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When you’re done, you find out you have more questions....

I t took a few days and a lot of interviews and reviewing local camera feeds as well as those on the ferry, but soon Tabitha and Nate were charged in the death of Robert Meade III.

Lilly showed up at the bookstore the next Thursday night with bags filled with a full dinner and dessert from the Local Crab for five.

She’d asked Meg to invite Dalton and Natasha, and she brought Josh along with her.

“I wanted to thank you three for helping Troy find Robert’s killer.

He told me that you put the clues together for him, so all he had to prove was that they were around the island that day.

Felicia said we could close the bookstore for the night, so lock the front door and put up the sign and let’s eat.

” Lilly started unloading the bags. “This is my favorite restaurant on the island. I adore Emmett’s selections. He’s always adding something new.”

Dalton met Meg’s gaze as she remembered the fight, no, disagreement, they’d had about letting her uncle know of Emmett’s connection to Robert Meade.

Dalton grabbed a chair from the back so they’d all have a seat, then said, “Well, it didn’t hurt that Nate was so mad about her dumping him that he told Chief Miller all about Tabitha’s plan and how she’d leaked the information about you two to Meade. ”

Josh shook his head. “I knew that Tabitha was determined to win, no matter the cost, but I thought that was in career matters. I didn’t realize she played hardball in her personal life, too.”

Lilly laid her hand on his chest. “You’re lucky that she wanted out of Meade’s loan program more than she wanted you dead for cheating on her.”

Josh’s eyes widened. “I didn’t think of it that way. I guess I’m going to have to stay with the woman who kills people on paper rather than in real life. You don’t have any research on new methods of murder you need to perfect, do you?”

They all found a seat around the table.

Lilly laughed as she dished up some of Emmett’s lobster mac and cheese. “Not at this moment. But someone might be more worried about my research assistant and her plans to kill off her philandering fiancé.”

“Don’t bring that up. Uncle Troy already had a fit when he read the plans I wrote for your assignment. I hadn’t changed the names in the version he read.” Meg rolled her eyes, thinking about her uncle’s visit to her apartment. “I swear, working for you is never boring.”

“I’ll take the boring parts of the writing job,” Lilly said as she passed the mac and cheese.

“I like losing myself in my characters’ world while I enjoy myself with friends and family in this one.

I’m sorry Jolene couldn’t make it tonight.

She’s in Seattle, at a show she’s wanted to see forever. That woman works too hard.”

Meg watched as the group chatted about the island and work and then got on the subject of books.

The scene was straight out of her daydreams, the ones she’d had when Aunt Melody told her she’d gotten her a job with the L.

C. Aster. They might not be best friends now or ever, but she already had Natasha and Dalton for that.

The Mystery Crew rides again. The guidebook to being an amateur sleuth might not be as easy to write as she’d assumed, but the process was going to be fun.

Because she wasn’t alone. She had a community.

Dalton met her gaze from across the table and smiled at her.

And maybe there was room in her heart for more than just friendship. Again.