A Luring Murder by Stacy Verdick Case

now that I wouldn’t have said to his face, so I think that makes it okay.”
    Bruce opened the tapper and released a stream of foam onto the ground.
    “Warren was an ass of the first magnitude. I’m not exactly glad that someone offed him, but I’m not at all upset that he’s gone. I’m sure he deserved everything he got.”
    “Where were you this morning?” I asked.
    Bruce chuckled. “You mean when Warren was killed? You’re asking if I had a hand in his death?”
    He laughed then went back to work clearing the foam pressure from the beer.
    “Did you?” Louise said.
    He laughed, glanced up, and noticed Louise’s humorless face. The smile dropped from his face.
    “What are you, a cop?” He tried again to lighten the situation. He failed.
    “Yes, we are,” I said. “Where were you this morning when Warren was killed?”
    Bruce shook his finger at me then at Louise. “You two are the cops from Saint Paul. I heard about you two, though I’m surprised. I never expected cops to look so good.”
    I rolled my eyes. This guy had to be some kind of salesman. Only a salesman could have such a smarmy attitude with a straight face.
    “Well officers, as much as I wanted him dead, I’m afraid you have the wrong man. I was curled up next to my wife this morning.”
    He gave a sly dog grin. “We had sort of a late start this morning. You know. The kids were camping behind the main house with friends, and we were all alone in the cabin, so we took advantage of our time.”
    He poured himself a red plastic cup of beer and guzzled a mouth full, then held the cup at chest level.
    “Sorry, I can’t help you ladies. I was nowhere near Warren Pease in the last twenty-four hours.”
    “You didn’t go out at all this morning?” I asked. “Because if you had been out and about this morning, you might have seen something that may be helpful.”
    His eyes looked left then skyward. “Nope. Sorry. Can’t help you.”
    He pointed to something behind us with his cup hand.
    “I see my wife. She must be wondering where I’ve run off to. Please excuse me ladies.”
    Bruce McMahan disappeared into the crowd.
    “He’s one cool liar,” I said.
    Louise nodded. “Too bad he didn’t know Mr. Peterman saw him this morning.”
    “I wonder what he’s hiding.”
    “Should be fun figuring it out.”
    I dropped my chin to my chest. “Yeah.”
    She turned to me with a questioning gaze. “You don’t seem like yourself. Usually, you’re anxious to go all Charlie’s Angels on me. What’s wrong?”
    “Sorry.” I poured myself a cup of beer and sucked it down in one long swallow. “It’s just that the more complicated this investigation becomes the less time I have to spend with Gavin.”
    “Oh.”
    Louise knew, or at least had a notion, that all was not right in the world of marriage. How the hell could it be? We rarely ever saw each other.
    “From what Mr. Peterman said today.” She gave a reassuring pat on my arm. “It sounds to me like Gavin is damn proud of you, Catherine.”
    Being proud and being understanding about ruining the first vacation we’d had in five years are two different things.
    “If it’s that bad, Catherine. Digs and I can handle this investigation.”
    “No,” I said. “Gavin is the one who brought me into this. I’ll finish what I’ve started. I just hope there aren’t too many more surprises waiting for us.”
    And I prayed that my husband would understand. It was, in fact, his fault that I was involved in the first place. Had he not been near that fish house at six in the morning, and had he not volunteered me for any of this, I would have slept late and been just like the rest of these endies – mildly curious but removed from the situation.
    Gavin was the one who volunteered me as an expert in the field.
    “So what do we have so far?” I asked.
    “Bruce obviously. Otherwise, in my mind, everything comes back to the same suspects,” Louise said. “The Peterman’s.”
    She inclined