Murder at the Jubilee Rally by Terry Shames

Author:Terry Shames [Shames, Terry]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Severn House
Published: 2022-06-13T00:00:00+00:00

TWENTY

It seems impossible that it’s only four o’clock. I don’t want to go to headquarters and leave Hailey alone, so Maria and I sit down at my kitchen table to talk about what we heard from Amber’s sister earlier and what to do next.

‘Playing poker,’ Maria says. ‘Do you suppose he’s addicted to gambling online? Maybe that’s where some of their financial problems come from.’

‘Or maybe he’s trying to beat the odds to take the pressure off their money situation. Either way, we’re going to have to ask him.’

We look at each other. We don’t want to wait around, but we can’t both go. ‘I’d like to volunteer to talk to him, but something tells me he’d be more willing to talk to you,’ she says. ‘I can stay here and call you if I need you.’

I don’t want to ask my deputy to babysit, but I feel the pressure of investigating Amber’s murder, and I’m not comfortable leaving Hailey alone. I want to go talk to Mike, and the only other solution I can think of is to take Hailey with me. Somehow, I can’t picture that being a possibility. But then it strikes me that this is exactly the thing that makes her think people are treating her like a child. If she were an upset adult, I would go do what I needed to do and leave a note.

‘We are both going,’ I say. And I tell Maria my thinking.

I write a note to Hailey that says: ‘Gone to question someone in the case. Back in an hour. Call me if you need me.’ But I do leave a babysitter of sorts. I decide to leave Dusty. I add to the note: ‘Please don’t let Dusty out. He tends to wander.’

Outside, Maria says, ‘I’m serious. I think it’s best if you talk to him alone. He’s a guy who might be finding out his wife was having an affair. He’s not going to want to admit it in front of me.’ She says she’s going back to the office.

‘Wait …’ I say. ‘I have an idea. Tell me if you think it’s a bad idea. Suppose Hailey comes to your self-defense class tonight?’

She nods. ‘That could work. If she’s OK with it.’

‘I think she would be.’

‘You know where it is, and it starts at six-thirty. Bring her.’

After what happened this afternoon, it seems like days since I talked to Amber’s sister, DeeDee, instead of this morning. She answers the door and when she sees me she flinches.

‘I need to have a talk with Mike,’ I say.

I follow her inside and she trudges down the hall to Mike’s bedroom door. From behind, she looks like someone headed for the doghouse.

It takes several minutes for Johnson to come out, walking slowly, with a cane. ‘What is it?’ he says, without preamble.

‘Can we go somewhere private?’

He glares at me, but says, ‘We can go in the kitchen.’ I don’t know why he would be annoyed with me, but people have strange reactions when they’re the victim of a violent crime.

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