Murder of a Small-Town Honey

Skye put her tray on the floor and knelt down. Warily she picked out the dirty plate. Several papers clung to it. She put them aside, meaning to wipe them with a damp cloth. The knife and fork were easily retrieved, but the cup had spilled its liquid dregs into the bottom of the drawer.

Taking out the wet papers, Skye added them to the soiled pile. She picked up the pages in her left hand and then used her right hand and the edge of her left to lift the tray.

Once in the kitchen, she ran hot water and squeezed dish soap into the sink, placing the dirty dishes, cups, and uten­sils in the water to soak. After clearing the table of contain­ers and serving dishes, she spread the moist papers from the desk on the tabletop and started to blot them with paper towels.

As she was doing this, the letterhead caught her eye. It de­picted a stylized drawing of a woman's face with an elabo­rate crown and read: 'Baroness Riverboat Casino.' Alarmed, she looked closer. Most of the papers bore the same insignia, although a few were from other riverboat casinos in the area. All were letters demanding payment of credit extended for gambling. Some were over a year old.

Skye debated returning for a look at the files remaining in the drawer, but before she could decide, Charlie and May walked in.

Charlie's eyes were immediately drawn to the papers on the table. 'What are you doing with those?' he roared.

'Someone opened the drawer of your desk and stuffed their dirty plate and cup inside. Coffee and food were spilled on some of the papers so I took them out to wipe them off.' Skye felt her face turn red and looked away. 'I'm sorry, Uncle Charlie.'

Coming around Charlie, May put her arm around Skye and quickly skimmed the papers. 'Charlie Patukas, what's the meaning of this, yelling at Skye like she was the one who did something wrong.'

Charlie pulled out a kitchen chair and sat down heavily in it. He buried his face in his hands.

Skye knelt beside him and hugged him. 'Tell us about it. You'll feel better.'

He sighed. 'It started a few years ago. I always did like a good poker game, but stakes around here are usually pretty low and I never lost more than I could afford. Then I started going to the boats. They had senior citizens' day and

free breakfast for the early-bird cruises and this and that until I was so far in debt I didn't know what to do.'

'That's why you couldn't lend Vince the money,' Skye murmured.

May gave her a funny look. 'So, what did you do, Char­lie?'

'I sold everything I could—my car, my investments, everything but the motor court, and they wanted that too.' Charlie looked down and rolled the edge of the nearest let­ter. 'Finally, I asked Honey for a loan.'

'I thought you didn't know where she was.' Skye pulled up a chair and sat down next to him.

'She wrote me a few years ago and gave me a post of­fice box address, in case of an emergency. I figured this was as close to an emergency as I was likely to get.'

'Did she give you the money?'

'No, she said she didn't have it.' Charlie wouldn't look up.

'So then what did you do?' May walked to the sink and started to wash the dishes.

'Before I could decide what to do, she was murdered and I inherited that money. The casino is glad to wait until the will is probated.'

'I'll bet they are. What have you done about this gam­bling problem of yours?' Skye looked at him sternly, forc­ing him to meet her eyes.

He put his right hand over his heart. 'You don't have to worry. I started going to Gamblers Anonymous in Joliet three months ago and haven't placed a bet since.'

Skye gathered up the letters and stooped to kiss him on the cheek. 'Good for you.'

They remained quiet for a moment.

'I didn't kill Honey.' Charlie looked from May to Skye.

'We don't think you did.' May turned away from the sink.

'Good, because I have an alibi. Fayanne Emerick was

with me from nine o'clock until Skye found me at eleven. I wish you'd ask her.'

Skye squeezed his hand. 'We believe you.'

The phone rang, startling them all. Charlie answered, then handed the receiver to Skye. 'It's Loretta Steiner.'

May rushed to the phone, trying to hear what Loretta was saying.

After a few 'okays' and 'ahas' Skye hung up. She turned to May and Charlie. 'They're charging Vince with first-degree murder. They just got verification of a letter they found in Honey's condo last week. It's in Vince's handwriting, and he threatens to get rid of her if she doesn't leave him alone.'

CHAPTER 22

Jailhouse Rock

Erst thing the next morning Skye phoned Fayanne and confirmed that the liquor store owner and Charlie had been together during the time he claimed.

Fayanne's exact words were, 'Nope, the man never left my sight. I stuck to him like the printing on a T- shirt.'

Skye sat in the high school guidance office chewing on the end of her pencil. Her appointment book lay open on the desk, a sprinkle of eraser crumbs scattered like dandruff across its pages. Shit, there is no way I can avoid the junior high. I've got to finish testing Zach today or everything else gets screwed up. She dreaded coming face-to-face with Lloyd after yesterday's confrontation.

The warning bell rang, startling her out of her reverie, and she quickly got ready for her first student. In rapid suc­cession Skye saw a girl with a habit of hiding in the rest room during her afternoon classes, a young man caught wearing gang colors, and three teens who had long-stand­ing problems.

Skye hypothesized that the girl might be bulimic and was hiding in there to make herself vomit or use laxatives after eating lunch, the boy was a wannabe gang member, and the remaining trio probably knew more about therapy than she did. Nevertheless, she put them down for weekly appointments.

Instead of eating lunch, Skye telephoned Loretta Steiner.

The lawyer dispensed with the normal chitchat. 'He can

have one visitor from two to four and another in the evening from six to eight.'

'You mean both of my parents can't see him? Can one go in for the first hour and another for the second?'

'Probably. Small-town jail. Upstanding local family. Yeah, they'll probably cut you some slack.' Loretta paused. 'Of course, you could always get some hard-ass guard. No way of telling.'

Next Skye called her mother.

May's voice was shrill. 'Fine. Then your dad and I are going over right now. I'll trade my shift with another dis­patcher. You can go right after school.'

'I'll probably stop at my place so I can change and grab something to eat. I can't get in until six and it's only a forty-five-minute drive.'

May snorted and the phone went dead.

Skye wondered why she had even tried to explain. If she was going to survive living in Scumble River, practically on her mother's doorstep, she was going to have to be more selective about what information she shared with her par­ents.

Walking over to the junior high, Skye didn't notice the freshly cut grass or the singing birds. Instead, she planned the best route through the school if she wanted to avoid Lloyd.

When she entered the main hall, she saw that the coast was clear and sprinted to her room. A true sense of accom­plishment filled her as she settled behind her desk. Only then did she realize that if she wanted to see Zach for test­ing she would have to send for him from the main office. The school felt that a telephone for her office was one lux­ury too many.

Skye steeled herself for an attack by Lloyd and went to the office. Ursula was dividing index cards into five differ­ent piles. Skye waited for a break in the action.

Ursula glanced up. 'Mr. Stark wants to see you.'

'Now?' Skye felt her heart accelerate.