Murder By Muffin (Lucy McGuffin, Psychic Amateur Detective 3)

Ugh. It’s a good thing I’m not diabetic or I’d be in a coma by now.

“That’s me.”

“A woman of many talents! Best of luck with the show.”

The little hairs on my neck stand up straight. What a liar.

It occurs to me that Grace is jealous. Of me. Which seems crazy.

I know I should tell them that I’m no longer part of the competition, but I just can’t. Even though getting kicked off the show wasn’t my fault, I don’t want to look like a loser in front of Travis’s date.

“So how did you two meet? Some kind of police thing?” Because like I said, I’m curious. And maybe just a teeny bit jealous of her too.

“Travis and I are both training for the Jingle Bell 10K run coming up next month. He’s a shoo-in for first place in his division, and he’s giving me some pointers.”

“So you’re like running partners?”

“Kind of. He’s helping me with my workouts, and I’m trying to help him clean up his diet.”

“Then what are you doing here at The Burger Barn?” I joke.

“Oh, they have lots of healthy choices on the menu,” says Grace. “Most places do these days. You just have to be nutritionally aware.”

Peggy comes along with a tray of food. “Let’s see, that’s a veggie burger, no bun, with broccoli slaw for you,” she says, setting a plate down in front of Grace. “And the chili, no cheese, and a side salad for Travis.” She smiles at me. “Your food is waiting for you out front, Lucy. I made sure to supersize those fry orders and put extra whipped cream on your large chocolate shake.”

Grace’s eyes go wide. I’m not sure what part of my nutritional unawareness has shocked her more, the supersize fries or the large shake.

“Oh, uh, gee, thanks, Peggy. Well, gotta run. Don’t want my food to get cold. Plus, Paco is waiting for me in the car.” I stand up, which gives Grace an opportunity to get a good look at my T-shirt.

“Fear the Muffin Top? Oh, Lucy, you’re such a hoot! I wish I could eat whatever I wanted and not worry about the consequences.” There’s a gleam of something new in her eyes. Smugness. Clearly, she’s deduced that I’m no threat to her. Which I’m not. If she wants Travis, she can have him.

I pick up my food from the hostess, making sure to leave a tip for Peggy, then Paco and I head back to The Bistro. As usual, I park my car in the back parking lot that faces the gulf. The temperature is mild, but the wind coming off the water makes it feel nippy. I’m already looking forward to putting on my PJs and snuggling with Paco on the couch.

Peggy must have really supersized those fries, because my bag is too bulky to maneuver easily. With my milkshake and the bag of food in one hand and Paco’s leash in the other, I barely manage to open the kitchen door. Using the back of my foot, I slam the door shut and dump everything onto the counter. Paco pants in anticipation. I know I’m not supposed to give him human food, but surely a couple of fries can’t hurt.

Tomorrow is Sunday and The Bistro is closed, so I don’t have to do any prep work, and since we’ve been eliminated from the show, I don’t have to worry about the cameras or any more of Tara’s demands.

Maybe Sarah is right. Maybe getting kicked off the show was the best thing that could happen to us.

But no. I refuse to believe that. Tomorrow, bright and early, I’m going to drag out that contract and reread all the fine print. Tara can threaten to do whatever she wants, but that doesn’t mean she’s right.

I carry my food up the stairs to my apartment and change into my PJs.

Paco and I watch the latest episode of America’s Most Vicious Criminals while I stuff my face. This episode is about the unsolved murder of this poor B-grade actor who was stabbed to death in his own home. The LA police department is completely stumped. Despite a huge blood trail, they haven’t been able to figure out who might have done it. There’s no prime suspect, no motive. Nothing.

On a whim, I pick up my phone to call Will. That’s when I notice I have a missed call from Tara. The time matches when I was at The Burger Barn, which means she called me after I went by her place. Could she have changed her mind about kicking me off the show?

My heart slams up against my ribs.

I’m back on the show! Otherwise, why call me?

I dial Tara back, but it goes to voice mail. I think about leaving a message, but I’m afraid I’ll say something stupid that will make her change her mind again, so I hang up. I’ll call her later. Meanwhile, I’ll get Will’s opinion on this stabbing case.

He picks up right away. “Hey, did you get some sleep?”

“Yep. I took a three-hour nap. And then I went to see Tara to apologize.”

“What did she say?”