Mom gaped, the last thing she expected me to say, I guess. She recovered quickly enough while Liz laughed, though she smothered her amusement after a single bark.

"Sorry," the agent muttered. "It's not funny. But seriously." Her dark brown eyes sparkled. "Did you really?"

Grumble. I filled them both in on the case, along with Crew's little act of town defiance making me a deputy. Liz slapped me on the shoulder, grinning, while Mom looked suddenly very ...