Page 126 of Don't Cross Mo Ellery

A couple yards away, the EMTs call out to the firefighters, and I realize they’re finishing up. The ambulance is about to shut its doors, so this is my chance to be a good friend. Last time I fumbled. This time, I take it.

I hop in the back of the ambulance, ignoring the EMTs’ protests, and give Hannah a big, gentle hug.

“Thanks for keeping my blood mostly on the inside,” Hannah says. “I know outside blood isn’t really your deal.”

Honestly, I hadn’t thought about it for one hot second. I did it because I had to.

“Text me when you get home, okay?” I say.

She gives me another thumbs-up, and I edge around the bag of saline, hop out of the ambulance, and watch it drive away. Then I join Benny and Marlowe on the curb, all three of us totally exhausted and absentmindedly petting the dogs as they stretch out around us.

“Is Leslie going to die?” Marlowe asks. After missing most of the fireworks, Marlowe seems to be determined to get every detail out of us.

I shake my head. “The EMT said she wouldn’t be able to lower her right eyebrow for a few months, but otherwise, she’ll be fine. Turns out there wasn’t nearly enough Botox in that syringe to actually do any damage. Which I wish I had known like thirty minutes ago.”

“This is all my fault,” Benny says, holding his head in his hands. “I should’ve just said yes when she asked me to be Charlie’s handler for the dog show. And I definitely shouldnothave told her I was taking the poodles to the dog park instead of training Charlie today.”

Apparently, when he told this to Leslie, that was the last straw for her. The straw that pushed her from carefully plotting one murder at a time to committing many, many crimes of passion all at once.

“I’m the one who asked you to take the poodles,” I say. “And anyway, we had no idea she was an unhinged murderer.” But I understand how he feels, because I don’t think I’ll ever shake the feeling that I failed Claudia. I put my hand on his good arm and he winces. “Sorry.”

“She stomped on both of them,” he says.

“Well, I hope you get those arms in tip-top shape for dog walking soon,” I say. “These poodles aren’t going to walk themselves... and neither am I!”

“Pro bono, I assume,” he says, grinning.

“You know it.”

Marlowe has been picking leaves out of Jacques’s pompadour, and she abruptly changes the subject. “Hey, Mo, did you finish those adoption videos?”

“Sure did,” I say.

“How come you haven’t sent them to me yet?” Marlowe says impatiently, tapping her phone.

“I’ve been solving murders, hello? A little busy?”

Marlowe rolls her eyes. “Yeah, and I had a math test. It’s calledmultitasking.”

“Okay okay,” I say, sending her the files on my phone.

Yeah, I still can’t wait to get rid of the poodles, but as Jean nudges me for another scritch, I know I’m really going to miss them. Without them, it’ll be like none of this ever happened.

At least I’ll still have my seventh-grade sidekick. And hopefully Benny. And even more hopefully, Tasha—

Shit.

I leap up. “I have to go tell Tasha that things are about to get verycomplicated at her job.” I point at Benny. “Can you watch the dogs real quick?”

When I burst into the alderman’s office, Tasha is perched on the edge of the desk, staring blankly at the floor. She looks up when I enter and sort of grimaces at me.

Okay, with murder on the brain, I did neglect to take into consideration potential romantic awkwardness between us after the whole “accusing her of theft and possibly murder” thing. We’ll just have to push through. Couples have been through worse, right?

Then she hops off the desk and runs into my arms, and I feel my whole body relax.

“Tasha, I am sososorry about the other night at the coffee shop. I should’ve never accused you of murder.”

“Apology accepted. I’m just glad you’re okay!” she says. “Did you get my texts?”