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pursuing a career in crime fighting?”
    “Very funny. What do you think happened here?”
    “I think someone found the door open last night, walked into the shop, took a look around and then left.”
    “I told you, I locked up last night,” she said firmly.
    Slade glanced at the lock on the back door. “Even if you did, all anyone would need to get through that door is a credit card.”
    “I intend to order new locks. But there’s been so much else to do that I haven’t gotten around to it yet.”
    “Good plan.”
    She frowned. “Shouldn’t you be dusting for fingerprints or something?”
    “Oh, yeah, and maybe swab for DNA while I’m at it. Thanks for reminding me.”
    “You really are not going to treat this seriously, are you?”
    He looked at her. “If you were in Frequency City and your shop got robbed what do you think the cops would do?”
    She wrinkled her nose. “Not much. Probably just ask for a list of stolen goods in case any of the objects turned up in a pawn shop.”
    “Since nothing appears to have been stolen here and there are no pawn shops on Rainshadow, the scope of this investigation is somewhat limited.”
    “Cripes. You’re really not into your job, are you?”
    Slade shrugged. “It’s just a temporary detour.”
    “It strikes me that you have a very poor attitude, Chief Attridge.”
    “Okay, okay. Here’s the most likely scenario. Last night after closing up someone noticed that the door of your shop was open. He came inside, took a quick look around to make sure everything was okay, and then he left. How’s that for a theory of the crime?”
    “Absolutely pitiful. But it’s obviously all I’m going to get in the way of law enforcement so I’ll take it.” She turned and went into the front room. “Would you like a cup of coffee?”
    “Depends. Is that a bribe? If it is, I think you’re supposed to include a doughnut.”
    “Sorry, no doughnuts. Something tells me bribery would be useless with you, anyway.”
    “What makes you so sure of that?”
    “My intuition. You are in luck, however. I happen to have half a loaf of leftover zucchini bread that my neighbor, Thelma Duncan, made for me.”
    “Thelma Duncan’s zucchini bread seems to be everywhere at the moment. Myrna brought a loaf to the station this morning. Rex ate it.”
    “The whole loaf?”
    “Well, he and Officer Willis split it. Turns out Rex loves Mrs. Duncan’s zucchini bread.”
    “That’s good, because I’m told it will be around for a while. Mrs. Duncan is an incredible gardener and as it happens zucchini season just hit. I’ll cut a slice for Rex.”
    She went behind the counter and unwrapped the zucchini bread. She was very aware of Slade watching her as she cut a slice and set it on a small paper plate. She set the plate on the counter.
    Slade looked over his shoulder. “Come and get it, Rex. Zucchini bread.”
    There was a muffled chortle from the vicinity of the vintage purses and bags. Rex appeared. He scampered across the room and bounded up onto the counter. He rushed to the plate of zucchini bread and fell to it with evident enthusiasm.
    “Amazing,” Charlotte said. “You’d think after the loaf he shared with Willis this morning he would have had his fill of zucchini bread.”
    “Not yet,” Slade said.
    Rex polished off the slice of zucchini bread and bounded back down to the floor. He disappeared amid the array of antiques.
    Charlotte ladled coffee into the filter. “Keep an eye on him, please.”
    “That’s hard to do in this place.”
    “I’m warning you—”
    “I know. Your you-break-it-you-buy-it policy.”
    “Right.” Charlotte poured water into the coffeemaker and started the machine.
    There was a short silence behind her. She watched coffee drip into the glass pot.
    “You never went for a full Covenant Marriage,” Slade said after a while.
    Startled, she swung around. “No.” She took a deep breath. “No, I haven’t. Not yet.” She turned back to the