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Perhaps. “Who else could’ve done it?”
“Bob. He asked Grannie out, and she turned him down.”
“My grandmother was quite the catch,” I said with a laugh. “It seems like all the eligible bachelors in town asked her out. Bob has very limited mobility, and you said he arrived last.”
“He’s very low on the list.”
“Who else?”
“We still need to talk to Hazel.” He frowned at his phone. “Carla’s the last suspect.” His gaze met mine. “What does she stand to gain if your grandmother goes to jail?”
“I don’t think she’d gain anything.”
“What if she thoughtyou’dbe accused of putting the Xylitol in the punch?” he asked. “What would she gain if you went to jail?”
“The ice cream place would close. Grannie might let Carla rent the space instead. But she seems to have enough to deal with right now with Walter’s properties. I doubt she has the capital to open an art studio even if the space was available. She’d have to renovate, and opening the studio doesn’t guarantee sales. It takes time to build clientele and a reputation.”
“We’ll keep her on the list, however.” He stood. “We should go speak with Hazel. Maybe she’ll give us more clues.”
“Or reveal that she’s the one who did it,” I said, though I was joking.
He tucked his phone into his back pocket. “What would be her motive?”
“If I went to jail, she could expand into my place and start offering yoga.”
“We’ll ask her about that.”
We walked toward the entrance, and I was grateful we passed two families talking about getting ice cream. There was no mention of poison, no talk of bad reviews. This was going to be okay, thanks to the PR company’s efforts. I wasn’t even worried about the bill they’d send. They were worth almost any cost.
We stepped inside Boogey Beasts, where the elegance of ballet merged with the gritty strength of pole dancing.
The place was empty, but Hazel’s office was in the back.
“No classes going right now,” Elrik said softly.
“The place fills up after school and is busy well into the evening. She runs small and private classes in the morning. She has two instructors working with her as well. She’s popular; people and monsters come quite a distance just to work with her.”
“Going from ballet to stockbroker to pole dancing instructor is quite a switch.”
I frowned, trying to remember. “I think her dad worked as a stockbroker. I doubt she started trading right away but with his connections, I bet she was able to land a sweet job that let her work her way up. She’s retired from that now, of course. She comes from old money. Her dad owned real estate in New York City. A few buildings, I think.”
The polished wooden floors shone under the soft lights recessed into the ceiling. Full-length mirrors covered the left wall from corner to corner, reflecting a row of classical barres worn smooth by countless fingertips and wrapped in tape at intervals for grip.
“Have you ever taken ballet?” Elrik asked, studying the room.
“Nope. Just those few pole classes where I spent more time on my ass than clinging to the pole. It takes time, and I just didn’t have the patience.” I waved toward the opening in the back of the room. “Hazel’s office is that way.”
We walked across the big open room, our footsteps echoing around us.
On the right, an arched entry led to the room where Hazel taught pole dancing. Sleek metal poles anchoredsecurely from floor to ceiling at measured distances spanned the room.
A light floral aroma mingled with a hint of old sweat and rosin ballerinas dusted on their slippers for pointe work. Speakers perched in corners would soon vibrate with whatever music fit the class, from classic symphonies for ballet to the pulsing beats Hazel often used for her pole classes.
Exiting the studio, we turned right and started down the hall.
A guttural cry rang out ahead of us.
We shared a wide-eyed look before we rushed in that direction.
