Page 93 of Little Dark Deeds

CHAPTER 33

Iwas sitting on mybalcony, patting Luka, as the investigation worked its way through my mind.I thought about everything I’d seen and everyone I talked to in the last week.It wasn’t long before my thoughts turned to the lighter, and the fact Queenie may have been murdered because of it.

I picked my laptop up off the chair beside me and turned it on.Then I entered a description of the lighter and clicked to get the results.Turned out, there were thousands of black lacquer lighters with a chrome finish.

I tried again, this time by era, since the lighter had a vintage look to it.The ’20s and ’30s yielded similar results, but it wasn’t until I searched the ’40s that I saw something unexpected—the exact lighter Queenie found in Tiffany’s kitchen.

As I sat there, staring at it, thoughts flooded my mind, connections being made faster than I could receive them.

Breathe.

Process.

Though I still had questions, it was all coming together.

I believed I knew who murdered Tiffany.

I just didn’t know why.