Murder in the Balcony by Margaret Dumas

Author:Margaret Dumas
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: cozy mystery;humorous mystery;Henery Press
Publisher: Henery Press
Published: 2019-07-09T18:46:13+00:00

Chapter 21

The police had been summoned by the alarm we’d set off, then they called the fire department and the EMTs, who bandaged a cut on my hand from the fire extinguisher that I hadn’t noticed. We both got oxygen and were draped in thermal blankets and told to wait in the open back of the EMT truck.

I glanced up at the theater to see Trixie’s anxious face at the office window above the marquee. I smiled as best I could behind the oxygen mask and gave her a thumbs up, shielding my hand from Hector’s view with the blanket. She waved back, mouthing something I couldn’t make out but looking relieved.

Then the doors to the theater burst open and Callie and Monica spilled out into the street.

“Nora!” Callie yelled. “What’s—”

“Are you all right?” Monica called as they crossed the street to us. “What happened?”

I lifted the mask from my face. “I’m fine. There was a fire at the café.”

“And you went in there?” Monica stared at my bedraggled state. “What’s the matter with you? Are you crazy?”

“You tell her, lady,” a passing fireman said. He looked over at Hector and me. “You guys are idiots. You should never have gone in there. Nothing is worth getting killed over.”

He was right. Of course he was right. But my instinct hadn’t stopped to check with my common sense when I’d seen Lisa’s café on fire. My instinct could have gotten me killed. And Hector. I shivered.

Callie was still staring at all the flashing lights and activity in confusion. Monica was fussing with my blanket. “You guys should go home,” I told them.

This seemed to call Callie back to her senses. She looked at me. “I’ll put some coffee on. Tell everyone the lobby’s open if they need to come in and get warm.” She turned on her heel and left. She hadn’t even noticed Hector.

“I’ll bring some CBD salve over in the morning,” Monica said. “It’ll help with—” She stopped. She’d just noticed the man sitting next to me.

He removed his oxygen mask. “Hello, Monica.”

“Hector?” She looked from him to me.

“He came with the pizza,” I explained.

“You…why are you here?” she asked him.

“Yes.” I turned toward him. “Why are you here?”

He looked at me. “Gabriela told me you said ‘hi.’”

Served me right.

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