Murder of a Royal Pain

by Denise Swanson

  Was she? Skye looked down. She couldn’t tell. She refused to weigh herself constantly and worry about every pound, but she hadn’t been swimming every day as she should, and she had stuffed herself with those cookies a few hours ago at school. She guessed it was time to get back into the pool.

  “You should have seen it. Mom did everything but spoonfeed Jackie, and Dad actually talked. She got him to tell stories from the four years he spent in the navy right after high school. He even made a joke. He said he had a commanding officer whose baler had run out of twine.”

  It was late Saturday afternoon, and Skye was on the telephone with her brother. Vince had just closed up the hair salon he owned. “Well, isn’t that what a social worker is trained to do, get people to talk?” Vince asked. “And Mom feeds everyone.”

  “Yes, she cooks and puts the food in front of you, but she doesn’t fork it into your mouth.”

  “She did that?”

  “Well . . . not exactly, but almost,” Skye admitted. “She put the cream and sugar in her coffee for her, though.”

  “You sound jealous.” Vince chuckled. “Aren’t you happy to have someone to divert Mom’s attention from you for a while?”

  “Yeah, but . . .” But what? Maybe she was overreacting. Time to change the subject. “So what are you and Loretta doing tonight?” Vince was dating Skye’s sorority sister, Loretta Steiner.

  “Nothing.” His tone was unhappy. “She said she was going to District Days this weekend. You were an Alpha Sigma Alpha, too. Why aren’t you going?”

  “It must have something to do with the alumni group Loretta belongs to in Naperville. There isn’t one close enough for me to join.”

  “Oh.” Vince paused. “But you’ve heard of this weekend thing?”

  “I probably read about it in the sorority magazine, but I don’t remember. Do you want me to check the back copies?”

  “No.” He sighed. “I guess not, but it seems like she’s awfully busy lately.”

  “Now who’s jealous?” Skye teased.

  “Hey. You know I’m not the jealous type.” Vince’s voice held a forced casualness. “I’m only saying she should have asked you to go with her.”

  “I’ll have to talk to her about that.” Skye was glad Vince couldn’t see her grin. It looked as if her big brother might finally be serious about a woman. Maybe May would hear wedding bells soon after all. Skye’s smile widened. And if Vince got married, maybe her mother would get off her back. “I’ve got to go. Wally’s picking me up at six. We’re going to Joliet to see The Forgotten at the Cinemark, then eating at Merichka’s.”

  “I can taste their poor-boys now.” Vince smacked his lips. “I love how the garlic butter runs down your hands when you bite into one.”

  “I love their double-baked potatoes. I think they’re the best I ever tasted.”

  “Mmm.”

  They both were silent a moment; then Skye said, “Well, I really do have to go. I haven’t even showered yet.”

  “You could wait and invite Wally to join you.”

  “Men. You all think alike.” Skye giggled and hung up the phone.

  Her conversation with Vince had cheered Skye up, and she found herself singing while she got ready. She loved this time of year. Fall clothes were the best. The restaurant they were going to wasn’t dressy, so she put on brown jeans, a leopard-print blouse, and a gold suede jacket.

  She was zipping up brown leather ankle boots when the doorbell rang. After taking one last look in the mirror, she added a pair of dangly citrine earrings and ran down the stairs.

  When she opened the door, Wally stepped inside, swung her into his arms, and kissed her until she was breathless. As they moved farther into the foyer, Skye froze. “Did you hear that?”

  “What?” He lifted his head from her neck.

  “I thought I heard the back door. It has an annoying squeak I keep meaning to oil.”

  “I didn’t hear anything. Isn’t it locked?”

  “Yes.” Skye moved out of his arms and headed toward the kitchen. “I thought so, but I’d better check.”

  “Wait a minute.” He caught up with her and put a hand on her shoulder to stop her. “Let me go first.” He reached down and pulled the gun from his ankle holster.

  Skye frowned, then shrugged and stepped out of his way. His urge to protect her was a cop instinct, not a chauvinistic impulse.

  When they got to the back door, it was closed. The thumb lock was engaged, but not the dead bolt. It was Wally’s turn to frown. He turned the key that was in the dead bolt and handed it to her. “You need to keep both of these locked and the key somewhere else.”

  “I do. I mean, I keep them locked.” Skye chewed her lip. “I don’t go out this door very often—it’s easier to go out the front to get to the garage. I’m sure I locked it the last time I went out this way.”

  “Well, it’s locked now.” Wally bent and petted the black cat rubbing against his shins. “Does Bingo have a secret life outdoors?”

  “Right. I can just see him as the leader of a gang of cat burglars. What would they steal? Cans of Fancy Feast and pots of catnip?” Skye snickered. “Maybe it’s the ghost trying to keep us apart again.” She and Wally had just about given up trying to spend any time at Skye’s house—although Wally wouldn’t admit it had anything to do with the supernatural. His excuse was that his place was more comfortable.

  But whether he believed Skye’s house was possessed or not, it seemed that whenever they started to get intimate, some weird occurrence would interrupt them. Secretly—Skye had never shared this thought with anyone—she suspected the ghost of the previous owner, from whom Skye had inherited the house, was behind the mischief.

  Skye had met Alma Griggs a little over a year ago. A widow who had lost her only child in a car accident, Mrs. Griggs had convinced herself that Skye was the reincarnation of her daughter. And Skye was pretty sure that Mrs. Griggs didn’t want Wally around.

  Whether the deceased owner was trying to keep all men away from Skye or only Wally was unclear, since Skye had broken up with her previous boyfriend, Simon, before taking ownership of Mrs. Griggs’s eerie home.

  Wally broke into her thoughts. “You don’t really believe in ghosts, do you?”

  “Maybe.” She shrugged, not sure what she thought. “Bizarre stuff does seem to happen to us a lot here.”

  “Hey, I just thought of something. It was probably your mom. She likes to drop by and clean, right?”

  “Yeah, but I don’t think she’s been here lately, at least not that I noticed.” Skye looked around the kitchen. “Although I guess she could have been here. She does tend to clean things that already look fine to me.”

  “That’s it. I’ll bet it was May, and she opened the door to shake some rugs or something and didn’t reengage the dead bolt when she came back in.”

  “You could be right.” Skye followed him back to the foyer. Unless it was Mrs. Griggs’s ghost, May was a reasonable guess. Besides, who else could it be?

  CHAPTER 5

  Time after Time

  As usual, I-55 was under construction, causing random lane closures and unexpected braking. Skye sneaked a peek at Wally’s profile, and noted that he was fully focused on the highway. Normally she would keep quiet, not wanting to distract him from the hazardous conditions, but this might be the perfect moment to tell him about her flat.

  That morning when she had gotten her tire fixed, the repair shop had confirmed that it had been slashed. If she told Wally now, while he was concentrating on the traffic, he was less apt to fuss about her safety and Kurt’s role in helping her.

  Wally was usually easygoing, but every once in a while a teeny streak of jealousy surfaced, and Skye had a feeling that Kurt Michaels might bring it out. Or maybe she felt a tad guilty for enjoying Kurt’s attentions.

  It was possible Wally hadn’t met Kurt yet, and didn’t know how handsome and charming he was, but the likelihood of that in a town as small as Scumble River was prac
tically nil.

  How could she bring up the flat without setting off any alarms? She needed a good segue. Turning slightly so she could watch Wally’s body language, Skye said casually, “How have things been at the PD lately?”

  “Pretty quiet.”

  “That’s good.”

  “How about school?” he asked without taking his gaze from the road.

  “The usual.”

  “How’s the new social worker working out?” Wally concentrated on passing a semi, then added, “What did you say her name was?”

  “Jackie Jennings. Haven’t you met her yet?”

  “Not yet.”

  “Then you’re the only one.” Skye tried to keep the rancor out of her voice.

  “Is there a problem with her?”

  “She seems really eager to fit in and do a good job.” Skye clenched her teeth. “She’s even teaching the computer class the student newspaper is funding.”

  “I bet Justin is pleased.”

  “Yes. They seem to be getting along very well.” Skye pulled her seat belt away from her neck. It felt as if it were choking her.

  “That’s great. It’s nice to see him doing better with adults.”

  “Yeah. It’s great.”

  Wally glanced at Skye. “You okay?”

  “I guess.” She sighed. “I need to adjust to her being there. I was basically doing her job as well as mine for the past four years.”

  “I’m sure it feels weird to have someone doing the stuff that you’re used to doing.” He reached over and squeezed her hand. “In a month or so you’ll be thrilled to have the help.”

  “Probably.” Skye stared out the windshield, then said as nonchalantly as she could manage, “Oh, I almost forgot to tell you—I had a flat yesterday after school.”

  “Why didn’t you call me? I could have come over and fixed it for you. Did you forget your cell phone again?”

  “I had my cell, but I didn’t want to bother you while you were on duty.” Skye wrinkled her nose at him. “Besides, I know how to change a tire.”

  “Did it take you very long?”

  “Well, no.” Skye worded her answer carefully, “As it happens, a jogger did it for me.” She went on quickly, “Anyway—”

  Wally interrupted her. “Who was the jogger? Did you know him?”

  “The new reporter for the Star. We’d met once before at a meeting.”

  “Kurt Michaels?”

  “Yes. I think that’s his name,” Skye hedged. “Have you met him?”

  “Yes, and there’s something about him I don’t trust. I think he’s up to something.”

  “What makes you say that?”

  “I’m not sure, but my gut says he’s not what he appears to be.”

  “Well, he seems harmless to me. And he was nice enough to fix my flat.”

  “Any decent guy would change a tire for a woman.”

  “Then you’re saying he’s a decent guy?” Skye raised an eyebrow. When Wally didn’t respond, she went on, “As I was saying, I brought the tire in to be repaired this morning and the guy at the shop said it had been slashed.”

  Wally shot her a sharp look. “You think one of the high school kids did it?”

  “Could be. There are some troublemakers this year, and I do sit in on most of the more serious disciplinary hearings.”

  “Anyone else you can think of who might want a little instant revenge?”

  “One of the parents was pretty mad at me that morning.” Skye pursed her mouth, tapping her bottom lip with a fingernail. “And there was a note under my wipers that sort of sounded like something she said.”

  “She a hothead?”

  “Oh, yeah.”

  “I don’t suppose you’ll tell me her name?”

  “Can’t.” Skye’s tone was matter-of-fact. “Confidentiality. But I can give you the note when you take me home. It wasn’t signed or anything, though.”

  “Yeah, let me have it. It won’t do us much good now, but I’ll start a file just in case anything else happens.” Wally blew out an irritated breath. “Another possibility is that that Michaels guy did it so he could come along, play Good Samaritan, and get into your good graces.”

  “Why would he want to do that?” Skye asked, trying to maintain an innocent expression as she remembered Kurt’s last words: I’ll look forward to collecting the rest of my payment.

  “You’re pretty, smart, single, and extremely well connected in town,” Wally said.

  “I’m glad you think so, but I’m hardly the type men fight duels over. If he’s after anything, it’s the well-connected part.” Skye shifted in her seat. “Though I don’t believe for a minute he’d go as far as slashing my tire to get in good with me.”

  “You underestimate yourself.”

  “Well, thank you.” Skye sat back. “Anyway, my money’s on the angry parent.”

  They were silent until Wally parked the car at the theater. As he opened the door for her he said, “Let’s forget all about Scumble River and have a good time tonight.”

  “Good idea.” She took his hand, enjoying its warmth as they walked across the parking lot and inside the building.

  After a quick stop for popcorn and sodas, they made their way into the darkened theater. The only seats left were in the front row, and Skye frowned as they settled in. She hated sitting that close to the screen, and was sure it would ruin the show for her, but kept silent, not wanting Wally to think he had disappointed her.

  Two hours later, when the film ended, Skye was glad she hadn’t complained. The movie had been terrific. Still caught up in the story, she absentmindedly followed Wally up the aisle toward the exit. When he paused to let someone step in front of him, she stumbled a little, and her gaze fastened on a couple sitting a few seats to her right. She blinked. What was Jackie doing with Simon Reid, Skye’s ex-boyfriend?

  Skye opened her mouth to point them out to Wally, but snapped it closed without speaking. The one person whom Wally was definitely jealous of was Simon. Besides, Skye had no desire to interact with Jackie. As Wally had said in the parking lot, this was their evening to forget Scumble River.

  She and Wally made it to the car without encountering her ex or the social worker, and Skye let out a sigh of relief as Wally turned east onto Route 30. The restaurant was in Crest Hill, a town of about twenty thousand adjacent to Joliet.

  Merichka’s, which meant Mary’s in Slovenian, had been around since 1933. Skye’s grandparents had brought her parents there as children, and Jed and May had followed the tradition, bringing Skye and Vince there when they were little.

  Skye smiled as she spotted the restaurant’s sign, a huge boomerang with a martini glass painted on it. The first time her parents took her to Merichka’s, she had asked the waitress if it was an Australian restaurant, and the woman had said no, the boomerang was a symbol that they wanted their diners to keep coming back.

  Clearly the customers did return. The parking lot was packed. The only open slot was at the far end, and Wally carefully backed in his sports car. The savory smell of garlic and butter welcomed Skye as she walked through the door.

  She waited at the podium as Wally gave their names to the hostess. The woman found their reservation, picked up a couple of menus, and led them up some steps, through the main dining area, and to a smaller room with windows overlooking Theodore Street.

  As Wally read his menu, Skye, knowing she would have the poor-boy and double-baked potatoes, put hers aside and examined the room. There were only a half dozen tables, and most were filled with older couples or families. The exception was two teenagers who seemed to be out on their first date.

  Once Wally and Skye had ordered, she gestured to the young pair and said, “Aren’t they sweet? It’s so nice to see kids on a real date. I know I’m showing my age, but the herd dating that’s popular now seems wrong to me. I can see a group as a safety net when you’re first going out, but if you never break away from the crowd, how can you get to know each other on a deeper
level?”

  “Maybe that’s what they’re afraid of.” Wally took her hand. “Opening yourself up to someone is scary.”

  “That’s true. But if you don’t learn how to share yourself when you’re young, it’s even more terrifying when you’re older.”

  “I agree. As you age, you have more and more in your past, which means you have more to hide.” His gaze was as soft as a caress. “Or the more you think you have to hide.”

  Her heart raced. “Maybe people feel they have to conceal aspects about themselves because they can’t stand to face them.” Was Wally trying to say that she was hiding something—or, worse yet, that he was?

  They were interrupted by the waitress serving their meal, and Skye found herself studying Wally as they ate. He was a handsome man by anyone’s standards. Tall and powerfully built, he stood out in a crowd. When he was dressed in his police uniform, the crisp navy twill showed off his wide shoulders and muscular thighs. Tonight, clad in black jeans and a silk turtleneck, his slim waist and broad chest were emphasized.

  Wally caught her staring and cocked an eyebrow. She blushed and ate the last bite of her sandwich. The cube steak was tender and perfectly seasoned, and the French bread roll was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside—delicious. But abruptly Skye was hungry for something else. She glanced over at Wally and found that now he was staring.

  He reached over, stroking her inner arm from wrist to elbow. “Are you finished?” His dark brown eyes held both desire and tenderness.

  She nodded. Little jolts of electricity raced through her from his touch.

  “Shall we go home?”

  She tried to say yes, but ended up nodding, her throat too dry to speak. His question had been a passionate challenge—hard to resist.

  He signaled their server and paid the bill, leaving a generous tip.

  Skye’s knees buckled as she stood, and she steadied herself by taking Wally’s hand. He led her through the labyrinth of tables, the noise drowning out the thudding of her heart. They had been together for nearly a year, and his magnetism still captivated her.