Final Curtain by Mignon F. Ballard

Author:Mignon F. Ballard [Ballard, Mignon F.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: General, Fiction, Mystery & Detective, North Carolina, Women Sleuths, Suspense, Ghost
ISBN: 9781933523699
Publisher: BELLA ROSA BOOKS
Published: 1992-01-02T00:00:00+00:00

Polly was dripping with perspiration when she left the rehearsal room at noon and met Tim and Placenta in the hallway. “We’ll have to do IHOP or Denny’s,” she said. “Dragon Lady wants me back at precisely one o’clock. I’m never going to get her damned choreography! The steps are nothing like what I’ve done in every past production of this show. On opening night, Jerry Herman’s going to be as pissed off as Lauren Bacall was the night she didn’t win the Oscar.”

As the trio walked toward the changing room, Tim said, “I’ve got interesting news. Charlotte thinks she knows who killed Karen.”

Polly and Placenta both stopped abruptly and looked at Tim.

“Who?”

“How?”

“What?”

“When?”

Polly said, “I suppose Charlotte just volunteered information because you played the Good Samaritan and drove her home. What gives?”

“Ha! I dragged the confession out of her. Like they do at Guantanamo, but without the waterboards or electrodes or that snarling Doberman-rottweiler Lynndie Englund.”

“So what did she tell you?” Placenta eagerly asked. “It’s Sharon, right?”

Polly gave Placenta a slight shove. “It’s not Sharon. I’ve told you. It’s Gerold. Or…” Polly thought for a long moment. “I can’t concentrate with all this perspiration soaking my clothes. Let me change and I’ll tell you who the killer is over luncheon.”

“A shower won’t help with this riddle.” Tim smiled. “But change anyway, and then I’ll fill you in on the results of my little interrogation this morning.”

Finally seated in a booth at IHOP, Polly ordered iced teas for the trio. As soon as the waitress left to fetch their drink order, Polly turned to Tim. “Hand it over. What did that conniving Miss Nobody say? Who killed Karen?”

“You said you’d tell us who the killer is.”

“It’s not as simple as naming names,” Polly backtracked. “First, I’ve gotta hear what Charlotte had to say.”

“We don’t have all day,” Placenta reminded her; then she turned to Tim. “What’s the bottom line?”

Tim grimaced. His well-rehearsed recounting of how he had expertly tortured Charlotte would go unheard. “Okay. Long story short…”

The smiling waitress returned to their table with her order pad. “Have ya’ll decided what you’ll have?”

“A large order of privacy, please,” Placenta said.

Polly smiled up at the dumbfounded waitress and placed a hand on her arm. “Please forgive this indigent, dear. She’s off her meds. I graciously picked her up off the street and offered a much-needed hot meal. Still, would you do me a favor and give me another five ticks to decide that I’ll have something that looks like the yummy food I see on your TV ads?”

The waitress had recognized Polly the moment she walked into the restaurant, and was thrilled to find that she was a sweet down-to-earth star. “You betcha!” she said, then disappeared from the dining room into the kitchen.

“There’s no need to be mean to the help!” Polly chastised Placenta. Then she turned to Tim. “Yeah, yeah. Long story short. Make it shorter. I haven’t got more than a few breaths in my body before the pancake girl comes back.

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