by Liz Turner
But then her eyes alighted on a familiar sight: Sergeant Jackson! He was moving through the crowds, his notebook in hand. Hallie smiled. Despite all this, seeing her dear friend, with his usual calm demeanor, had soothed her.
Thanking the paramedics, and feeling much better, she left the ambulance and walked over to the sergeant. “Sergeant Jackson!”
He spun around in surprise, which quickly turned to concern when he saw who it was. He looked Hallie up and down, and she was suddenly aware of what a sight she must be. Her brown suit had become disheveled and her skin had acquired a thin layer of soot.
“Doctor Malone! You were inside? Are you alright?”
“Yes, yes I’m quite intact. It takes more than a little theater fire to get rid of me, you know!”
Jackson’s concern didn’t lift from his face. “It was more than a little fire, I’m afraid… that was why I was called in. I’m to investigate the cause, along with our fire department here. As soon as this is cleared out, and the danger passed.”
Hallie looked at the theater. The fire had been put out—or at least, no active flames were visible from Hallie’s vantage point—and the crowd had dwindled; most of those still milling around were the firemen. She should have been relieved to see the matter solved so quickly, but Jackson’s countenance disturbed her. A trickle of dread moved through her body.
“Have there been any deaths reported?” Hallie held her breath. The commotion, her rational concern for her own health, and then the sudden appearance of Jackson had all distracted her from the possibility that this ordeal she had just survived was perhaps a tragedy. Had other moviegoers not been as lucky as she? She thought again of Cindy and fought the urge to shout her name above the crowd.
“All the patrons have been accounted for—they’re safe,” came Jackson’s reply.
Hallie breathed a sigh of relief. Cindy was alright.
“—But one death has been reported.”
“So that’s why your investigation is so urgent,” Hallie said, understanding now his concern. “One of the staff?”
Jackson nodded. “A rather important member of the staff, yes.” He glanced around, then led Hallie to a more secluded spot. “Ordinarily, I wouldn’t share such information, but I have a feeling the force is going to bring you on as medical examiner on this one, so I’ll fill you in on the details.”
“Yes?”
“Timothy Watts. The projectionist.”
Hallie recalled her first glimpse of the smoke. It had been coming from around the projection room. “He—didn’t get out in time? Was he trapped? Did the fire start in the projection room?” The words tumbled out feverishly.
“We don’t have the answers to those questions just yet. The fire department will investigate the cause of the fire later tonight, once the emergency is officially over, and, well, I suppose you’ll answer your first questions. The autopsy should indicate whether it was asphyxiation or burning, or falling debris.”
Hallie nodded. The air was beginning to feel hot again, and she politely excused herself, citing exhaustion.
“Of course, of course, go home. This has been quite an ordeal for you, Doctor Malone,” Jackson replied kindly.
***
When Hallie arrived home, tired and smelling of smoke, she found Cindy fast asleep on the sofa in the parlor. Though she had known her housekeeper was alright, it was still a relief to see her unharmed with her own eyes.
“Cindy,” Hallie said gently, shaking her awake.
“Doctor Malone!” Cindy replied, bewildered and sleepy. After looking around for a moment, she brightened. “I was waiting up for you. I was worried sick…but apparently also quite tired.” She smiled sheepishly, then wrapped Hallie in a big hug. “What a night! All this,” Cindy gestured to her evening wear, now rumpled and smudged. “And we didn’t even get to see the movie! What a shame. …. I hope the theater will be alright? They said everyone made it out okay, right?”
Hallie smiled weakly back at her friend. She didn’t think now was the time to tell her about the casualty. It would only upset her further. “We’re lucky it wasn’t worse. Let’s head up to bed, shall we?”
Nodding and rubbing her eyes, Cindy led the way up Hallie’s stairs where their bedrooms were. Later that night, Hallie lay awake, exhausted but unable to fall peacefully into sleep, her mind whirring with suspicion. How is it that only one person… and someone who knows the innards of that theater like no one else…
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Murder At The Movies
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Other Books by
Liz Turner
A Cozy Mystery In The Mountains Series:
Murder on the Menu
Trail Mix Murder
Getaway to Murder
Murder at the Festival
Murder: The Final Dare
A Rare Catch Cozy Mystery Series:
Murder At Starlight Resort
Murder At The Barbecue
Murder at the Renaissance Fair
A Margie Lauderdale Cozy Mystery Series:
French Cuisine Murder
Wedding Bells & Murder?
Murder at the Wine Tasting
Dr. Hallie Malone Cozy Mystery Series
Murder at the Movies
Murderous Escapades (Mega 10 Book Box Set)
Copyright © 2017 by Liz Turner.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.
Publisher’s Note: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination. Locales and public names are sometimes used for atmospheric purposes. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, or to businesses, companies, events, institutions, or locales is completely coincidental.
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