Murder by Artifact (Five Star Mystery Series) by Barbara Graham Page B

gleamed in J.B.’s eyes. “I heard he stopped a girl who was driving a convertible with both tops down.”

    Feeling mildly confused, Tony popped two antacids into his mouth and chewed slowly. “Okay, I’ve got the picture now.”

    J.B. grinned. “He couldn’t let the girl drive around like that even if there weren’t laws against it. She could cause a major accident, couldn’t she? So he pulls her over and goes over to get her to cover herself when she wraps her bra around his neck and pulls him down so she can kiss him.”

    “Okay, that’s it!” Tony reached for his telephone. “Wade is either going to wear an ugly mask or sit at his desk and do nothing except paperwork until September.”

    On Friday, the morning mail included a new envelope, just like the previous ones carrying cards and newspaper clippings. Instead of an article about another unsolved missing-person case, this one held a ticket to that night’s baseball game in Cincinnati. A note on the now-familiar index cards used for stationary read, “Want to solve four murders? If so, Tony, use this ticket.” Tony glanced up at the tense faces watching him. “Real cloak and dagger stuff, huh? It gets weirder.”

    He cleared his throat, preparing to wow his audience. “Park your Blazer in Newport, Kentucky, and walk across the Purple People Bridge. Show this ticket to the elevator operator and go up to the Club level. Plan to be there anytime between five-thirty and the first pitch. I promise you are in no danger. I only want to share some information. You do not need to bring other cops, although I’ll understand if you don’t trust me. I’ll be watching for you.”

    “Tonight? That’s not much notice for a three-hundred-mile drive,” said Wade.

    “I agree.” Tony tapped the ticket on the desk. “Whoever sent this knows exactly how long the drive is and how long it usually takes mail to get from there to here.”

    Ruth Ann stood in the doorway. Her eyes were focused on the letter. “He, or she, also knows you drive a Blazer.”

    “And I’d say this person knows you and maybe even knows the FBI has been looking over your shoulder.” Wade stared at him from across the desk, surprise and concern in his dark blue eyes. “It sounds like a trap to me. Are you going?”

    “It’s a trap all right,” Tony nodded. “We’ll just see who gets caught in it, though.” He reached for his telephone. “I don’t think this person is dangerous, still, a little backup is a comforting thing.”

    “Do you think it’s just a prank?” Ruth Ann asked.

    “Maybe.” Tony paused with his hand over the receiver. “I do think this person knows a lot more about what happened twenty years ago than showed up in these newspaper clippings. What really baffles me is why he waited so long to bring it to light.”

    “Will they let you take your gun into the ballpark?” Wade leaned forward. “I wouldn’t be surprised to learn you have a few enemies out there.”

    “Most of them live in our county jail or prison. I can’t imagine any of them would be in Cincinnati.” He mentally cataloged the most dangerous ones. There were not many, and none of them would know half of the details displayed in the letter. “I’ll find out about the gun. It shouldn’t be a problem. Telling Theo will be worse.” He rolled his eyes. “She’s a lot more dangerous than anyone in Ohio.”

    He noticed although Wade and Ruth Ann both laughed, neither disagreed.

    “And, you can bet Theo will make sure I’m wearing my heaviest vest.”

    Tony stopped by Theo’s quilt shop to tell her where he was going. He told himself she would feel better if she got to fuss and fret a bit and remind him to be careful. His wife had a lot of spunk and was smarter than him. Her views often helped him professionally, however, she did not deal well with being kept in the dark.

    Gretchen Blackburn, Theo’s fulltime assistant, stood behind the wide counter, cutting a length of