Trick or Deceit by Shelley Freydont

carts and picked up a piece. It appeared to be an arm, with flowing material hanging from one end—the wrist, Liv guessed, though the hand was missing. Barry began to pull the material up the arm. It must have been a sleeve that got torn when the mannequins were wrenched apart.
    As soon as Barry got one side up, and let go to bring the rest up, the first pieces fell down. Finally he gave up, tossed the arm back onto the pile, and stood staring across the weeds of the vacant lot.
    Liv hurt for him. He’d spent so much time and effort on the mannequins, not to mention expense. And they’d been truly interesting. But she didn’t see how he could ever get the displays back together in time for the grand opening, even if the police released them in time.
    And that meant the prize money would go to the runner-up—Ernie Bolton. The same Ernie Bolton who might be angry enough to loot and destroy his competition. But would Ernie be desperate enough to commit murder? Liv just couldn’t believe it.
    She wanted to ask Ted’s opinion, but Bill stepped out of the grasses and everyone turned their attention to him.
    â€œWhen can we go, Sheriff?” one of the actors asked. “I have work in a couple of hours.”
    â€œAnd my mom needs me to take her out to the mall. She’ll have a fit when she finds out what’s happened,” said another.
    The others agreed and began talking at once.
    Bill held up his hand. They kept talking.
    â€œQuiet
en scene
!” Henry roared.
    Immediate silence.
    â€œNow, Sheriff, if you would continue.”
    Bill blinked. “If you will proceed over to the theater, you can all give your statements to Officer Meese. We may need to talk to you again.” He looked around the group. “Which one of you found the body?”
    No one spoke. Had it been a group sighting?
    Finally a hand went up. “I did,” Marla Jean said. Her mouth twisted. “I thought it was a mannequin and I picked up her hand.” She finished the confession with a wail. Her friends surrounded her and tried to soothe her.
    Beside Liv, Henry groaned and rubbed a hand across his face. “I’ve created a monster.”
    â€œAnd what did you do next?”
    Marla Jean stopped wailing. “I dropped it, of course, and screamed.”
    Bill nodded.
    â€œAnd everyone came to see what was the matter . . . and she was just lying there in the grass.”
    The others nodded agreement.
    â€œAnd after that?”
    â€œMr. Gallantine and the other two came to see. And he”—Marla Jean pointed to Meese—“called you.”
    â€œAnd no one else touched the body?”
    â€œI did,” Ted said. “Her neck. To determine if there was a pulse. When I didn’t find one, I stepped away. And no one has touched her since.”
    â€œI see. Meese, take these folks across the street to the theater. There’s probably some coffee or hot chocolate in the green room you can make, right, Henry?”
    Henry nodded and tossed Meese a key ring. “The one with the green plastic edge.”
    Meese nodded, looked back at his gaggle of actors, and herded them away.
    Whiskey came back to sit beside Liv.
    â€œIt looks a little like the reign of terror over there,” Ted said under his breath.
    Liv nodded. “I was thinking the same thing. The bodies piled on carts to be taken away.” Especially with Barry standing guard over the cart of mannequins like a modern-day sansculotte.
    â€œI’ll be here a while longer,” Bill said. “If there are no more details you can point out, I’ll see you at your office later. Unless you have something to add, Henry, you can return to the theater and give your statement to Officer Meese, too.”
    â€œThank you, Sheriff.” Henry started to leave, then changed his mind and went over to Barry. “Now, Barry,” Henry said in his best stage voice. “I know things look bleak