by Marja McGraw
“Surprisingly, he’s just fine. The only thing he’s upset about is that we won’t let him tell his friends about what happened because we were afraid their parents wouldn’t let their kids play with him anymore. But he’s a hero, and we know it, and that’s the most important thing.”
I was afraid the other parents might believe their children would be in danger if they played with Mikey. There wasn’t any danger, but I didn’t want to take a chance.
“He can talk to me about it anytime he wants. I know it won’t be the same as talking to the other kids, but still…” Constance adored my son. He was the grandchild she never had.
“Oh, Constance, I’m sure he’ll be telling you all about it. I wish you could have heard him when he said, ‘They call me Ace.’ I can laugh about it now, but not in front of him. I was so frightened when I saw Mikey’s shoes behind Mark.” I was quiet for a moment while I thought about that night. “It was a mother’s worst nightmare.”
“What about the boyfriend? What was his name?” Constance was a stickler for detail, and she wanted to hear the whole story.
“Ryan felt vindicated because he was sure everyone thought he’d killed Kimberly. He swore he and Kimberly had patched things up, and he finally even convinced Cloene. He’s not really a bad guy, but he needs to grow up a little bit. Well,
maybe a lot.”
“Come on,” Constance said, “I know there’s more. Is that police officer still seeing the victim’s friend?”
“Yes, and it looks serious. They haven’t known each other long, but from what Janet tells me they’re already talking about marriage. I’ve talked to Ben since the night Mark was arrested, and he seems to be absolutely nuts about Cloene. I think they make a good couple. They complement each other.”
I thought for a moment while Constance and I sipped on our hot tea. She held up her cup and I poured more for her, pushing the sugar bowl across the table. Breaking a cookie in half, I rewarded the dogs for their patience with a treat.
“Judith joined Lila on stage at Bogey Nights again. Chris said a few people came in for dinner specifically to hear them sing together. They might just bring in more business.”
“I wonder what they’ll do to that neighbor. Any thoughts on that?” At the moment Constance seemed to care more about the crime than the restaurant. I could understand her curiosity.
“Mark? Well, the courts will see to it that he gets his just desserts. He won’t be going treasure hunting for a very long time.”
Constance spooned a little sugar into the tea cup and stirred it before taking another sip of tea.
“What about the twins? Are they still hanging around?” I didn’t remember telling her about Coral and Carol, but she knew about them.
“Oh, they’ve become good friends with Judith. They stop by the house every couple of days. They still don’t get along with each other very well. No, I take that back. I think their fussing is their way of getting along. I think they were kind of the comic relief during all the tragedy. Coral says she’s decided to write a book about Turnbal House and her mother.” I had a feeling she really would.
“And the guy with yellow teeth?”
“Nothing to report there. He lives with his mother now, and for the most part he minds his own business.”
Leaning back and smiling, I felt thankful that my little corner of the world was back to normal. Well, as normal as it could be with the Bogey Man and Ace in my life.
About the Author
Marja McGraw has past experience in both criminal and civil law enforcement, and she occasionally calls on this experience when writing her mysteries. She’s lived in California, Nevada, Oregon, Alaska and Arizona. She writes two series: the Sandi Webster Mysteries (female P.I.), and the Bogey Man Mysteries (amateur P.I. husband and wife team), both of which take place in Los Angeles. With her love of dogs, she’s included two yellow Labrador retrievers and a half Golden retriever/half wolf in her stories.
Her hobby is photography, and she says that writing as a job is the most fun she’s ever had. She and her husband now live in Arizona, where life is good.
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