Devil's Playground by D. P. Lyle

Author:D. P. Lyle [Lyle, D. P.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Murder Mystery, Thriller
Publisher: Reputation Books
Published: 2014-08-14T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 21

After leaving Cat Roberts’ office, Sam drove to Millie’s. She gave Millie her order, then joined Lisa and Charlie who sat in their usual booth.

“You look like hell,” Lisa said as Sam sat down.

“Thanks. I sure feel better now.”

“No. I mean you look tired. Rough night?”

“Couldn’t sleep.”

“How’s Mrs. Blumenthal?” Charlie asked. “Did the bogey man get her last night?”

“I wish,” Sam said. “It was a tumbleweed this time.”

Charlie laughed. “Was it armed?”

Sam shook her head. “Someday she’s going to have a real prowler. Of course, she’d invite them in for cake and coffee.”

“What kind was it last night?” Charlie asked.

“Chocolate. I declined, but she insisted. It’s sitting in my fridge at home right now.”

“Any word on Walter?” Lisa asked.

“No,” Sam said. “I spoke with Cat Roberts this morning. She said she would give me a call after she saw him on morning rounds. Hopefully, we can interview him later today.”

Millie placed a stack of pancakes in front of Sam. She drenched them with syrup and dug in.

“I wish I could eat like you,” Lisa said. “But, I’d weigh two-fifty.”

“Take up boxing. Or run in your sleep all night.”

“Good morning.”

Sam recognized the voice before she looked up into Nathan’s eyes. She felt a warm blush of embarrassment rise in her face. Of course he couldn’t know about her dream she told herself. It didn’t help. She still felt uncomfortable, like new lovers awakening in the morning next to each other.

“Good morning,” she managed to mumble.

Lisa eyed him, and then raised an eyebrow at Sam, who kicked her under the table and gave her that not-a-word-from-you look.

“Have a seat,” Lisa offered.

“Thanks, but I’ve got to run.” He looked at Sam. “I saw your Jeep out front so I stopped in to let you know Reverend Billy has arrived.”

“Great,” Sam said. “I thought I could at least finish breakfast before the day turned to shit.”

“Who’s Reverend Billy?” Charlie and Lisa asked in unison.

*

By the time Sam drove the half-mile to town, the gray clouds had thickened and were heavy with the threat of rain. Like a billowy comforter, they smothered the wind and took the chill off an otherwise dismal day.

Main Street was choked with activity, so that she had to park a block short of her office. Four buses, each emblazoned with Reverend Billy’s likeness and messages of Heavenly praise, lined the street. A crowd had gathered in front of the bank, across from Garrett’s Groupies’ corner hangout. The throng, mostly reporters and cameramen, but also shopkeepers and others who happened to wander by, blocked the flow of traffic.

Sam walked up the street, her mood souring with each step. She herded the crowd onto the sidewalk so that the only traffic jam in the history of Mercer’s Corner could clear, then milled toward the back of the group to prevent their drifting back into the street.

A man ascended the steps of the bank and turned to face the crowd. He was large and square--a square head, atop a block body, supported by two Doric column legs.

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