"The year she was born?" Sherry suggested.

"You're not helping," Cora said.

"The difference in your ages?"

"I'll throw you out of here."

Sherry shook her head. "We're not leaving the two of you alone together. If Bambi were found torn limb from limb, you wouldn't be able to prove you didn't do it."

"Whereas if you were found torn limb from limb-"

"Come on," Aaron said. "Solve this thing."

"There's nothing to solve."

"I don't buy that. You're just saying that because it's her. If anyone else had brought you the puzzle, you'd have solved it by now."

"Why, Aaron Grant. Sherry, looks like your hubby just grew a pair."

"He's just showing off for Bambi," Sherry said.

Aaron threw up his hands. "I've done it. Now they're ganging up on me. How about it, girls? Let's make some sense out of all this. I need the story."

"Oh, well, when you put it that way," Cora said. "I wasn't trying before, but if you need a story ... Okay. Say the number's gotta mean something. What's ninety-three?"

Bambi, who had been laboriously adding up the numbers in the puzzle, said, "It's not ninety-three. It's a hundred and six."

"Oh, for G.o.d's sake! It's ninety-three. I added it up."

"You added it wrong."

Cora couldn't believe the girl was arguing with her. "Oh, look here-"

"It is a hundred and six," Sherry said.

"What!" Cora said.

"Believe it or not. I just did it myself."

Cora glowered at her niece. "Fine. So it's a hundred and six. Big deal. What's a hundred and six?"

"One more than a hundred and five," Bambi said.

"Gee, thanks," Cora said. "That clears it up."

"Well, it's true," Bambi said.

"Yeah, it's true. A hundred and six is one more than a hundred and five. And what's a hundred and five?"

"Our motel room."

CHAPTER.

31.

"Are you comfortable leaving Aaron with Bambi?" Cora asked as she and Sherry drove out to the Oakwood Motel.

"I wasn't going to let you go alone."

"That's thoughtful of you."

"It wasn't thoughtful of me. I don't trust you not to get in trouble."

"That isn't thoughtful?"

"How do you plan to get into the room?"

"I thought we'd drive up to the door and knock."

"Bambi says no one's there."

"You really want to quote Bambi as an authority on anything? So she says no one's there. Let's see if she's right."

"What if someone opens the door?"

"Then we get in."

"What if Bambi's right and the place isn't rented?"

"Then we rent it."

"What?"

"You got a credit card, don't you? Just rent the d.a.m.n thing."

"We can't rent a motel room."

"Why not?"

"We have a house."

"So what? You're a newlywed. You had a fight with your husband."

"I did not!"

"You think they're gonna check?"

"I don't want people going around thinking Aaron and I are fighting."

"No one's going around. We're just renting a room."

"It better be for another reason."

"Fine. It's for another reason."

"What's the reason?"

"What?"

"You got a reason for renting the room?"

"Yes."

"What is it?"

"Because I want one! Good G.o.d, you're the most squeamish accomplice. Becky Baldwin wasn't this bad."

"What?"

"When you were on your honeymoon, Becky did some snooping. I thought she was a pain."

"She's a lawyer. She wouldn't let you do outrageous things."

"You'd be surprised. Ah, here we are."

Cora drove right by the front desk and pulled into the parking lot. There was no car in front of 106.

"Looks like no one's there," Sherry said.

"We'll verify that."

Cora pulled up right into the s.p.a.ce, stopped the car, and got out. She walked up to 106, banged on the door.

"Do we rent it?" Sherry said.

"Guess so."

Cora twisted the doork.n.o.b.

It clicked open.

Sherry grabbed Cora's arm. "Don't go in there!"

"What?"

"I don't like it. This is where they always find the dead body."

"Who does?"

"People in movies."

"This isn't a movie."

"You know what I mean. You don't wanna open that door."

"The problem is, I do."

Cora pushed open the door, stepped inside.

Sherry hesitated a moment.

Cora grabbed her arm, yanked her in, and slammed the door.

"Hey!"

"Shut up! Keep your voice down! Melvin's in the next room!"

"Yeah, but-"

"Look!"

Sherry looked where Cora was pointing.

On the floor, in plain sight, was a revolver.

Sherry sucked in her breath. "Is that the murder weapon?"

"Bet you a nickel. It looks like a .45-caliber. From the smell, it's been fired."

Sherry reached in her purse, whipped out her cell phone.

"What are you doing?"

"Calling the police."

Cora s.n.a.t.c.hed the phone. "Oh, no, you're not."

"We have to."

"Why?"

"Why? We just found evidence."