A Second Helping of Murder by Christine Wenger Page A

bonfire.”
    â€œI’d assumed that the father was a townie or summer vacationer, but if she came here already two months pregnant, that isn’t likely.”
    â€œTrue.”
    â€œBut somehow the murderer found out. Maybe it was the father of the baby. Maybe it was ‘B.’” My heart started pumping. Maybe this was the right track.
    â€œWho?” Ty asked, then snapped his fingers. “Oh yeah, the initial she carved behind the medicine cabinet.”
    â€œMaybe he didn’t like the fact that he was going to be a father at age seventeen.”
    I was on a roll, playing off Ty.
    â€œTrixie, you’re assuming that the father of Claire’s baby was a high schooler. What if he was my age at the time? What if he was older?”
    â€œClaire wouldn’t go for someone as ancient as you when there were hot high school boys around.”
    â€œThanks a lot.” He ran his fingers through his thick dark hair. “By the way, where’s our food?”
    â€œI decided to skip ordering from here. I didn’t want to hang around and wait. I’m calling Juanita now. I figure that it’ll be ready just as soon as we get back. Cheeseburger and fries okay with you?”
    â€œPerfect.”
    He started the car as I called Juanita with our order.
    â€œOh, could we stop at Brown’s? I want to see if ACB is back. You can wait in the car. I just wanted to tell her about the three buses of mystery people that she missed and make sure she’s all right.”
    â€œYeah, okay,” he said. “Take your time.”
    Antoinette Chloe Brown was indeed back from wherever she was. Her delivery van was parked on the side, windows down.
    â€œGo around back, Ty. ACB will probably be in the kitchen with Sal’s brother, Tony.”
    Since Antoinette Chloe’s husband was doing hard time in Auburn Correctional Facility, she’d found a friend—or maybe a lover—in Sal’s brother, Tony. They could often be seen riding around on Tony’s motorcycle, or rather the flamboyant ACB would be in the sidecar.
    I knocked on the screen door of the kitchen. “Antoinette Chloe? It’s Trixie.”
    â€œTrixie? Welcome. Come in. Can I fix you something?”
    â€œNo. I’m all set. I just wanted to tell you that I fed three buses of mystery lovers at the Silver Bullet. They were booked at your place, but you weren’t open.”
    â€œTrixie, I forgot all about them. Tony and I were motoring along the wine trail in the Finger Lakes.”
    The colorful muumuus that ACB used to wear were replaced by black leather, lots and lots of it. Chains hung from every part of her, like tinsel ona Christmas tree. She wore goth makeup and her platinum hair with black roots was parted in the middle and gathered into a ponytail, which jutted out from the back of a black leather visor.
    When ACB dresses, she goes all out.
    â€œSo everything’s okay, Antoinette Chloe?” Never just call her Antoinette or you’d hear about it.
    â€œI’ve been having a ball with Tony on his Harley. I love riding in the sidecar next to him and roaring down the highway of life. But then he dropped me off here and said that he might be back, but maybe not. He had to find himself. I didn’t think he was missing.” Tears pooled in her black-painted eyes, and she changed the subject. “Did you hear that they found the body of Claire Jacobson?”
    Wow, gossip traveled faster than Tony’s Harley. ACB even heard the news on a sidecar on the highway of life.
    â€œHow did you know?” I asked.
    â€œWhen we rolled into town, we stopped at the Grab and Go. The headlines in the
Lure
caught my eye. I’ve always wondered what happened to her. She was such a sweet girl.”
    â€œSomeone didn’t think so.”
    â€œThat’s true. I remember that night. We were having so much fun at the bonfire, singing and all. I remember that Marvin