decided to let it slide, much to my husband’s surprise. Well, it didn’t hurt to throw him off every now and then, either.
“This is a terrible tragedy,” my grandmother said.
“It’s unfortunate,” Croft agreed.
“How are you planning on getting the body out?” Moose asked.
“Moose,” my grandmother said, admonishing him gently.
“Hey, it’s not going to do our diner’s reputation any good for any of our customers to see a corpse being wheeled out of the place, wouldn’t you agree?”
“Don’t worry. We’ve got that covered, Moose. I asked the ambulance to move around back, and after we get a few more photos and some more video footage, we’ll be removing it out the back door. I’m glad you are all here. I’ve got some questions to ask.”
“Not without an attorney present,” my father said.
“Joe, we have nothing to hide,” Moose said.
“I appreciate the fact that you feel that way, Dad, but I still think it couldn’t hurt to be represented before we start answering questions.”
My grandfather just shrugged, and then he said something under his breath.
I caught it, but I was certain my grandmother had not.
“What did you just say?” she asked Moose.
When he didn’t answer, I said, “He mentioned that Holly advised the same thing.”
Moose stared at me a second, and then said, “Rat.”
“Hey, if you don’t have the guts to repeat it, don’t say it in the first place,” I answered.
“Are we talking about Judge Dixon?” Sheriff Croft asked, clearly surprised by this turn of events.
“She’s our legal advisor,” Moose said.
“So, it appears that we’re at a stalemate, Sheriff,” Greg said.
He sighed loudly, and then said, “Folks, I’m not trying to railroad you all into anything. There are just some things I need to know so that I can move forward with my investigation.”
“Are you offering us immunity?” my mother asked softly.
“What? No, of course not.” He seemed to think about it for a moment or two, and then said, “How about this? I’ll ask you questions all at the same time. You can confer among yourselves if you’d like before you answer me. This is all pretty innocent.”
“For a murder investigation, you mean?” I asked. I looked around at my family, and said, “I’m game if you all are. What do you all say?”
Everybody nodded their assent, with the exception of my father.
“Motion carried,” I said, and then shot a look of condolence toward my father.
“It’s on your heads,” he said. “Don’t say that I didn’t try to warn you.”
“You won’t hear it from me,” Moose said, which I suspected was a big fat lie. My grandfather happened to conveniently forget the things he wanted to, while remembering in perfectly crisp detail those things that fell in his favor.
“What’s your first question?” I asked the sheriff.
“When did any of you last see the deceased?”
“That had to be when I found his body in the freezer,” I said.
“That’s not what I meant. When was the last time any of you saw him alive?”
“Hang on a second,” Greg said. “Don’t answer that, Victoria.”
“Why not?” I asked.
“Because I think it might be easier if we just tell him what we figured out while we were sitting here together waiting for him.”
I thought about it, and then nodded. “You’re right. Go ahead and tell him.”
Greg explained, “Sheriff, I had an ice cream drop-off earlier today around four, so I had to open the delivery door. I thought I locked it back when they left, but the latch must have caught on something, and it was still unlocked when Victoria and her mother discovered my mistake around seven.”
“So, there were three hours when someone could have slipped in, killed Howard Lance, and then slipped out again.”
“You’ve clearly never worked in a diner’s kitchen,” Moose said. “It’s as busy as a four ring circus back here.”
“Not
“This is a terrible tragedy,” my grandmother said.
“It’s unfortunate,” Croft agreed.
“How are you planning on getting the body out?” Moose asked.
“Moose,” my grandmother said, admonishing him gently.
“Hey, it’s not going to do our diner’s reputation any good for any of our customers to see a corpse being wheeled out of the place, wouldn’t you agree?”
“Don’t worry. We’ve got that covered, Moose. I asked the ambulance to move around back, and after we get a few more photos and some more video footage, we’ll be removing it out the back door. I’m glad you are all here. I’ve got some questions to ask.”
“Not without an attorney present,” my father said.
“Joe, we have nothing to hide,” Moose said.
“I appreciate the fact that you feel that way, Dad, but I still think it couldn’t hurt to be represented before we start answering questions.”
My grandfather just shrugged, and then he said something under his breath.
I caught it, but I was certain my grandmother had not.
“What did you just say?” she asked Moose.
When he didn’t answer, I said, “He mentioned that Holly advised the same thing.”
Moose stared at me a second, and then said, “Rat.”
“Hey, if you don’t have the guts to repeat it, don’t say it in the first place,” I answered.
“Are we talking about Judge Dixon?” Sheriff Croft asked, clearly surprised by this turn of events.
“She’s our legal advisor,” Moose said.
“So, it appears that we’re at a stalemate, Sheriff,” Greg said.
He sighed loudly, and then said, “Folks, I’m not trying to railroad you all into anything. There are just some things I need to know so that I can move forward with my investigation.”
“Are you offering us immunity?” my mother asked softly.
“What? No, of course not.” He seemed to think about it for a moment or two, and then said, “How about this? I’ll ask you questions all at the same time. You can confer among yourselves if you’d like before you answer me. This is all pretty innocent.”
“For a murder investigation, you mean?” I asked. I looked around at my family, and said, “I’m game if you all are. What do you all say?”
Everybody nodded their assent, with the exception of my father.
“Motion carried,” I said, and then shot a look of condolence toward my father.
“It’s on your heads,” he said. “Don’t say that I didn’t try to warn you.”
“You won’t hear it from me,” Moose said, which I suspected was a big fat lie. My grandfather happened to conveniently forget the things he wanted to, while remembering in perfectly crisp detail those things that fell in his favor.
“What’s your first question?” I asked the sheriff.
“When did any of you last see the deceased?”
“That had to be when I found his body in the freezer,” I said.
“That’s not what I meant. When was the last time any of you saw him alive?”
“Hang on a second,” Greg said. “Don’t answer that, Victoria.”
“Why not?” I asked.
“Because I think it might be easier if we just tell him what we figured out while we were sitting here together waiting for him.”
I thought about it, and then nodded. “You’re right. Go ahead and tell him.”
Greg explained, “Sheriff, I had an ice cream drop-off earlier today around four, so I had to open the delivery door. I thought I locked it back when they left, but the latch must have caught on something, and it was still unlocked when Victoria and her mother discovered my mistake around seven.”
“So, there were three hours when someone could have slipped in, killed Howard Lance, and then slipped out again.”
“You’ve clearly never worked in a diner’s kitchen,” Moose said. “It’s as busy as a four ring circus back here.”
“Not
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