly scene. You have enough to worry about."

"I'm glad you said it, Mom," Josie said.

"Don't make me start crying again," Jane said. She sounded annoyed.

Josie was relieved her mother had returned to her p.r.i.c.kly self.

"I've saved a little money-about a thousand dollars," Jane said. "I want you and Ted to have it for a down payment on a new home. You don't have any savings and Ted still has his school loans."

"Thanks, Mom," Josie said. "That's way too generous." She wanted to lighten the heavy atmosphere. "Would you like to go along on my last mystery-shopping a.s.signment as a single woman? I have to taste wedding cakes this morning."

"I'd love to," Jane said. "I could use some cake to go with all that coffee. What time is your appointment?"

"I have to make it now."

"Isn't that short notice for a cake tasting?"

"It is," Josie said. "That's part of the customer service test for this a.s.signment."

"I'll take Stuart Little upstairs while you make your call," Jane said, "and meet you at your car."

The shih tzu and Harry were poking paws under the door in an elaborate interspecies game. "I hope Harry gets along with Festus as well as he does with your dog," Josie said.

"It will all work out, Josie," Jane said fiercely. "This time, listen to your mother. Come, Stuart." She climbed the back stairs, Stuart pattering behind her.

Josie smiled through her tears as she called the store for her mystery-shopping a.s.signment.

"Cakes by Cookie, this is Ellen speaking," a woman answered. "How may I help you?"

A pleasant voice, Josie thought. She was glad Ellen gave the proper greeting.

"I'm getting married soon," Josie said. "I need a cake tasting right away."

"Congratulations," Ellen said. "When would you like to come in?"

"Today?" Josie sounded hesitant. "I'm sorry."

"Oh, honey, of course you can come in today," Ellen said. "But we usually make cake-tasting appointments at least two weeks in advance. I can show you photos of our wedding cakes and give samples of similar cakes, but it won't be an actual wedding cake tasting. Will that work for you?"

"Absolutely," Josie said. "My mom will be with me. Could we come this morning?"

"The morning rush is over, so I'll have some time," Ellen said. "Our store is across from the Galleria mall."

"We'll be there in ten minutes," Josie said.

Once again, Josie smelled the sugary aroma of Cakes by Cookie before she saw the store's big polka-dot sign. Ellen was a tall, bosomy woman with straight straw-colored hair.

"I've fixed a little tasting table for you," she said, and ushered Josie and Jane to their seats.

Ellen told them about cake flavors, fillings, icing and decorations, gave Josie and Jane samples of similar cakes, and showed them wedding cake photos in a fat ring binder.

Josie asked the required questions, and Ellen gave detailed answers. "What if I want flowers on my cake?" Josie asked. "Real flowers."

"Those are lovely," Ellen said, "but your florist will have to provide them. Cut flowers are often sprayed with pesticides. Are you sure you want that on your food?"

"What else do you suggest besides sugar roses or ribbons?" Josie asked.

"We have some amusing cake toppers," Ellen said, and turned to the cake toppers section in the binder. "We have a bride and groom with fairy wings and a princess and her knight in armor for fairy-tale weddings."

"Pretty," Josie said. "But ours is more modern."

"Here's a bridal couple both talking on their cell phones," Ellen said.

"A little too modern," Josie said.

"How about this one where the bride wears the groom's pants and he wears boxer shorts with his tux?"

"Interesting, but no," Josie said.

"We have this s.e.xy cake topper." Ellen showed her a bridal couple from the back, grabbing each other's bottoms.

Jane looked shocked.

Ellen quickly turned the page. "For those who take *till death do us part' seriously," she said, "we have a selection of skeleton brides and grooms. Like this one." The grinning bride had a tattered veil on her skull.

"A little grim," Josie said.

"My daughter is not getting married on Halloween," Jane said.

"You'll love our stylish monogrammed initials," Ellen said. "We have silver, gold, Swarovski crystal, pearls."

"Elegant," Jane said.

They looked at a few more cake toppers, then thanked Ellen and left with brochures, a sample contract, and a promise to call if they decided to go with her store.

Back in Josie's car, Jane said, "I do hope you're going to give that nice Ellen a good report."

"The highest rating. She deserves it," Josie said.

"What now?" Jane said.

"Now I have a wedding errand I need to do alone," Josie said.

I'm having tea with the innocent woman I branded a killer, she thought.

Chapter 26.