Murder of a Pink Elephant (12 page)

With that, Skye paid for her lunch, yanked the brown paper sack off the counter, and marched out of the shop.

There was a stack of pink “while you were out” slips in her box when she got back. She sorted through them as she walked to her office. Her mother had left three messages, Vince had left two, and Wally, one. Gee, all the people she wanted to talk to wanted to talk to her too. How nice.

Before she could decide whom to call first, the telephone
rang. Skye snatched up the receiver and Opal announced that Chief Boyd was waiting to see her.

Wally walked into her office and took a seat. “You were right. The fire victim is Logan Wolfe. His wife identified his tattoo yesterday, and we got word late this morning that his dental records match.”

“I see.” Skye played for time as she considered how to broach her questions. “Did she say why she hadn’t reported him missing?”

“She thought he was spending the night with a friend. She wasn’t sure who.”

“Is she a suspect?”

Wally shifted uneasily, his leather utility belt creaking against the chair’s armrest. “There’re a lot of people we want to talk to.”

“Like the friend he was supposed to stay with, I imagine,” Skye prodded.

“Yes, and his other friends, too.”

“I hear you’ve already started talking to them.”

“Only a few. We just got the dental confirmation a couple of hours ago.”

Skye’s nostrils flared. “So, Vince was first on your list?”

Wally no longer seemed able to look her in the eye. “Not necessarily. He just happened to be the easiest to find.”

“But he is a suspect?” she persisted.

“He is one of the last people who saw Logan alive.”

“Besides the killer, you mean.”

“Sure.”

“Was Vince able to shed any light on your investigation?”

“Right now, I’m just trying to get the timeline straight.” Wally fished a small pad of paper and a pen from his pocket. “That’s why I wanted to talk to you. Did you see Logan once that girl starting screaming ‘fire’?”

Skye took a moment to recall what had happened. “No. I couldn’t see the back of the gym from where I was originally,
and by the time I rounded up the kids and got them out the emergency exit, only Vince and Finn were on stage, and no one was nearby.”

“That fits with what I’ve heard so far.” Wally got up. “Do you know the name of the girl who first screamed ‘fire’?”

“I never saw her. I heard a commotion by the stage while the band was still playing, started toward the noise, and then heard someone scream ‘fire.’”

Wally stopped at the door. “I need to talk to Frannie Ryan. Do you know if she’s at school today?”

“She’s here, but wouldn’t it be better if you talked to her at home?”

“I have her father’s permission to interview her.”

“Good. But I was thinking that maybe it would be dangerous for her if whoever killed Logan thinks she knows something and sees her talking to the police.”

Wally sighed. “When does school get out?”

Skye looked at her watch. “In an hour.”

“Okay. In the meantime, I’ll go talk to Finn.”

“I’m surprised you aren’t more interested in Rod, since he was the first to leave the stage when the fire alarm started.”

“I haven’t been able to locate him. Unlike Vince and Finn, he doesn’t have a steady job.” Wally shrugged. “Besides, anyone could have snuck back in during the commotion, killed Logan, and slipped back out again.”

Skye sat staring into space after the chief left. So Rod was missing. Maybe he had murdered Logan.

  
CHAPTER 11
  

T
he phone was ringing when Skye stepped through her cottage door at five o’clock. Shortly after Wally left, she had been summoned to an after-school meeting at the junior high, which had lasted until a few minutes ago. She hadn’t had a chance to return her mother’s calls, and her short conversation with Vince hadn’t added much to what Wally had told her.

Skye scooped up the receiver and said, “Hi, Mom.”

“How did you know it was me?” May demanded. “Did you get one of those caller ID thingies?”

“Nope. Just took a guess.” Skye could tell from her mother’s tone that May had spent the afternoon working herself into a lather. “Did you hear that the murder victim is Logan Wolfe?”

“Uh-huh. I think Wally suspects your brother of killing him.”

“Why do you say that?” Skye answered cautiously, not wanting to stir May up any more than she already was.

“Because as soon as Wally found out the victim was Logan, he tore out of the station and went straight to Vince’s salon.”

Skye had forgotten her mother was dispatching the
seven-to-three shift today. “But he didn’t arrest him. Vince said that Wally just had some questions about the timetable that night.”

May exhaled so loudly it sounded like she was blowing a raspberry at Skye. “Your brother has a lot of wonderful qualities, but the ability to tell whether he’s in trouble is not one of them.”

Skye had to agree. “I saw Wally briefly after he talked to Vince, and he claimed he was talking to Finn and Rod, too.”

“They aren’t our concern. Vince is. Besides, something is going on with Wally. He’s not himself lately.”

So May had noticed that, too. Skye wanted to hear what her mother had observed. “How’s he different?”

“It’s hard to say. He seems fuzzy and not real interested in anything much.”

“That’s not good.” Skye poured dry cat food into one of Bingo’s bowls and water into the other.

“No, it isn’t. Which is why I want you to help Wally find out who really killed Logan Wolfe.”

“But, Mom—”

May interrupted, “Before he arrests your brother.”

A sick feeling invaded Skye’s stomach. She had been trying not to think about the fact that Vince had been a murder suspect once before, when an old girlfriend had returned to Scumble River and ended up being stabbed with his styling shears. After the queasiness passed, she said, “I’ll keep my eyes open.”

“Good.” May’s voice shook. “I don’t want to ever have to visit my baby boy in jail again.”

“Don’t worry, Mom.” Skye understood her mother’s feelings. Visiting Vince in jail had been one of the worst experiences of her life, too. “I’ll take care of it.”

There was a moment’s silence, then May said, “Maybe you can ask some questions at Wally’s Meet and Greet tonight.”

“You’re
still going to that? I thought you’d be mad at Wally for suspecting Vince and would boycott his campaign rally.”

“Of course I’m not mad at Wally.” May’s tone was innocent. “I just don’t want him to make a big mistake and look bad.” Skye was digesting her mother’s reasoning when May added, “Besides, haven’t you ever heard the saying, ‘Keep your friends close and your enemies closer’?”

Skye made a noncommittal sound, then said, “I thought maybe he’d cancel the rally after the murder and all.”

“Why should he?” May sniffed. “People can’t expect him to work as a policeman twenty-four hours. You are still going?”

“Simon’s picking me up at six.”

“But it starts at six. You’ll be late.”

Skye rolled her eyes. It didn’t take more than five minutes to get anywhere in Scumble River. “Events like these never get started on time. We’ll be there before anything happens.”

“I’ll save you some food, in case they run out early. I’m bringing a couple pans of lasagna and a batch of fried chicken.”

“Sounds great.” Skye’s mouth watered. May’s cooking was legendary. Her food alone could win the election for Wally. “See you there.”

Skye took a quick shower and changed into burgundy wool slacks with a matching angora twin set. An occasion like this one was tricky. Too dressy, and people talked about you for being snooty; too casual, and people said you’d been raised in a barn.

She was trying to decide between the pearl and the gold earrings when the doorbell rang. She hurried to the foyer, looked out the window, and flung open the door.

After briefly embracing Simon, Skye said, “We’d better
get going. Mom’s worried we’ll be late and miss all the food.”

“Let’s go, then.” Simon raised an eyebrow and grinned. “We can’t have May in a tizzy.”

May and Simon had a mutual admiration society going. May thought Simon would be the perfect husband for Skye and father for her children. And Simon thought May was the ideal mom, unlike his own mother, Bunny, who had recently reentered his life after a twenty-year absence. Skye, on the other hand, found Bunny’s casual but not smothering affection refreshing.

It took them only a few minutes to drive to the VFW Hall, where the rally was being held. The veterans were backing Wally and had offered their facility for the event.

People stood three deep at the bar, creating a human wall blocking access to the rest of the building. Simon and Skye edged through the throng as they headed for the banquet hall in back. They finally made it through the doorway but could only take a few steps inside. The room was already crowded, and the people waiting in line for the buffet to open snaked twice around the perimeter.

Skye’s parents waved from their spot near the front, but not wanting to start a riot, she and Simon didn’t try to join them. Cutting in a buffet line in Scumble River was akin to cheating on an exam at West Point: at the least, it could get you thrown out, and at the worst, you might find yourself on the wrong end of a gun barrel some dark evening.

Simon asked, “Are you hungry?”

“Yes.”

“Do you want to stand in line?”

“No.”

“Then let’s have a drink first.” Simon tugged her toward a portable bar that had been set up at the back of the room. “My guess is that once the buffet opens up, the line will go down pretty fast.”

“Okay. I’ll grab a table.” Skye let go of Simon’s hand. “Get me a Diet Coke with lots of ice and a lime, and if they have pretzels or anything, bring some of those too, please.”

Skye watched Simon disappear into the horde and then flung herself into the mass. Once she broke through the outer mob, the middle of the room was relatively deserted. Skye chose a table near the center front where they should be able to see and hear everything.

She could see instruments and amps scattered across the stage and wondered if Vince’s group would still play now that they had been told their lead singer was dead. And if they didn’t, who would Wally get at the last minute to fill in? She just hoped it wasn’t the Maxalencovich Accordion Trio, Scumble River’s only other entertainment option.

Since attendance at this event would be a declaration of support for Wally as mayor, Skye looked around to see who had come out on his side. She noticed several people she worked with, which was a bit surprising since Ace Cramer, the other candidate, was a well-liked teacher.

More expected attendees were the officers and dispatchers from the police department. Wally was popular with his employees.

Skye strained to see the rest of the room, curious as to which of the town’s business owners would support the chief. A swell of voices indicated that the buffet had opened, and the mob surged forward. Simon’s prediction proved right, and the line moved quickly. By the time he joined Skye at the table, nearly half the people were balancing full plates and searching for places to sit.

He put a tall glass in front of her. “Sorry, no snacks, but it looks like we’ll get to eat supper soon.”

‘Thanks anyway.” Skye smiled at Simon as he sat next to her, then pointed and asked, “Isn’t that Xavier and Frannie over there?”

He looked where she had indicated and nodded. “Okay if we ask them to join us?”

“Definitely. I didn’t get a chance to talk to Frannie at school today, and I want to see how she is.”

Simon waved his arm at Xavier, who nodded and spoke to his daughter. The two headed toward Skye and Simon.

When they arrived, Skye said, “Hi! Mmm, the food looks wonderful.”

Xavier nodded to her and Simon as he held out a chair for his daughter and then seated himself. He wore a shiny navy blue suit that Skye had seen him wearing at every wake and funeral she had ever attended. She wondered if he had several of them or if it was the same one all the time.

Frannie started talking before she was fully settled at the table. “Ms. D., I have an awesome idea for the front page of the next edition of the
Scoop
.”

“Great. I’m glad to see you here. I wanted to talk to you at school today and make sure you were okay, but I never caught up with you.”

“I’m fine.” A shadow crossed the girl’s face. “I guess you saved my life.”

“No. You were all right.” Skye patted Frannie’s hand. “Someone would have found you sooner or later.”

Frannie nodded but didn’t look convinced.

Skye made a mental note to talk to the girl alone and help her process the experience, but since this wasn’t the time or place, she decided to change the subject. “Nice dress.”

“Thanks. Another one of my catalog purchases.” Frannie retied the ribbon on the peasant neckline. “I’m finally getting some cool clothes.”

Simon and Xavier had been silent while the females were talking, but now Simon spoke up. “But you always look nice, Frannie.”

Frannie rolled her eyes at Skye, who shrugged. Most men
knew about as much about fashion as Skye knew about subatomic physics.

Skye turned to Xavier, who was looking at them as if they were all aliens. “I’m glad to see Frannie is feeling well enough to be out this evening,” Skye said.

He dipped his head slightly. “Me too, miss.” His pale blue lashless eyes were magnified behind old-fashioned horn-rimmed glasses, making them seem reptilian. “I wanted to thank you for saving her.”

“Really, I didn’t do anything.” Skye was embarrassed by his gratitude and she tried to make light of her part in Frannie’s rescue. “I couldn’t have our school’s star reporter get hurt.”

Xavier nodded, as if understanding her discomfort. “I was happy to hear she would be spending some time with you on the newspaper. With me being older than the other fathers and her mother gone, she’s needed a woman’s attention.”

“No problem. I like spending time with Frannie.” Skye hadn’t quite figured Xavier out yet. When she first met him, she had been slightly repulsed by his odd appearance, but since then, she had found a lot to admire.