closed the door, “I’ve got a couple of things to finish up, then I’ll see you at the police station.”
Oh, no, did that mean Simon would have a chance to talk to Luc before she could get there? That couldn’t be a good thing. She was gnawing on her thumb, worrying about what the two men might discuss, when Justin climbed in the back seat.
Wally slid in behind the wheel and said, “I’m going to drop Justin off, then take you back to the PD.”
“Where’s Frannie?” Skye felt a momentary panic that something had happened to the girl.
“Her father took her home after he and Simon finished with the body.”
“Oh, I didn’t see Xavier. It must have been while I was dozing.” Skye wondered what else she had missed.
“You fell asleep?” Justin’s voice held bewilderment with a slight undertone of reproach.
“Yeah. It’s one of the body’s great defense systems. It helps you deny anything is happening when you’re upset. After all, if you’re not awake, you can’t be made to face whatever you’re trying to avoid.” Skye inwardly cringed at her clumsy attempt to explain Psychology 101 to the teen.
The drive back into town was considerably slowed by the fog, which had continued to thicken. After taking Justin home, Wally and Skye rode in silence to the police station. A gray wall of cotton candy seemed to surround the car, and neither of them broke the eerie stillness.
As they were parking, Wally said, “I’m surprised you didn’t use this time to ask me a thousand and one questions about the body.”
“What?” She had been thinking about how she would handle the next few moments with Simon and Luc. “Oh, yeah, anything interesting?” Skye asked indifferently. She had a funny feeling that she was going to be far too busy figuring out her own love life to solve this murder for Wally.
“Late thirties to early forties, no identification, but Simon said it looked like Gabriel Scumble, and he was wearing a buckskin costume.”
“But why would anyone want to kill a complete stranger? No one in town knew him.”
“Could be robbery, since he had no wallet on him. Of course, the costume had no pockets, so he could have left hispossessions at the motor court. I’ve got Quirk searching his room.”
She nodded absently and slid out of the car. Her thoughts had already returned to brooding about what was about to happen behind door number one.
At least one of her worries was assuaged as Simon pulled in behind the cruiser. It was a relief to know he hadn’t beat them to the station and had a chance to chat with Luc on his own.
Simon joined Skye and Wally as they entered the PD. Skye muttered, “I hope Luc found a hotel room while we were gone.”
Before either man could answer, Luc rose from the worn vinyl sofa in the reception area and swept Skye into his arms. “Darlin’, I’ve been so worried about you! Out in this vile weather with a dead body.”
Simon and Wally looked at each other. At first each just gave a slight curl of his lips, then one of them snickered, and finally they both burst out laughing.
Skye had been trying to struggle out of Luc’s embrace. Now, he abruptly let her go and said to Simon and Wally, “Messieurs, that is hardly the proper way to treat someone’s concern for a lady.”
“I don’t think you know this lady very well, at least not anymore,” Simon answered, raising an eyebrow in Skye’s direction. “Does he,
darlin
’?”
Luc sniffed and turned to Wally. “What can one expect from a mortician? But you, an officer of the law, should be more of a gentleman.”
Wally, it seemed, was no longer as amused by Luc’s manner. He snarled, “Who the hell do you think you are?”
Luc straightened and pulled the invisible mantle of his money and position into place before answering. “I, sir, am Luc St. Amant, Skye’s fiancé.”
All eyes turned to Skye, who stuttered, “Are you out ofyour mind? You’re my
ex
-fiancé—
ex
, do you hear me? I
Oh, no, did that mean Simon would have a chance to talk to Luc before she could get there? That couldn’t be a good thing. She was gnawing on her thumb, worrying about what the two men might discuss, when Justin climbed in the back seat.
Wally slid in behind the wheel and said, “I’m going to drop Justin off, then take you back to the PD.”
“Where’s Frannie?” Skye felt a momentary panic that something had happened to the girl.
“Her father took her home after he and Simon finished with the body.”
“Oh, I didn’t see Xavier. It must have been while I was dozing.” Skye wondered what else she had missed.
“You fell asleep?” Justin’s voice held bewilderment with a slight undertone of reproach.
“Yeah. It’s one of the body’s great defense systems. It helps you deny anything is happening when you’re upset. After all, if you’re not awake, you can’t be made to face whatever you’re trying to avoid.” Skye inwardly cringed at her clumsy attempt to explain Psychology 101 to the teen.
The drive back into town was considerably slowed by the fog, which had continued to thicken. After taking Justin home, Wally and Skye rode in silence to the police station. A gray wall of cotton candy seemed to surround the car, and neither of them broke the eerie stillness.
As they were parking, Wally said, “I’m surprised you didn’t use this time to ask me a thousand and one questions about the body.”
“What?” She had been thinking about how she would handle the next few moments with Simon and Luc. “Oh, yeah, anything interesting?” Skye asked indifferently. She had a funny feeling that she was going to be far too busy figuring out her own love life to solve this murder for Wally.
“Late thirties to early forties, no identification, but Simon said it looked like Gabriel Scumble, and he was wearing a buckskin costume.”
“But why would anyone want to kill a complete stranger? No one in town knew him.”
“Could be robbery, since he had no wallet on him. Of course, the costume had no pockets, so he could have left hispossessions at the motor court. I’ve got Quirk searching his room.”
She nodded absently and slid out of the car. Her thoughts had already returned to brooding about what was about to happen behind door number one.
At least one of her worries was assuaged as Simon pulled in behind the cruiser. It was a relief to know he hadn’t beat them to the station and had a chance to chat with Luc on his own.
Simon joined Skye and Wally as they entered the PD. Skye muttered, “I hope Luc found a hotel room while we were gone.”
Before either man could answer, Luc rose from the worn vinyl sofa in the reception area and swept Skye into his arms. “Darlin’, I’ve been so worried about you! Out in this vile weather with a dead body.”
Simon and Wally looked at each other. At first each just gave a slight curl of his lips, then one of them snickered, and finally they both burst out laughing.
Skye had been trying to struggle out of Luc’s embrace. Now, he abruptly let her go and said to Simon and Wally, “Messieurs, that is hardly the proper way to treat someone’s concern for a lady.”
“I don’t think you know this lady very well, at least not anymore,” Simon answered, raising an eyebrow in Skye’s direction. “Does he,
darlin
’?”
Luc sniffed and turned to Wally. “What can one expect from a mortician? But you, an officer of the law, should be more of a gentleman.”
Wally, it seemed, was no longer as amused by Luc’s manner. He snarled, “Who the hell do you think you are?”
Luc straightened and pulled the invisible mantle of his money and position into place before answering. “I, sir, am Luc St. Amant, Skye’s fiancé.”
All eyes turned to Skye, who stuttered, “Are you out ofyour mind? You’re my
ex
-fiancé—
ex
, do you hear me? I
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