Becklaw's Murder Mystery Tour (Jo Anderson Series) by Dane McCaslin
Authors: Dane McCaslin
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the rather large individual who filled the open doorway.
‘What’s he here for?’ I wondered aloud, watching him walk over to one of the paramedics and say something. He must have asked where someone was, because I saw the EMT look over his shoulder, then point. Skinny Joe nodded briefly and walked away, his bulk following a course of its own.
‘Hey, wait a minute,’ I exclaimed. ‘He’s heading for the dressing rooms, Leslie. Let’s follow him and see what he’s up to.’ I spun on my heels and took off without a backward glance, trusting that Leslie was following me.
Together we walked down the hallway, pausing briefly in front of the women’s dressing room. I put my ear to the door but could hear nothing, so I motioned to Leslie to move on. We turned the corner and saw that the door to the men’s dressing area was ajar. I could hear a murmur from inside and I stopped in my tracks, very nearly sending Leslie over in a heap.
I cut my eyes toward the door, then back at her, putting my finger to my lips. I began moving along the wall a là Super Secret Agent, and almost ran right into Joe’s hefty belly. I tilted my head and looked up into his eyes. He did not look happy to see me, not one bit.
‘Ah, hello there, Mr Skinny. Mr Joe.’ What a complete idiot, I thought, my traitor of a flush creeping above the high collar of my ‘school marm’ dress. I felt dumb, but defiantly so. I returned his look, glare for glare.
‘I take it you’re here for a reason?’ Leslie’s quiet voice sounded from behind my right shoulder where she had taken refuge from Skinny Joe. Oh, how brave we can be when hunkered down behind somebody else! I had to admire her pluck, though.
‘I’m here to pick up my nephew. What’s your excuse?’ With his beefy arms folded against a massive chest, Joe looked like an illustration of the Jolly Green Giant, only without the jolly. Or the green. He looked, in a word, annoyed.
‘We,’ – I indicated Leslie with a thumb jabbed in her direction – ‘are here to tell the boys that they’re wanted out front.’ Since this was a flat out lie, I didn’t chance a look in Leslie’s direction. That girl was too truthful for her own good.
I could see Skinny Joe’s mind turning this bit of information over. Thankfully he bought it, and stuck his head back in the door and called out, ‘Andy! Bert! You two get out here. You’re wanted out front.’ He turned to face me, arms still crossed. ‘There. Satisfied?’
‘Yes. Yes, we are. Come on, Jo. We still need to round up Lily.’ Leslie grasped me by the back of my dress and all but hauled me bodily down the passageway.
‘Hey,’ I began, but she tugged me further down the hall before stopping and hissing in my ear, ‘I think he’s in on it!’
‘Who’s in on what?’ I was stymied. I couldn’t think of a rational thing to say, so just stood and stared at her. We could hear the footsteps of Andy and Bert moving at a rapid pace behind us, so we hightailed it into the dining area/police substation and walked over to where Miss Lucinda was still keeping watch over Miss Bea.
Thankfully, Miss Bea’s color was almost normal now, and the faint sheen of sweat that had covered her forehead was gone. Someone had brought her a glass of water and she sat sipping it quietly, not looking at anything in particular. Miss Lucinda’s hands were on Miss Bea’s shoulders, gently patting them.
I think that this qualified as “a cold day in Hades”.
Leslie and I both turned to watch as Andy and Bert, followed by Skinny Joe, stopped just inside the dining area. They looked around in a puzzled manner, their eyes lighting on us.
‘Just follow my lead,’ I said to Leslie from the side of my mouth as I watched the trio stalk in our direction. ‘Hey, there. What’s up?’
‘Whaddya mean, “what’s up”?’ Andy’s arms crossed his chest in a parody of his uncle’s, his eyes narrowed suspiciously. ‘I thought you said that we were
‘What’s he here for?’ I wondered aloud, watching him walk over to one of the paramedics and say something. He must have asked where someone was, because I saw the EMT look over his shoulder, then point. Skinny Joe nodded briefly and walked away, his bulk following a course of its own.
‘Hey, wait a minute,’ I exclaimed. ‘He’s heading for the dressing rooms, Leslie. Let’s follow him and see what he’s up to.’ I spun on my heels and took off without a backward glance, trusting that Leslie was following me.
Together we walked down the hallway, pausing briefly in front of the women’s dressing room. I put my ear to the door but could hear nothing, so I motioned to Leslie to move on. We turned the corner and saw that the door to the men’s dressing area was ajar. I could hear a murmur from inside and I stopped in my tracks, very nearly sending Leslie over in a heap.
I cut my eyes toward the door, then back at her, putting my finger to my lips. I began moving along the wall a là Super Secret Agent, and almost ran right into Joe’s hefty belly. I tilted my head and looked up into his eyes. He did not look happy to see me, not one bit.
‘Ah, hello there, Mr Skinny. Mr Joe.’ What a complete idiot, I thought, my traitor of a flush creeping above the high collar of my ‘school marm’ dress. I felt dumb, but defiantly so. I returned his look, glare for glare.
‘I take it you’re here for a reason?’ Leslie’s quiet voice sounded from behind my right shoulder where she had taken refuge from Skinny Joe. Oh, how brave we can be when hunkered down behind somebody else! I had to admire her pluck, though.
‘I’m here to pick up my nephew. What’s your excuse?’ With his beefy arms folded against a massive chest, Joe looked like an illustration of the Jolly Green Giant, only without the jolly. Or the green. He looked, in a word, annoyed.
‘We,’ – I indicated Leslie with a thumb jabbed in her direction – ‘are here to tell the boys that they’re wanted out front.’ Since this was a flat out lie, I didn’t chance a look in Leslie’s direction. That girl was too truthful for her own good.
I could see Skinny Joe’s mind turning this bit of information over. Thankfully he bought it, and stuck his head back in the door and called out, ‘Andy! Bert! You two get out here. You’re wanted out front.’ He turned to face me, arms still crossed. ‘There. Satisfied?’
‘Yes. Yes, we are. Come on, Jo. We still need to round up Lily.’ Leslie grasped me by the back of my dress and all but hauled me bodily down the passageway.
‘Hey,’ I began, but she tugged me further down the hall before stopping and hissing in my ear, ‘I think he’s in on it!’
‘Who’s in on what?’ I was stymied. I couldn’t think of a rational thing to say, so just stood and stared at her. We could hear the footsteps of Andy and Bert moving at a rapid pace behind us, so we hightailed it into the dining area/police substation and walked over to where Miss Lucinda was still keeping watch over Miss Bea.
Thankfully, Miss Bea’s color was almost normal now, and the faint sheen of sweat that had covered her forehead was gone. Someone had brought her a glass of water and she sat sipping it quietly, not looking at anything in particular. Miss Lucinda’s hands were on Miss Bea’s shoulders, gently patting them.
I think that this qualified as “a cold day in Hades”.
Leslie and I both turned to watch as Andy and Bert, followed by Skinny Joe, stopped just inside the dining area. They looked around in a puzzled manner, their eyes lighting on us.
‘Just follow my lead,’ I said to Leslie from the side of my mouth as I watched the trio stalk in our direction. ‘Hey, there. What’s up?’
‘Whaddya mean, “what’s up”?’ Andy’s arms crossed his chest in a parody of his uncle’s, his eyes narrowed suspiciously. ‘I thought you said that we were
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