A Killer Read (32 page)

“Y
ou don’t think the driver was trying to kill us, do you?” Lizzie asked as Mark pulled into her driveway. The question had been nagging at her all the way home.

They’d been examined in the emergency room at the Ashton Corners Memorial Hospital and released, although the intern had suggested that neither of them be alone overnight. Jacob had been waiting patiently in his car, parked in front of Sally-Jo’s house, when they dropped her off.

“I sort of doubt it, Lizzie. Although he probably wouldn’t have been upset if you’d landed in the river. But if he’d really wanted you dead, he would have turned around and finished the job.” Mark shook his head. “I’m thinking it was more of a warning. The problem is, trying to find an older model black car with some front-end damage— I’d bet there are a lot of vehicles that match that description around this county. Now, I’m coming in and we’re going to have a little talk and you’re going to tell me in detail what you’ve been up to today.

“And then I’m going to sleep on your couch tonight. This time I mean it.” He put up his right hand to stop her protest.

“I was just going to ask if you’d like a beer or tea.”

Mark grinned as he turned off the ignition. “Beer. Talk. Sleep. Okay?”

Lizzie nodded and hoped he didn’t see her smile.

The cats demanded to be fed before anything else could be done. Once she’d filled their bowls and refreshed the water dish, Lizzie got two beers out of the fridge and joined Mark at the kitchen table.

She ran through a travelogue of every stop she and Sally-Jo had made, of everyone they’d spoken with. Mark listened and made a few notes.

“I’d say you touched a raw nerve with someone today. It seems very unlikely to me that this is to do with something your daddy was writing, although we won’t rule it out totally. So that leaves Frank Telford, which is the most logical, since he was murdered recently. Although, you may be onto something, tying Harlan Fowks and that manuscript with Telford. The question is, what is the tie-in?”

He took a long swig of beer and sat thinking. Lizzie was lost in her own thoughts. The realization that both she and Sally-Jo could have been seriously injured was sinking in. “Do you think my poor little car will be okay?”

Mark looked at her. “It’s hard to say. It depends mainly on whether the frame’s been bent. You’ll probably need a new bumper at the very least. And new airbags. Maybe Harley Hoyt can fix it up. He put new life into my old Camaro.”

“You still have that red Camaro from high school?”

“Yeah. I had it stored while I was away and then tooled around with it but wasn’t getting very far. Harley gave me a hand, and now it’s running just great. Have to do something about the paint job next, but that’s costly.”

“Wow, that was some flashy car, Mark Dreyfus. And double whammy when you were wearing your football outfit.
A real chick magnet.” She started laughing, feeling suddenly much better than she had in a few hours.

Mark joined in. “That was my aim, in those days. We’d all pile into my car and Ritchie Day’s Mustang— remember Ritchie’s Mustang?—and then spend the rest of the evening cruising down Main Street before heading up to Brower’s Point.”

“And we won’t go into what went on there.”

Mark shook his head. “We surely won’t.” He sat watching her for a couple of minutes. When he spoke, his voice was devoid of humor. “I’m going to start looking into all of these connections tomorrow, first thing. And I want you to promise me, you’ll leave it all to me. No more excursions to Stoney Mills, asking questions. Just consider yourself lucky that it’s me hearing this and not Officer Craig.” A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

Lizzie looked at him and shuddered. “Yikes, you’re right. I couldn’t face going through that. And I’m quite happy to leave it to you, now that you’re looking in the right direction.” She yawned and tried to cover her mouth with her hands.

He looked like he was going to respond but changed his mind, shaking his head instead. “I’d say it’s bedtime.” He went into the living room and looked at the couch. “This’ll do just fine.”

“I do have a daybed in the spare room you can use.”

“This is okay. I can make do with a blanket and a pillow.”

Lizzie nodded and trudged upstairs to get them for him. When she came back down, he was checking all the windows and doors. She removed the extra pillows from the couch and set it up for him, watching as he removed his gun and laid it on the coffee table, within reach. She turned back to him, at the door.

“What about Patchett?”

“I made a quick call to my neighbor, who’ll walk and feed him. Jeff’s been keen to do it and has a key.”

Lizzie nodded. “Thanks again, Mark.”

He smiled. “A light breakfast will do me just fine.”

T
he cats weren’t quite sure what to make of the newest addition to the morning routine. Lizzie had fed Brie and Edam, then cooked up a breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon, hash browns and toasted corn bread for the two nonfelines in the house.

They were just about finished when the phone rang. Lizzie answered and glanced up at the ceiling when she heard Bob Miller’s voice. Of course he knew what had happened. Everyone in Ashton Corners was probably finding out about it at this very moment, she thought. She gave him the short version and assured him she and Sally-Jo were both fine.

“This is going too far, Lizzie. We need to have a meeting of the Ashton Corners Mystery Readers and Cheese Straws Society this very evening. Put our heads together and try to put an end to all this.”

“Yes, Bob.” Lizzie agreed when she finally got a word in edgewise. “Would you be able to call everyone about that?”

“That’s what I’m going to do, and meanwhile, young lady, you stay around folks today. Don’t go off secluded anywhere. And I’m going to give that chief of police a call and tell him to keep some cruisers in your vicinity.”

“Why, he just happens to be here, Bob. You can tell him right now, if you want,” Lizzie said all innocently.

“No, ma’am. I’m going to head on down to his office and have a talk to him.”

“You might want to give him a couple of hours, Bob. He has another stop after here.” She looked at Mark, eyebrows raised.

He looked down at his clothes and nodded.

“Thanks for calling, Bob. See you later.”

Mark waited until she sat down again before talking. “I take it the illustrious former chief will be paying me a visit.”

“He will. And I don’t want to spoil it for you. He can tell you himself what you should be doing.”

Mark grinned ruefully. “Seems that’s the only kind of conversation I have with him.”

“Seems Bob has not-so-fond memories of you. Would that be before, during or after your Camaro days?” she asked teasingly.

Mark turned beet red. “Yes.”

Lizzie grinned. “More toast?”

Mark shook his head. “Thanks, but no. This was delicious, in fact a much better breakfast than I usually have, but I’d better head home and change so that I present a dutiful appearance for all my visitors. Now, stay close to people today. Don’t go off on your own anywhere.”

“That’s what Bob said.”

Mark grunted. “Did I hear there’s a book club meeting tonight? At Molly’s?”

Lizzie nodded to both questions.

“I’ll have a car posted outside, and it will follow you home.”

“Is this more personal service?”

“Afraid not, Lizzie. I’m guest speaker at the chamber of commerce meeting tonight.” He shook his head. “Who would have thought it? Anyway, someone— I’m not sure who’s on tonight— will be keeping a close watch on your place all night.”

“Thanks, Mark. I appreciate it.” She walked him to the door. “All of it.”

He looked at her a moment, inspecting her face, then gave her a light kiss on the lips. Her lips tingled as she watched him get in his car. It was then she noticed the manila envelope sticking out of the mailbox. Mark wasn’t a light sleeper, that was for sure.

She was dying to read the pages, but one glance at the
clock had her racing upstairs to get ready for school. She had a quick shower and threw on some black cotton pants and a taupe chintz blouse with small black polka dots on it, and grabbed a three-quarter-sleeved black sweater from the drawer. She cringed as a sharp pain shot up through her neck. She rotated her head slowly and did a few gentle shoulder shrugs before dressing. She’d have to avoid sudden moves for a day or so, it seemed.

She called Sally-Jo, hoping she hadn’t yet left for school, and was pleased that she could get a lift in with her.

As soon as she hung up, the phone rang, and the caller ID showed it was George Havers. “Good to hear from you, George. What’s up?” Lizzie asked.

“Lizzie, I’m sorry to bother you so early, but I wanted to find out how you are. I heard all about the accident. You’re not hurt, are you?”

“Thanks, George, but I’m just fine. My car is another matter, though.”

“Chief Dreyfus’s office wouldn’t give out too many details, and I’m not trying to pry for more, believe me. I just wanted to make sure you weren’t hurt. I also wanted to let you know that I’ve not had any luck finding out what story your daddy was chasing. I’m real sorry about that.”

“That’s all right, George. I do know the story is the reason he was over in Stoney Mills so often and that it might have had something to do with Telford Construction and one of their development schemes.”

“Telford again… hmm. That gives me a bit more to work with. Let me give it another try, and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can. Bye now.”

He’d hung up before she had a chance to answer. The phone rang again, but she let it go to message this time as Sally-Jo pulled up out front.

Word had spread. Several of the teachers stopped her in the hall, asking if she was all right. Even the principal, a quiet, dour-faced man in his fifties who had surprisingly
progressive ideas, stopped by the staff room at lunch to ask how she was. By the time her day had ended, she was happy to escape the concern of her friends. She noticed the police cruiser parked on the street, with a view of the front door, the back and the parking lot. She waved when she recognized Officer Craig. She bet that really burned her, having to babysit Lizzie. That made Lizzie’s day.

“Could you drop me at Hoyt’s garage, please, Sally-Jo? He has a loaner for me,” Lizzie said.

“Sure thing.” She yawned. “Sorry, I had a bit of a late night. Jacob stopped over. And then Bob Miller phoned to tell me, us, about the special book club meeting tonight. It’s sure a good thing that the literacy classes are cancelled tonight. Talk about timing. Anyway, I’m gathering you won’t need a lift to the meeting tonight.”

“No. Thanks for this, though. I appreciate it. Is your shoulder still bothering you?”

Sally-Jo shrugged a couple of times. “Not really. I think it’s just sore to the touch. It hasn’t stopped movement or anything.”

“And how is life in general?”

Sally-Jo looked over at her. “You know, don’t you? Tell me, how do you know?”

“It came up in conversation with Jacob… I sort of backed him into a corner. How are you taking it?”

Sally-Jo sighed. “Well, I’m angry that he didn’t tell me he was married, but I guess I understand. I think it was moving a bit too fast, anyway. We’ll still go out now and then, but we need to take our time in getting to know each other. And he can just get his life in order before anything deeper forms between us.”

“That sounds wise.” She glanced over and saw that Sally-Jo didn’t look too broken up. “You know, changing the subject, I’m real hesitant about saying too much tonight. I don’t want the others to get too involved, just in case this escalates in any way.”

Sally-Jo looked a bit shocked. “Oh my gosh, what do you think could happen?”

Lizzie shrugged. “Nothing, I hope. But if whoever ran us off the road hears that some of us are still snooping, who knows what they might do.”

“I guess you’re right. We’ll tell them what happened but say the police are taking over from now on. That is right, isn’t it?” She glanced at Lizzie, a worried expression on her face.

“Yes, it is,” Lizzie assured her. She wondered, though, if the latest installment of the manuscript might have some answers that would tell her what to do next.

L
izzie should have realized by the weight of the envelope that it held only one chapter this time. She skipped to the last page. Nothing indicated it was “the end.” Maybe this really was a work in progress and one chapter was all that could be managed at this point.

She started reading, moving over slightly in the chair to let Brie snuggle in beside her while Edam leapt onto her lap. She waited until they’d both settled and then read.