painting. I’m taking it to the police station. Are you all set here until I get back? Mom can help too.”
“I’m all set.”
Lily went back to get Maggie and bring her along but she had fled out the back door before Iris could stop her. The front door jangled and Lily heard Ryan’s deep voice asking Daisy where he could find Lily. He didn’t sound happy. Lily walked to the front.
He looked at her package. “What do you have?”
“I was just coming to see you. Marion Barry’s niece was sneaking in my back door to try to hide this in my shop.” Lily unwrapped the painting and held it up.
Ryan was shocked at what he saw. “I just got an anonymous call that I could find the painting here. But I didn’t believe it. Lily , this doesn’t look good at all.”
The door opened and Nina Baldwin burst in, snapping photos. Of course she got one of Lily holding the painting before Lily had a chance to put it down or shoo Nina from the store.
Nina fired questions at Lily. “Why did you steal the painting, Ms. Bloom?”
Lily’s mouth opened and closed without any words coming out. She couldn’t believe what was happening. She wondered who kept making her look like a thief and murderer. Her anger fired up her determination to find who was doing this.
Nina turned to Ryan. “I just got an anonymous call that Lily Bloom had the stolen painting. My article will be on the front page again.”
Ryan gently took the painting from Lily. He leaned close to her so no one else could hear. “I think you should come to the station so we can talk about this.”
Lily started to argue but changed her mind. “Okay. I was coming anyway. ”
Chapter 5
Lily sat across from Ryan with a pitcher of water and two cups on the table between them. Her brain was trying to organize the events of the last twelve hours. There had to be a logical explanation in there somewhere. Ryan poured water into both cups.
“Lily. Tell me what happened.”
“I’m trying to figure it out myself.”
“Well, start at the beginning and tell me everything you can remember.”
“Elizabeth Stevens introduced me to Marion Barry just before the lights went out. I felt something fall into me, which turned out to be Marion. Is there a cause of death yet?”
“Not yet.”
Lily continued. “Ruth Walsh, Marion’s personal secretary—have you talked to her?”
“Just tell me the facts and then we’ll talk about what I know.”
Lily took a sip of water and forced herself to focus. Too much information was twirling around in her head. “Ruth Walsh basically accused me of being the cause of Marion’s death.” She paused. “It came out of the blue and shocked me.” Lily noticed people walking by the room, glancing in. She was glad it was Ryan sitting across from her.
“ Nina pulled me away and took some photos. By then, it was like a circus and I left with Daisy, Marigold and my mom.”
Ryan was busy scribbling down notes. “Do you remember anything or anyone else that seemed strange?”
“Not really. Elizabeth and her husband were standing together while she announced that the museum was closing.”
Ryan looked up. “You went straight home?”
“No. We stopped at the market and I ran in to get some premade pizzas. Then we went to my house. Daisy put the pizzas in the oven and I invited Jennifer over. Nothing out of the ordinary there.”
Ryan scowled. “ I know you told me some of this before but I want to go over it again to make sure I have it straight. Why did you go back to the museum?”
“We were just about to eat when I got a call from Elizabeth that she found my purse at the museum and could I pick it up. She said she would be leaving shortly but would wait if I came right over.”
“What time was that?”
“Um, I guess it was around seven thirty. I drove right over, talked to her for a minute and went back home.”
Ryan put his pen down. “Did she seem agitated or upset? Anything out of the ordinary?”
Lily got