Of course, no one said I had to marry the guy, I thought as I looked at the empty cat bowl. It sure did feel like the house was missing something without Pandora. My eye went to the pie plate and carrier I’d washed that morning. Might as well follow in Pandora’s paw steps and return it to Elspeth.

I shrugged on a sweater and boots, then headed out through the woods carrying the pie plate and carrier inside the bag Elspeth had sent them over in. It was less than a ten-minute walk to Elspeth’s and I could see her sitting on her porch as I approached the house. She was wrapped in a green crocheted shawl, her right arm held straight out and resting on the porch railing, a pile of birdseed in her open palm.

I watched in wonder as a gray tufted titmouse landed on her hand and pecked at the seeds. A brown chickadee bobbed his head up and down on the rose vine, twittering loudly as he waited for his turn at the buffet of seeds and nuts Elspeth offered.

The birds flew off as I approached the porch. “Sorry, didn’t mean to scare away your friends.”

“Oh, that’s okay. I’ve been feeding them by hand for years now. They’ll be back tomorrow.” Elspeth stood and leaned over the railing, wiping her hands together and letting the seeds fall into the garden.

“I brought your pie plate back. The pie was delicious.” I set the bag down on the porch as Elspeth settled back into her wicker chair.

“Meow.” Pandora peeked out from behind Elspeth and I noticed the orange tiger cat sitting next to her. A Siamese lay at the foot of Elspeth’s chair, and a big jet-black tomcat sat off to the side.

“I figured you had run over here,” I said to Pandora who came over and rubbed herself against my ankles.

“Have a seat.” Elspeth gestured to a green wooden rocking chair. I sat and Pandora jumped into my lap.

“I was wondering what you know of Ophelia Withington.” Pandora dug her claws into my leg and the orange cat hissed.

“Shush, Tigger,” Elspeth said to the cat. “Ophelia isn’t a bad person … she just got a little lost when Pete died.”

“Someone saw her around the library at the time Lavinia was killed.” I looked at Elspeth. “Do you think she could have done it? Did Ophelia and Lavinia have some sort of grudge or secret?”

“Secret?” Why do you ask that?”

I chose my words carefully. I couldn’t tell Elspeth that Lavinia’s ghost had lied to me about lighting a candle. “Oh … just something I found out when I was asking around.”

“So, you are looking into Lavinia’s murder?” Elspeth nodded. “I figured you would.”

I didn’t have a good comeback for that so I just shrugged.