Michelle did a story about the local fire department and its new fire engine. She learned a lot from the fire chief about how fires were started and how they were fought. She put it all into a nice article, with photos of the firemen. Minette ran it on the front page.

“Favoritism,” Cash Grier muttered when she stopped by to get Carlie for the drive home that Friday afternoon.

“Excuse me?” Michelle asked him.

“A story about the fire department, on the front page,” he muttered. He glared at her. “You haven’t even done one about us, and we just solved a major crime!”

“A major crime.” Michelle hadn’t heard of it.

“Yes. Someone captured old man Jones’s chicken, put it in a doll dress, and tied it to his front porch.” He grinned. “We captured the perp.”

“And?” Michelle prompted. Carlie was listening, too.

“It was Ben Harris’s granddaughter.” He chuckled. “Her grandmother punished her for overfilling the bathtub by taking away her favorite dolly. So there was this nice red hen right next door. She took the chicken inside, dressed it up, and had fun playing with it while her grandparents were at the store. Then she realized how much more trouble she was going to be in when they noticed what the chicken did, since it wasn’t wearing a diaper.”

Both women were laughing.

“So she took the chicken back to Jones’s house, but she was afraid it might run off, so she tied it to the porch rail.” He shook his head. “The doll’s clothes were a dead giveaway. She’s just not cut out for a life of crime.”

“What did Mr. Jones do?” Michelle asked.

“Oh, he took pictures,” he replied. “Want one? They’re pretty cool. I’m thinking of having one blown up for my office. To put on my solved-crime wall.” He grinned.

They were laughing so hard, tears were rolling down their cheeks.

“And the little girl?” Michelle persisted.

“She’s assigned to menial chores for the next few days. At least, until all the chicken poop has been cleaned off the floors and furniture. They did give her back the doll, however,” he added, tongue in cheek. “To prevent any future lapses. Sad thing, though.”

“What is?”

“The doll is naked. If she brings it out of the house, as much as I hate it, I’ll have to cite it for indecent exposure...”

The laughter could be heard outside the door now. The tall man with jet-black hair hanging down to his waist wasn’t laughing.

He stopped, staring at the chief and his audience.

“Something?” Cash asked, suddenly all business.

“Something.” Carson’s black eyes slid to Carlie’s face and narrowed coldly. “If you can spare the time.”

“Sure. Come on in.”

“If you don’t need me, I’ll go home,” Carlie said at once, flushed, as she avoided Carson’s gaze.