Deadly Accusations (12 page)

THE MOMENT CASEY SPOTTED THE
warring groups of kids exchanging dagger stares, she knew this would be a bad shift. The freckled boy who'd been stealing glances at the pretty, leather-jacket girl over recent shifts was now sporting a crimson face and staring at the ground. The object of his affection stood behind her brother, preventing Casey from seeing her face. What had happened?

As usual, the jackets ambled toward the M10 bus in front of their rivals. The brother, whom she'd learned was called Mo, maneuvered his sister to the head of the pack. The girl's large sullen eyes met Casey's and then looked away. Behind them, the ball-capped bunch jogged up the steps and sought their usual seats at the front.

As Casey headed for a spot midway between the groups, she scanned the passengers' uneasy expressions. Marie perched on the edge of her seat, near the jackets, and watched every move they made. The tension swirling around these kids was so strong that one could almost feel an electrical charge.

A couple of elderly passengers bristled in their seats across from Casey. The lady in the aisle seat gripped her cane with both hands and murmured to her friend. The women shook their heads at the group in front. From his driver's seat, Lou turned and gave Casey a wary glance. She returned a don't-like-this-either look. She noticed that he didn't look at Marie. Neither of them had spoken to her this morning, nor had Marie asked for Casey's decision about helping Noel, which was just as well. She still hadn't made up her mind.

As the freckled boy rummaged through his backpack, he glanced at the pretty girl.

Mo sprang into the aisle. “Scott, you freak! How many times do I gotta tell you get your ugly eyes off her!”

Casey and Marie both stood.

“Sit down right now,” Marie said to Mo.

Scott moved down the aisle as his hands curled into fists. “She's the one who asked for my notes.”

“Liar!” Mo charged forward until Casey blocked his path.

“Both of you, sit down. Now!”

The boys glowered at each other.

“Hello?” Casey waved at Mo. “Are you listening? If you don't do as I ask, you walk home, understand?”

Mo's friends started to rise.

“I said sit down!” Marie ordered.

The sister remained seated, her pensive eyes focused on the boys. As Scott and Mo stepped closer to each other, Lou slowed the bus. Standing sideways in the aisle, Casey held out her arms until her fingertips touched their chests.

“The driver's pulling over; last chance, guys.” If they were listening, they didn't show it. “Did you hear—” Casey found herself sandwiched between the grappling boys. Someone tugged on her jacket. Spittle landed on her cheek. “Stop it!” She squirmed to free her arms.

Scott was a little shorter than her, Mo half a head taller. The bus lurched to a stop, knocking the boys off balance and enabling Casey to wedge her elbows against their chests.

“Enough!” Marie yelled. “You two are out of here.”

“All right, kids,” Lou called out. “Back off.”

The boys kept scowling at each other. Neither of them moved. Marie reached Mo just as Scott shoved past Casey and drove his fist into Mo's stomach. Mo lost his balance and grabbed Casey's arm. She tried to break free but couldn't and went down with him. The back of her head thudded against the floor.

“Casey!”

She heard Lou's voice, but her eyes were shut tight as waves of pain ricocheted around her head. Mo's leg jostled under her right thigh and then slid free. The back of her head felt like it was on fire. She opened her eyes, but wavering black dots made it hard to focus on the faces hovering above her.

“Casey?” Lou asked. “Are you okay, hon?”

“I think so.” She closed her eyes again, hoping the dots would go away. Her head pounded so hard she could only hear snippets of chatter.

“Sorry, lady.” Mo's voice. “I didn't do it on purpose.”

“Move back!” Lou reached for Casey's arm. “Let's get you up.”

Hands slid under her back. Pain shot across her skull as they helped her sit up.

“Where are you hurt?” Lou asked. “It's your head, isn't it?”

“Yeah.”

Casey squinted while hands clasped her back and shoulders. Nausea rippled through her as she was lifted off the floor and into a seat. Perspiration dampened her upper lip.

Lou's warm hands touched her cheeks. “I'll call for an ambulance.”

“Don't, I just need aspirin and a cold pack.”

“You might have a concussion.”

“Sorry about what happened.” Scott looked panic-stricken as he appeared in front of her. “I didn't mean for you to get hurt.”

Before she could respond, Lou turned on the kid. “She asked you to stop and you didn't!” He removed a notepad from his shirt pocket. “I want your name and phone number.”

After Scott mumbled the information, he and his friends left the bus.

A minute later, Marie reappeared. “The other bunch is leaving too. I've got their names and numbers.”

Lou turned to Casey, his eyes filled with worry and what she thought might be fear. “You look so pale.”

“I'm fine.” She tried a smile, but it made her feel worse. “I blew it again.”

“You took action from the get-go, and of course you couldn't manhandle a bunch of kids, especially after what Jasmine did.”

Casey started to shake her head, but it hurt too much. “I'm off my game. Can't even catch the stupid rockhound.”

“Lou, it looks like the fight's continuing outside,” Marie said. “It'd be safer if we call the police rather than intervene.”

“Then do it,” he said as he studied Casey. “Let me check your head.”

His fingertips began a gentle probe until she gasped with pain. “You're already swelling. I'll get a pack from the first aid kit.”

Casey took slow, deep breaths to calm her churning stomach. Around her, passengers muttered things she couldn't quite decipher.

As Lou returned, he hit the pack, then shook it. “Here, it's already getting cold.” He handed the pack to Casey. “I don't have any painkillers, but I'll see if Marie does.” He squeezed her hands. “Are you sure you don't want to go to the hospital?”

“Absolutely.” Carefully, she held the pack against the part that hurt the most.

“Okay, call if you need me.”

Marie joined them. “Are you all right, Casey?”

“I will be.”

“I've got Advil.” Marie dropped a couple of pills in her hand, then gave her the bottled water she always carried.

“Thanks.” After she took the pills, she closed her eyes once again. Gradually, conversations faded as she blocked out everything and tried to relax.

She had no idea how much time had passed when Marie shouted, “Look at that!”

Casey sat up slowly as they turned into Mainland's yard. She didn't notice anything unusual until the bus was facing the garage at the back of the depot. Someone had spray painted “Remember Jasmine” in large red letters across the top of the building.

Lou helped her off the bus. When they reached her Tercel, he stopped to examine the back of her head. “You're growing one hell of a goose egg. Are you sure you don't need a doctor?”

“The Advil's helping.” She had no intention of waiting in an emergency room for god knows how long. “I should go in and write my report. Stan will want it asap.”

“You can do it from home. Didn't you just buy a laptop so you could send reports from anywhere?”

“Good point. I just need a few more minutes before I get behind the wheel.”

“I'll get you another cold pack, and then I should drive you home.”

She didn't want to leave her car here. As Lou hurried toward the admin building, Casey leaned against the Tercel and gazed at the sign. Given everything she'd learned about Jasmine this week, how could she not remember her?

She surveyed the silver compact parked next to her. Didn't Eisler's assistant, Jan, drive one? Or was it the new girl? Shit, why was she even thinking this way? The vehicle spotted at the murder scene probably didn't belong to Mainland staff at all.

“Do you like the sign?”

Casey turned to find Roberto strolling up to her, his lunch pail and apple in hand. A grease streak ran down his right pant leg. “Well, it's big. Who made it?”

“That's a mystery.” Roberto's amused expression faded as he stepped closer to her. “You look hung over.”

“I got caught between two kids fighting. Fell and hit my head.”

“Marie must have had a shitty time too.” He glanced over his shoulder at the admin building. “I passed her a minute ago and said hi, but she wouldn't even look at me. I wonder if she heard about the pool.” He bit into his apple.

“What pool?”

Roberto chewed a few moments. “After Marie started telling people about the
VP
being hot for Jasmine and that he didn't have an alibi, some of the guys started a murder pool.”

“Tacky, Roberto.”

“They're just trying to help the morale around here. Anyway, Birch is the heavy favorite despite his so-called alibi, though my money's on Eisler.”

“Why?”

Roberto's expression became grim. “The night before Jasmine died, she called me around midnight. Said that Eisler had phoned her earlier, while Noel was there. The jerk wanted to meet her for a drink, but she turned him down.”

“Have you told the police?”

“I will when I need to.” He took another bite of apple.

“What does that mean?”

“Nothing much.” Roberto shrugged and kept chewing.

“Hey, would you like to take one of Jasmine's hamsters or guinea pigs off my hands? I can't keep them.”

“No, you know me; I'm rarely home.”

The smell of diesel fumes from an incoming bus made her feel nauseous. Nearby, three clerical staff stopped walking to look up at the sign.

One of them turned to Roberto and said, “Nice work.”

“It wasn't me,” he replied.

Casey wasn't surprised that none of the women spoke to her. Word had gotten around that she was helping Marie find the killer, and staff had started avoiding her. Not everyone wanted their alibis investigated by a colleague. A handful of curious employees kept asking Casey what she knew. Those were the people she'd started to avoid. Still, the truth had to come out. Secrets and lies had a way of piling so high that, sooner or later, they'd topple. The larger the stack, the more harmful the crash. Her parents' deceptions had taught her that.

“Who else is on the suspect list in your pool?” Casey asked.

“Jasmine's half sister, Gabrielle. Marie told us some nasty things about her.”

The big mouth had been busy. “Did Jasmine say anything about Gabrielle's visit the Sunday before she died?”

“I didn't even know her half sister was in town until Marie told me a couple of days ago.”

“Did you notice any irritability in Jasmine before her death?”

“Jasmine was her usual sweet self.” Roberto watched the clerks head for their cars.

Sweet self? Hadn't he heard about her and Jasmine's nasty exchange on the stairwell the day before she died? On the other hand, Jasmine had been friendly with Roberto the same morning.

“Roberto, did you ever take any photos of Jasmine?”

He smirked. “Why, do you want one for your album?”

“Funny; I saw a picture of her recently and was wondering who the photographer was.”

“Maybe it was professionally done.”

“No, she looked asleep in her bed.”

Roberto's eyebrows shot up. “Freaky.” He took another bite of his apple. “We never talked about her love life. Just went dancing and out for beers.” He glanced at Casey. “You know me. Never serious, always moving on.”

Casey knew about Roberto's commitment phobia, and how it often clashed with his inability to be alone. Therapists could build careers on Roberto's relationship issues. She wouldn't be surprised if he'd slept with Jasmine.

Behind them a familiar voice said, “Miss Holland, why are you interrogating my staff?”

Casey and Roberto turned to find David Eisler standing by the hood of her car. His arms were crossed and his pinched mouth formed a thin line on his perma-tan face. How long had the jerk been eavesdropping?

“We're just chatting,” Roberto said.

Casey knew Roberto didn't like the
VP
. Eisler probably didn't like him either.

“Are you aware that Miss Holland's helping Mrs. Crenshaw look for a suspect to replace her brother?”

“Not at Mainland,” Casey replied.

Lou joined them, his expression wary as he looked at Eisler and Roberto.

“I don't want you asking employees about Jasmine.” Eisler glared. “Understand?”

Was he afraid of the truth? “Yes.” Casey bit back her anger as she accepted the fresh pack from Lou.

“Roberto, I want that sign gone today, is that clear?”

“I didn't do it.”

“I don't care. You work in the garage, so get rid of it.” He charged inside the building.

“What flew up his ass?” Roberto asked, turning to Lou. “How's it going?”

“It's going.”

Casey wondered why he was staring at Roberto's apple. Why was Lou avoiding eye contact with him? These two were buddies.

“Do you guys think Noel's innocent?” Roberto asked.

“Don't know,” Lou answered.

Roberto moved closer to Casey. “You aren't really digging for dirt on the guys Jasmine was seeing, are you?”

“No.”

“Then why were you asking me about photos and Jasmine's mood and stuff?”

“Just curious. You know what I'm like.”

“Don't start playing games, okay?” Roberto's voice was quiet.

“I'm not.” Casey placed the cold pack on her bump. “You came up to me, remember?”