Puzzled to Death by Parnell Hall

you?”
    The doorbell rang.
    Sherry got up, went out through the living room, and opened the door.
    Chief Harper stood on the front steps. He didn’t look happy, but it occurred to Sherry she couldn’t remember the last time he did.
    “Your aunt in?” Harper grunted.
    “She’s in the kitchen. Why?”
    “She’s doing it again.”
    Harper pushed by Sherry and headed for the kitchen.
    Cora Felton had taken advantage of the interruption to freshen up her Bloody Mary. She was tasting the result when the chief walked in.
    “Oh, great,” he said. “Drinking a toast to your murder investigation, no doubt.”
    “Well, whatever’s gotten into you?” Cora asked. “Would a cup of coffee make you less grouchy?”
    “Skip the coffee. Didn’t you just come from Joey Vale’s house?”
    “No.”
    “No?”
    “There’s a crime-scene ribbon up, Chief. I couldn’t possibly go in there.”
    Harper’s scowl deepened. “Don’t trade words with me. You were out there talking to the neighbors.”
    “What’s wrong with that?”
    “That’s not your job. That’s
my
job. And it’s rather irritating when people interfere with my job.”
    “It was
almost
my job,” Cora Felton said.
    That derailed Chief Harper’s train of thought. “It was what?”
    “Becky Baldwin tried to hire me to do her legwork. I turned her down.”
    Harper’s eyes narrowed. “Becky Baldwin tried to hire you?”
    “There’re no PIs in town. The boys from the city want travel time.”
    “Is that right?” He considered this. “So what did she tell you about the case?”
    “That’s funny.”
    “What?”
    “She was asking the same about you.”
    “It’s a laugh riot. So what did she tell you?”
    “The same thing her client told you.”
    “Nothing else?”
    “No. What could there be?”
    Chief Harper didn’t answer, rubbed his chin. “So you turned her down and went out snooping anyway.”
    “What’s wrong with that?”
    “You’re not denying you were out there talking to the neighbors?”
    “Chief, what could it possibly matter? You got the killer in jail, you got an open-and-shut case. What’s the big deal?”
    Chief Harper slumped into a chair and sighed. “Barney Nathan just completed his autopsy.”
    “Don’t tell me …”
    “That’s right. According to the doc, Judy Vale was killed sometime last night between the hours of nine and eleven. By all accounts Joey Vale didn’t leave the Rainbow Room until after one.”
    “Hot damn! You mean he’s innocent?”
    “I just got through getting the guy arraigned. Now Becky Baldwin will be hunting up the judge and getting the charges dropped. Henry Firth’s madder than a wet hen. I’m sure the prosecutor will have some choice words in the course of the proceeding about the police department. As if it’s our fault the guy’s got an alibi. The point is, I’m back to square one, and when I start in questioning the neighbors I find out someone’s beat me to it.”
    “Second time around.”
    “Cora,” Sherry cautioned. “I don’t think the chief wants to argue.”
    “Good guess.” Chief Harper leveled a finger at Cora Felton. “You listen to your niece. She’s like the voice of reason, you know what I mean? So listen to her and understand. This murder is very bad news. We got the charity event this weekend to get through—which won’t be easy with those dingbats protesting. On top of that we got this unsolved murder hanging over our heads. With people coming to town, that’s not good. I need to solve this case, and I need to solve it fast. And I don’t need someone messing it up.”
    “I’ve helped you in the past,” Cora pointed out.
    “That you have,” Chief Harper agreed. “When the crime was crossword puzzle–related. This one isn’t. It’s a simple, straightforward crime. There’s no reason for you to be involved. And there’s no way I can justify your involvement. The prosecutor asks, what’s that womandoing messing around, I don’t have an