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    She grabbed the purple skirt. Red Hat Society, right! That little Susie hadn’t even known what that was. She could have spit out any excuse to mix those colors and it wouldn’t have mattered. The truth was, that skirt was a great match for a lavender beaded blouse she’d picked up on a recent assignment in Seattle. She could dress it up with shiny black boots. That outfit would be perfect for an occasion when she rinsed out the red dye and sported a salt and pepper look.
    She rummaged through the rest of her purchases – metallic gold slippers; every gal needed a pair of those! The turquoise and coral poncho she’d found at the co-op would be exquisite with the jewelry she’d bought in Santa Fe. Just as the fringed leather jacket would complement the boots she’d brought back from Montana. But especially enticing was the black satin lingerie set, slinky nightgown and matching robe. As much as she missed Morris, there was no harm in keeping an open mind toward the future.
    Carefully, she replaced the purchases in their bags, lining them up on the cushions in the little bay window. Pulling out her knitting needles and a vibrant, purple skein of mohair yarn, she settled in beside them with her thoughts. The sitting area was a nice touch in an otherwise basic room. Not that there was anything wrong with the room. It just wasn’t her particular cup of Scotch. The blue and white décor struck her as dull. Still, it fit the nature of a bed and breakfast.
    One of the perks of her trade was getting to travel. She knew she’d be bored if she stayed in one place too long, though San Francisco felt as close to home as anywhere. She might have moved there on her own even if Morris hadn’t had to be there for that luxury hotel project. There was a charm to San Francisco that spoke to her. She adored the majestic span of the Golden Gate Bridge, the smell of freshly baked sourdough bread at Fisherman’s Wharf and the exotic atmosphere of Chinatown. It had been a no-brainer to stay after Morris died.
    Other cities registered high on her favorites list, as well. Santa Fe had been a blast when she had tracked down a cheating husband for a woman in Albuquerque. She’d found a fabulous painting of chili peppers at one of the many art galleries there. It fit in with the kitchen décor of her San Francisco penthouse perfectly. Of course, Santa Fe was worth a visit just for the food. How she loved the southwestern spices!
    Charleston was another favorite, though that had been a tougher assignment. Embezzlement was much harder to prove than infidelity. She was lucky to have friends in the banking industry – thank you, Morris! Those contacts were able to get inside information to her about suspicious deposits and transfers to overseas accounts. What was it she had purchased there? Ah, one of the sweet grass baskets at the market place, the largest one the craftswoman had for sale. It held the massive collection of mail order catalogs in her living room. She saw no reason to stop her shopping sprees just because she was home.
    That brought her back to this assignment, which was going to be even tougher. For one thing, she already liked Molly. That never helped. The cheating husband in Santa Fe had been an obnoxious jerk. Busting him had been rewarding. He deserved it. But Molly was genuinely likable, soft-spoken and sweet. It was hard to believe she could be involved in crime, but it wasn’t her job to judge. She’d tracked her down, which was half the job finished. Now she just had to keep her own emotions out of the mix, find the evidence and get out of Cranberry Cove. Without drawing attention to herself, of course, or she’d lose one of her favorite vacation and shopping locales.
    She’d hesitated to take on the assignment, truth be told. The idea of tracking a person others might also be tracking didn’t sit well. Binky had made it clear he’d discussed the case with other investigators, though he said he’d given her