Murder of a Stacked Librarian: A Scumble River Mystery

by Swanson, Denise

  “She claimed she was bird-watching.” King switched his cane to his other hand. “I said, in the middle of the freaking winter?”

  “Yeah,” his buddies echoed each other, egging him on. “She musta just been hot for you.”

  “I wish. She was really . . .”

  When King trailed off, Skye stepped forward and peered through the evergreen’s branches, thankful that there was no snow on the ground. At the same moment, the man in question swiveled his neck and saw her watching him and his friends.

  King’s mouth flattened into a mean line; he jerked his head in her direction and said to his buddies, “Let’s go have some breakfast. My wife can whip us up something. Geez, she stayed home from church ’cause she claimed she had so much cooking to do. And we won’t have to worry about some busybody sticking her nose in where it don’t belong.”

  King’s friends glared at Skye, then trailed after him as he limped toward a pickup parked in front of the building in a handicapped spot. Despite their injuries, all three men hopped into the cab without any perceptible difficulties, and the truck roared away.

  Her face burning, Skye decided it was time to see if Wally had arrived. She checked the street in front of the church and the one on the side, but there was no sign of him. She decided he must be waiting in the parking lot. But when she walked around to the back of the church, he wasn’t there either. Great! Her fiancé had forgotten about her on Christmas Day.

  CHAPTER 6

  By Book or by Crook

  “I’m really sorry I was a few minutes late.” Wally glanced at Skye as she got into the car. He’d finally arrived just as she was deciding whether to call him or hike over to the PD.

  “Fifteen.” Skye buckled her seat belt. “Fifteen is more than a few.”

  “It’s just that it turned out the senior crime tech was available and willing to meet me at the bridge,” Wally explained.

  “He volunteered to come all the way from Laurel to Scumble River on Christmas Day?” Skye’s voice held more than a hint of skepticism.

  “That was the thing.” Wally headed the T-bird toward Skye’s house. “He lives in Clay Center, so he was close by, and his ex-wife wasn’t dropping off his kids until ten thirty, so he had an hour free.”

  “I see.” She kept her gaze on the windshield. “Why did you need to go back to the accident scene?”

  “I wanted to have the tech show me how the vic’s car was forced off the road.” Wally glanced sideways at Skye, undoubtedly to check if she was still angry with him.

  “Hmm.” She adjusted the heat vent to blow on her cold hands. She’d forgotten her gloves. “I can’t quite picture how it happened, either.”

  “We can swing by now so I can show you,” Wally offered, clearly still in appeasement mode. But after another quick look at Skye’s expression, he said, “Or we could do it sometime tomorrow.”

  “Maybe tomorrow.” She leaned her head against the side window.

  “Right.” Wally turned the car onto Brook Road; they were almost back at Skye’s place. “I also wanted to have the guy see if there was any evidence that might have been missed the night before.”

  “Why?” Skye asked, curiosity winning over annoyance. Wally usually had a good reason for his actions. “Did you think the other techs had been careless?”

  “Not exactly.” Wally pulled into Skye’s driveway. “But at the time we all thought it was an accident, so they might have overlooked something last night.” He parked the T-bird in front of the house. “Now that we know she was forced off the road, I wanted a fresh pair of eyes to take a look and see if he could spot anything.”

  “That makes sense,” Skye said as she and Wally got out of the car and walked up the steps.

  Wally unlocked the front door and held it open for her. They took off their coats, hung them on the hall tree, and walked into the kitchen.

  Skye filled the teakettle. “Did the tech recover any new evidence?”

  “Yes.” Wally got out a teapot, mugs, and spoons. “Quite a bit.”

  “What did he find?” Skye asked, adding several packets of sweetener to a tray.

  “There were paint scrapings on the rail that matched the ones they found on the side of Yvonne’s car.” Wally opened a can of Earl Grey, spooned the leaves into an infuser, and placed the ball into the pot. “He also found fragments of glass that are probably from the perp’s vehicle.”

  “Was it a hit-and-run?” Skye poured boiling water into the teapot. “Or do you think someone deliberately forced Yvonne into the river because they wanted her dead?”

  “The tech said there’s no way this could have been an accident. The pattern of the paint transfer on the side of the vic’s car and the skid marks indicate that someone not only rammed into her, but they backed up and did it again.” Wally lifted the tray from the counter and followed Skye into the sunroom. “Whoever ran her off that bridge meant to do it.”

  “How awful.” Skye curled up on the love seat and Wally sat next to her. “In that case, I’d better tell you what I found out at church.”

  When she had finished recounting the various conversations she’d overheard, Wally slumped back and looked up at the ceiling. “It looks like we’ll have our hands full of possible suspects.”

  “And I’m sorry to say, we may not even have uncovered the first page of the prologue yet.” Skye leaned forward and poured tea into the mugs and handed Wally his. “I don’t think I told you that I ran into Anthony on Saturday at the Gift Box in Clay Center.”

  “Not that I remember.”

  “He said people were really looking forward to Judy Martin’s return because Yvonne had ticked off nearly every library patron she encountered.” Skye added Sweet’N Low to her cup. “Not to mention whoever was complaining about her in the Star.”

  “Son of a buck!”

  “Yeah.” Skye stirred in the fake sugar. “The only thing worse than nobody having a motive is when everybody has one.”

  Wally nodded his agreement.

  “Think about it.” Skye sipped her tea. “Yvonne exposed people’s shortcomings, which had to make them pretty darn uncomfortable. Not to mention that it looks like she annoyed them by insisting that they comply with every rule, no matter how trivial. If she didn’t put up with even small infractions like eating a sandwich in the library, then what would she do if she caught someone doing something really bad?”

  “Exactly.”

  “Folks may not understand Yvonne’s kind of thinking, but communities need people like her,” Skye mused. “If you let the small things go, it becomes too easy to turn a blind eye to the bigger things, until eventually there’s anarchy.”

  “True.” Wally frowned. “But being the one who stops the chaos from happening doesn’t win you any popularity contests.”

  “Yvonne reminds me a lot of you.” She poked Wally in the chest. “You’d never allow any hint of wrongdoing among your officers.”

  “Maybe.” Wally shrugged, then changed the subject. “Anyway, I want to wait until the crime lab narrows down the color and make of the perp’s vehicle before I talk to any of the possible suspects.” He ran his fingers through his hair. “And at best, they won’t have that information for me until tomorrow, and probably not until after lunch.”

  “Good.” Skye put her mug down and snuggled next to him. “Can we forget about the case until then and focus on Christmas?”

  “Definitely.” Wally tilted her chin up for a kiss, then vowed, “I promise not to even think about the murder for the rest of the day.”

  “Yippee!” Skye bounced off the love seat and went over to the Christmas tree. She selected three presents and brought them to Wally. “Here. Open this first.” She pointed to a box wrapped in silver. “It’s the one you got in the Leofanti gift exchange.”

  May’s extended family was too big for everyone to swap presents—only the kids got gifts from the whole group—so the adults picked names at Thanksgiving.

  He looked at the tag att
ached to a big blue bow. “I see my secret Santa was your cousin Ginger’s husband, Flip.” Wally tore off the paper and revealed a flat aluminum storage case. “Nice.”

  “What is it?” Skye stared at the label. CABELA’S was written in script on a forest green background.

  Wally opened the lid and showed her the contents. “It’s an all-in-one firearm-cleaning kit. How did Flip know I wanted this?”

  “I’m guessing my mom told Ginger and Ginger told Flip. He must have been pretty darned happy because it gave him an excuse to go to Cabela’s. He talks about that store the same way I talk about Von Maur.” Skye paused, then added, “You do realize that now that you’re going to be her son-in-law, May’s taking notes on everything you say or do?”

  “You’re kidding!” Wally’s eyebrows rose. “Why would she do that?”

  “Come on. You’ve worked with her for more than eighteen years. You must have realized that she’s elevated meddling to an Olympic sport. Why do you think she brings Vince his lunch every day? It’s to keep an eye on him and nudge him into doing what she wants.” Skye raised an eyebrow. “Have you noticed her talking to you more at work since we set the date?”

  “Well, maybe.” Wally shrugged. “It’s hard to say. She was always pretty chatty.”

  “Okay.” Skye bit her lip. “I should have warned you that Mom doesn’t have any perception of personal boundaries where her kids are concerned. She drops in unexpectedly, requires daily phone contact, and has spies everywhere.” She sighed. “In the future, be careful how much info you share with her. If she knows too much, she’ll be able to plan a coup and take over our lives.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind.” Wally leaned back. “But I’m sure it won’t be a problem for me like it is for you. You’re her only daughter.”

  “Right.” Skye stretched out the word. “I’m sure she’s not interested at all in the potential father of her grandchildren.” She stared at him, willing him to understand the seriousness of the situation. “It’s taken a lot for me to stop her from interfering. I know people think I don’t have a backbone where she’s concerned, but I’ve drawn some tough lines, and it will be harder to enforce them with even the possibility of babies in the future.”

  Wally nodded, but Skye could tell he didn’t fully understand, so she let the matter drop. She’d continue the discussion another time. Maybe after a few instances of May ambushing him, Wally would figure it out.

  Gesturing to the gifts she’d arranged on the coffee table, Skye said, “Open the big one next. It’s from me.”

  Wally loved the introductory selection from the Beer of the Month Club and immediately placed the six-pack in the fridge to chill. Next, he slid the paper off the Ford Thunderbird fiftieth-anniversary watch, and after admiring it, he put it on his wrist. Then he reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a tiny box.

  He gazed at it for several seconds before handing Skye the beautifully wrapped package and said, “I hope you’ll wear these on our wedding day.”

  Skye carefully removed the paper and lifted the velvet lid. Inside was a pair of gold earrings: two swirling ribbons, one lined with shimmering baguette-cut diamonds and the other with glittering round diamonds, formed an X. She caught her breath. They were dazzling.

  Wally looked into Skye’s eyes and said, “Since X marks the spot on a treasure map and you are the treasure of my life, I had to get them for you.”

  Skye’s throat closed and tears slid down her cheeks. No one had ever said anything like that to her before. A couple of men had told her that they loved her, but this was beyond being in love. Wally’s words meant so much more. She swallowed, unable to speak.

  “What’s wrong?” Wally wrinkled his brow. “Don’t you like them?”

  “I love them and I love you!” Skye flung herself into his arms and rained kisses all over his face. “You are everything I ever wanted in a man and had given up hope of finding. I never thought I could feel this way about anyone or that anyone would feel this way about me.”

  • • •

  A few minutes later, as Skye and Wally were getting naked on the couch, Skye heard a low growl. She glanced to her right and gazed into a pair of yellow eyes. Oh, my God! How had a creature like that gotten into the house? Was Bingo okay?

  Tapping Wally on the shoulder, Skye pointed silently at the gray caninelike animal standing in the sunroom’s doorway.

  He tensed, then put his lips to her ear and said softly, “Wolf.”

  Skye nodded and whispered, “Where’s your gun?”

  “In the safe in the bedroom,” Wally answered, then said, “I’m going to get up slowly; then you do the same.”

  The wolf didn’t move as Skye and Wally rose from the sofa, but once they were vertical, it turned and padded silently away. Wally quickly pulled on his pants, grabbed a wrought-iron lamp from an end table, and crept toward the door. Skye wrapped herself in the throw from the back of the love seat and followed him.

  They both watched as the animal strolled into the kitchen and out the mysteriously open back door. Before it disappeared, the wolf turned its head and seemed to wink.

  Wally rushed forward and slammed the back door. “What the hell just happened?”

  Unwilling to share her belief that Mrs. Griggs had once again foiled their lovemaking, Skye said, “The door must not have fully latched after I put out the trash earlier and the wind must have blown it open.”

  “How about the wolf?”

  “Maybe it smelled Bingo’s food,” Skye offered. She really, really didn’t want Wally to be so spooked that he refused to live in her house after they were married. Then her chest tightened and she gasped, “Bingo! We need to make sure the wolf didn’t eat him.”

  Skye didn’t take an easy breath until they located the cat. He was fast asleep on her bed, apparently unaware that his territory had been invaded by a wild animal.

  Patting the snoozing feline, Skye glanced at the clock and screamed. It was a quarter to one. All thoughts of the wolf were erased from her mind, and she shot off the bed and ran into the bathroom. They had fifteen minutes to get dressed, load the car, and drive to her parents’ house. Being late wasn’t an option.

  As she smoothed her hair, she yelled to Wally, “Throw on the rest of your clothes; then bring me my dress from the sunroom and put all the presents under the tree into the Bel Air.” She knew they had too much stuff to fit into his Thunderbird.

  By the time Skye tugged on her boots, she could hear Wally traipsing in and out of the house. When she ran down the stairs, he was holding her coat out for her. She shrugged into it, then sprinted into the kitchen, grabbed the side dish she’d been assigned—green bean casserole—and hurried out to the car.

  Wally had the Chevy idling with the passenger door open, and as soon as she hopped in, he stomped on the gas pedal. He was as terrified of displeasing May as Skye was.

  As Wally drove, Skye mentally ran through the list of what she was supposed to bring. She crossed her fingers that she hadn’t forgotten anything. As with being allowed to make the zuppa Inglese for the party the night before, it had been a surprise that her mother had permitted her to cook. Except for extended family gatherings when everyone brought potluck, any meal at May’s house was fully prepared by May.

  While Skye hoped this new honor had been bestowed on her because her mom finally considered her a grown-up, more likely it was because May was overwhelmed with preparations for the wedding, the holiday, and Vince and Loretta’s baby. Doubtlessly, Skye’s mother was running herself ragged trying to control all three events.

  Skye nodded to herself; yep, that had to be it. But a second later, she wrinkled her brow. She had a funny feeling that her mother had another iron in the fire. Something else had to be occupying some of May’s attention, or Skye’s recent maneuverings to avoid her mother wouldn’t have been successful. Under normal circumstances, with the wedding so close, a single phone call a day wouldn’t have satisfied May. If Skye wouldn’t come to May, Ma
y would have camped out on Skye’s doorstep. What was her mother doing instead?

  Before Skye could find an answer, Wally asked, “Are you okay?”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “You’re awfully quiet.”

  “I was just thinking about Mom,” Skye explained. “I realized that she hasn’t been around as much as I would have expected.”

  “And that’s a bad thing?”

  “No.” Skye bit her thumbnail. “I’m relieved, but something feels a little . . .”

  “Hinky?”

  “Yeah. That’s the word.” Skye nodded. “I’m afraid she’s up to no good. At least we won’t think it’s good. Has she mentioned anything to you that you thought was odd, or done anything suspicious?”

  “Not that I can remember.” Wally scratched his head. “The only thing that comes to mind is that I was surprised she was taking next week off instead of this one. She’s working her regular afternoon shift Tuesday through Thursday and traded with Thea for days on Friday.”

  “I guess she figured she’d need some time to recover,” Skye mused. “Or maybe she thinks that Loretta will have the baby a week early.”

  “I’ll bet that’s it.” Wally turned into Skye’s parents’ driveway. “She did mention that she hopes her first grandchild isn’t born while we’re away on our honeymoon.”

  “Why would she care about that?”

  “No idea.” Wally shrugged. “But I wouldn’t worry about it.”

  “Of course you wouldn’t,” Skye agreed, then muttered to herself as she exited that car, “But if you knew my mother like I do, you’d definitely be worried.”

  CHAPTER 7

  Read Between the Lines

  Tuesday morning, Skye jerked out of a deep sleep. She had been dreaming about her wedding day. They were at the part in the ceremony when Father Burns asked if there were any objections to the marriage, and suddenly people started popping up with protests as if the church were a giant toaster.