my
mother’s place, or at least I will be in two minutes.”
“Where have
you been all afternoon?” he asked as we all watched him get out of his squad
car.
“We had a
picnic,” she said as she hung up the phone.
The sheriff
gave me an icy look the second he saw me, and then it softened into a smile
when he looked at Ellen’s kids. “Why don’t you all go inside? I need to talk to
your mother.”
“What
happened?” one of Ellen’s kids asked the sheriff.
“Come
inside,” Opal said. “There are cookies waiting for you, remember?”
“Cookies,”
they both shouted, and soon enough, the sheriff was forgotten.
“We need to
talk,” the sheriff told Ellen.
“Not without
Rebecca,” I said.
“You already
have a lawyer?” Sheriff Croft asked her critically.
“She didn’t
before, but she does now,” I said.
“I don’t mind
talking to him alone, Victoria,” Ellen said.
“See? She’s
trying to cooperate,” Sheriff Croft said. “Don’t make this more difficult than
it has to be.”
“No offense,
Sheriff, but it will be as hard as it needs to be.”
I called
Rebecca, who agreed to come right over.
After I hung
up, I said, “She’ll be here in five minutes.”
“Then, you
can tell her to meet us in my office,” Sheriff Croft said.
“Are you
arresting me?” Ellen asked incredulously.
“Not just
yet. We’re going to my office to make things a little easier to control,” the
sheriff said.
“Should I go
with him?” Ellen asked me.
“You don’t
have any choice,” the sheriff said bluntly. “That wasn’t a request, Ellen; it
was an order.”
“We’ll send
Rebecca to you,” I said. “Don’t worry, and don’t say a thing until she gets
there.”
Ellen nodded,
but it was clear that she was scared. I didn’t blame her. I’d been the central
suspect in a murder investigation before, and I hadn’t liked it one bit either.
“Rebecca will be there soon.”
“Tell Mom to
watch the kids,” Ellen said as the sheriff put her in his squad car. At least
she got to ride up front with him, and not in the back.
“Change of
plans,” I told Rebecca. “The chief’s taking Ellen to his office.”
My best
friend chuckled a little. “So, that’s the way he wants to play it. You know,
I’ve been itching for a good fight, and it sounds as though this one’s all
mine.”
“She didn’t
do it,” I told Rebecca.
“Don’t worry.
I’m on board.”
After I hung up,
I looked at Moose. “Did I do wrong advising her to shut up?”
“It was good
advice, no matter how the sheriff reacted to it. Do you want to talk to Opal,
or should I?” It was pretty clear that my grandfather had no desire to have
that particular conversation, so I decided to let him off the hook.
“Tell you
what. Why don’t you go get the truck, and by the time you get back, I’ll be
finished talking to her.”
He didn’t
even hesitate when he heard my suggestion. “Done.” He nearly sprinted back down
the sidewalk toward the park. I turned, took a deep breath, and headed inside
to talk to Opal.
At least the
kids were occupied. Opal had parked them in front of the television, and there
was a plate of cookies between them.
“Where’s
Ellen?” Opal asked me softly.
“The sheriff
decided that it might be better if they talked downtown,” I answered.
“I won’t have
it, do you hear me?” Opal asked. “Get him back here this instant. I want to
confess.”
Chapter 7
“You killed
Gordon Murphy,” I said flatly.
“I did. I
lured him into the alley and I got rid of him.”
“How did you
do it, Opal?”
She frowned,
as though she was in a haze. “I don’t remember. Why does it matter? I did it.”
Evidently
Ellen hadn’t told her mother just how Gordon had been killed. “I’m sure that
Ellen would appreciate you trying to take responsibility for what happened, but
you aren’t doing her any favors. You know that, don’t you?”
“She can’t go
to
mother’s place, or at least I will be in two minutes.”
“Where have
you been all afternoon?” he asked as we all watched him get out of his squad
car.
“We had a
picnic,” she said as she hung up the phone.
The sheriff
gave me an icy look the second he saw me, and then it softened into a smile
when he looked at Ellen’s kids. “Why don’t you all go inside? I need to talk to
your mother.”
“What
happened?” one of Ellen’s kids asked the sheriff.
“Come
inside,” Opal said. “There are cookies waiting for you, remember?”
“Cookies,”
they both shouted, and soon enough, the sheriff was forgotten.
“We need to
talk,” the sheriff told Ellen.
“Not without
Rebecca,” I said.
“You already
have a lawyer?” Sheriff Croft asked her critically.
“She didn’t
before, but she does now,” I said.
“I don’t mind
talking to him alone, Victoria,” Ellen said.
“See? She’s
trying to cooperate,” Sheriff Croft said. “Don’t make this more difficult than
it has to be.”
“No offense,
Sheriff, but it will be as hard as it needs to be.”
I called
Rebecca, who agreed to come right over.
After I hung
up, I said, “She’ll be here in five minutes.”
“Then, you
can tell her to meet us in my office,” Sheriff Croft said.
“Are you
arresting me?” Ellen asked incredulously.
“Not just
yet. We’re going to my office to make things a little easier to control,” the
sheriff said.
“Should I go
with him?” Ellen asked me.
“You don’t
have any choice,” the sheriff said bluntly. “That wasn’t a request, Ellen; it
was an order.”
“We’ll send
Rebecca to you,” I said. “Don’t worry, and don’t say a thing until she gets
there.”
Ellen nodded,
but it was clear that she was scared. I didn’t blame her. I’d been the central
suspect in a murder investigation before, and I hadn’t liked it one bit either.
“Rebecca will be there soon.”
“Tell Mom to
watch the kids,” Ellen said as the sheriff put her in his squad car. At least
she got to ride up front with him, and not in the back.
“Change of
plans,” I told Rebecca. “The chief’s taking Ellen to his office.”
My best
friend chuckled a little. “So, that’s the way he wants to play it. You know,
I’ve been itching for a good fight, and it sounds as though this one’s all
mine.”
“She didn’t
do it,” I told Rebecca.
“Don’t worry.
I’m on board.”
After I hung up,
I looked at Moose. “Did I do wrong advising her to shut up?”
“It was good
advice, no matter how the sheriff reacted to it. Do you want to talk to Opal,
or should I?” It was pretty clear that my grandfather had no desire to have
that particular conversation, so I decided to let him off the hook.
“Tell you
what. Why don’t you go get the truck, and by the time you get back, I’ll be
finished talking to her.”
He didn’t
even hesitate when he heard my suggestion. “Done.” He nearly sprinted back down
the sidewalk toward the park. I turned, took a deep breath, and headed inside
to talk to Opal.
At least the
kids were occupied. Opal had parked them in front of the television, and there
was a plate of cookies between them.
“Where’s
Ellen?” Opal asked me softly.
“The sheriff
decided that it might be better if they talked downtown,” I answered.
“I won’t have
it, do you hear me?” Opal asked. “Get him back here this instant. I want to
confess.”
Chapter 7
“You killed
Gordon Murphy,” I said flatly.
“I did. I
lured him into the alley and I got rid of him.”
“How did you
do it, Opal?”
She frowned,
as though she was in a haze. “I don’t remember. Why does it matter? I did it.”
Evidently
Ellen hadn’t told her mother just how Gordon had been killed. “I’m sure that
Ellen would appreciate you trying to take responsibility for what happened, but
you aren’t doing her any favors. You know that, don’t you?”
“She can’t go
to
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