Maple Mayhem (A Sugar Grove Mystery) by Jessie Crockett

Author:Jessie Crockett [Crockett, Jessie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Group US
Published: 2014-07-01T00:00:00+00:00

Thirteen

I waited in the police station for nearly an hour before Mitch made time to question me. I had no idea if that was to bug me or if he really had other things he had to take care of first. Either way, Myra had plenty of time to go over the grislier bits of Frank’s death and to toss out theories of her own as to how he died.

“My money’s on aliens,” she confessed in a low voice. I assumed it was out of deference to Phoebe and not because she worried about what others thought of her belief in aliens. Myra was a UFO enthusiast who attended a local alien convention every year.

“You think extraterrestrials killed Frank.”

“I do indeed. I think they planted some sort of chip in his head that made him spout all that antigovernment nonsense.”

“But why would they murder him?” I was whispering, too. The whole conversation felt so disrespectful I was becoming queasy just listening to Myra, let alone participating.

“I bet the chip was malfunctioning and they had to dig it out before anyone detected it.”

“You think an alien species that can build a craft and navigate a course into a distant solar system would hit Frank over the head with a piece of firewood to retrieve delicate technology?” Myra bit her lip then changed the subject.

“How’s it going with Mr. Hot Stuff?” Myra raised her voice a bit like she wanted Mitch to hear her.

“I’m sure I don’t know who you mean.” I was getting prim, I could just feel it. You know how when Pinocchio lies his nose grows longer? Well, with me, my posture improves and I feel my buttocks clench and I suck in my cheeks a bit because my lips are pursing like a devout spinster with a mouthful of sauerkraut juice. My voice raised an octave and my fingers itched for something to do like stitching a sampler or tatting a doily. My mother would say the lying stressed me out so much it caused me to revisit a previous incarnation. Or maybe allowed me to channel a long-dead family member with better moral fiber than my own.

I expect if she was right, it was Myrtle Greene, the unmarried sister of the only pastor the family ever boasted. Her strict sense of decorum and behavior befitting a Christian is the stuff of family legend. If you ask me, Myrtle wouldn’t condescend to channel herself in the first place. Such a thing would carry the stink of the occult. But if she did, she’d surely choose to filter through Celadon instead of me. After all, Celadon is the one who teaches Sunday school and I only manage to get to church at all one Sunday in three. I know because my grandparents remind the Saturday night before the third Sunday morning.

“That stud in the outdoorsy gear. You know, the game warden.”

“They’re called conservation officers now.”

“No matter what you call him I’d be happy to let him measure my fish anytime.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.