Murder of a Royal Pain by Denise Swanson

Author:Denise Swanson [Swanson, Denise]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Suspense
ISBN: 9780451226587
Google: wLqM78QFvxwC
Amazon: 0451226585
Barnesnoble: 0451226585
Goodreads: 4933210
Publisher: Signet
Published: 2006-07-31T14:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 15

Show Me the Meaning

“I’m fine, really.” Skye got up, brushed the dry leaves and dirt from her shins, and looked herself over. Her clothing had survived her fall better than she had. Her hands and her knees were scraped and bloody, but her skirt was pristine.

A concerned group of parishioners surrounded her, and Skye heard one man mutter, “We never used to have crazy drivers in Scumble River. There’re too many outsiders here these days.”

“What happened?” Skye directed her question at the three women she had been eavesdropping on a few minutes prior. They had managed to work their way to the front of the crowd, and stood facing her.

“You were nearly run over.” Andrea ripped open a packet of Wet Ones. “Here, you’d better clean up before you stain your nice outfit.”

“Thanks.” Skye gingerly wiped the blood from her palms. “I remember a car stopping to let me cross the street, but when I got to the middle of the road, it seemed to speed up and I couldn’t move.”

“Yeah.” Kay Lynn dug through her purse and produced a small tube of antiseptic ointment. “You were doing a deer-in-the-headlights imitation.”

“Then suddenly I was airborne.” Skye couldn’t stop talking, her heart was racing, and it felt as if she had chugged a triple espresso.

“You were lucky.” Laurie handed Skye a couple of Band-Aids. “Some guy came out of nowhere and pushed you out of the way.”

Kay Lynn gave a ragged little laugh. “I thought you were roadkill for sure.”

Skye looked around the circle. “Where’s the guy who saved me?”

Everyone glanced at his or her neighbor until Andrea answered, “He must have left.”

“Does anyone know who he was?” Skye asked. “I want to thank him.”

The group shook their heads.

“Did anyone get the license number of that car?” Skye tried again.

“No,” Andrea admitted. “We didn’t really see the whole thing. Only the back of some guy shoving you out of the street and a big car roaring away. Did anyone see anything else?” she asked the others, who all shook their heads.

“But I did call the police.” Laurie added, “They should be here any minute.”

As if her words had conjured it up, the distant sound of a siren grew louder. Everyone waited in silence as a squad car pulled up next to them and Roy Quirk got out.

He frowned when he saw Skye. “I should have known you’d be here.”

“Hey, I’m the victim.” Skye was in no mood for any of his crap. “Someone nearly ran me over; then instead of seeing if I was okay, the driver fled the scene.”

“Whoa.” Quirk took a pad and pen from his breast pocket. “Start from the beginning.”

After Skye told him what she remembered, he asked the people standing around, “Did any of you get the make, model, or license plate of the car?”

They shook their heads.

“Anyone recognize the driver?”

More shakes of the head.

“Can anyone identify the guy who pushed Miss Denison out of the way?”

Everyone remained silent, except Kay Lynn who volunteered, “He had a great butt.

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