Scott. Or my feeble attempts at sleuthing. Or maybe he had, but his mama brought him up with good manners.
“My new shipment of mustaches hasn’t come in yet,” I said, “and that wig catalog I told you about is still sitting in my workroom at home. Sorry about that.” I was babbling again. He had that affect on me.
The C hief gave me a slow appraisal from the hot pink bow confining my hair at the nape of my neck to the tips of my black ankle strap high heels. What started out as sexy-appreciative gradually faded into a give-no-quarter cop face. Oh-oh . “I hear you’ve been asking questions,” he drawled. “Find out anything I ought to know?”
A blush shows up almost as well on skin the color of mine as it does on skin the color of milk. I couldn’t hide it. A “gotcha” moment, but the Chief’s lips didn’t even twitch. “Sorry about your brother,” he added, pursuing his advantage with a vengeance. “But on the plus side there’s nothing like a night in the drunk tank to set off a bit of soul-searching.”
The crack in the door to the Talbot niche in my brain slammed shut. The distinct snick of the lock echoed in my head. I backed up, zipped behind the counter, and perched on my tall stool, adding inches to my height. I was now almost eye to eye with the C hief, but inside I was still quivering. If Boone Talbot wanted to shake me up a bit so he could see what fell out, he’d done a good job of it.
Counter-attack time. “Vanessa Kellerman told me Martin died from anaphylactic shock. Is that true?”
He didn’t even blink. “That’s what the coroner says.”
“Peanuts on a Christmas tree. Seems kind of odd.”
“Maybe they were in his Santa suit.”
“Wha-at!” I lost my cool. The word came out on an unladylike screech.
“Sorry.” The C hief’s long fingers flicked the implied accusation away. “No matter where the peanuts were, Miss Halliday, no one thinks you’re responsible. But you’re a witness, a good one who pays attention to detail. I’m surprised you’ve already heard about the peanut allergy, but if there’s anything more you can contribute, I’d like to hear it.”
I repeated what I’d learned, emphasizing the Hospital Auxiliary’s role in my lunch with Vanessa Kellerman. Okay, so I might have given the impression that the Fund-raiser was my sole reason for lunching with Vanessa and the mayor’s wife, and her confidences had tumbled out because she felt an urge to talk. Female bonding and all that.
What had I actually learned, after all? Not much beyond the peanut allergy and Vanessa’s weak excuse for not going to her husband’s rescue. One thing was clear, however. Her joy over being invited into the bosom of the Hospital Auxiliary easily outweighed her grief over the loss of her husband.
“Has Jeb Brannigan come in to talk with you?” I added while the C hief was considering what I’d told him.
“Bright and early this morning, which is partly why I’m here.”
Truthfully, I was surprised. The Jeb I knew from high school would have ignored my advice, simply blowing off the whole mess, hoping it would go away.
“Do you believe him?” the C hief asked.
“Eighty or ninety percent,” I said, wiggling my hand in a classic comme çi, comme ça wave. I told him what Alyce Jahnke had seen.
Boone Talbot whistled. “You do get around. I have to admit there are advantages to living here since the Year One. Any other tidbits?”
“No. But I’m working on how peanuts or peanut butter got onto Rainbow’s End . I mean, it’s not like they were something Martin would stock in the galley.”
The C hief nodded. “Point made.”
“So you don’t think I’m nuts for thinking Martin might have been murdered.”
“I think you’re nuts for trying to do my job for me.”
Slam. Bang. Thank you, ma’am, but back off.
“But—but you just admitted I know everyone and you don’t. People talk to me.”My pride had just taken a hard fall and, dammit, I
“My new shipment of mustaches hasn’t come in yet,” I said, “and that wig catalog I told you about is still sitting in my workroom at home. Sorry about that.” I was babbling again. He had that affect on me.
The C hief gave me a slow appraisal from the hot pink bow confining my hair at the nape of my neck to the tips of my black ankle strap high heels. What started out as sexy-appreciative gradually faded into a give-no-quarter cop face. Oh-oh . “I hear you’ve been asking questions,” he drawled. “Find out anything I ought to know?”
A blush shows up almost as well on skin the color of mine as it does on skin the color of milk. I couldn’t hide it. A “gotcha” moment, but the Chief’s lips didn’t even twitch. “Sorry about your brother,” he added, pursuing his advantage with a vengeance. “But on the plus side there’s nothing like a night in the drunk tank to set off a bit of soul-searching.”
The crack in the door to the Talbot niche in my brain slammed shut. The distinct snick of the lock echoed in my head. I backed up, zipped behind the counter, and perched on my tall stool, adding inches to my height. I was now almost eye to eye with the C hief, but inside I was still quivering. If Boone Talbot wanted to shake me up a bit so he could see what fell out, he’d done a good job of it.
Counter-attack time. “Vanessa Kellerman told me Martin died from anaphylactic shock. Is that true?”
He didn’t even blink. “That’s what the coroner says.”
“Peanuts on a Christmas tree. Seems kind of odd.”
“Maybe they were in his Santa suit.”
“Wha-at!” I lost my cool. The word came out on an unladylike screech.
“Sorry.” The C hief’s long fingers flicked the implied accusation away. “No matter where the peanuts were, Miss Halliday, no one thinks you’re responsible. But you’re a witness, a good one who pays attention to detail. I’m surprised you’ve already heard about the peanut allergy, but if there’s anything more you can contribute, I’d like to hear it.”
I repeated what I’d learned, emphasizing the Hospital Auxiliary’s role in my lunch with Vanessa Kellerman. Okay, so I might have given the impression that the Fund-raiser was my sole reason for lunching with Vanessa and the mayor’s wife, and her confidences had tumbled out because she felt an urge to talk. Female bonding and all that.
What had I actually learned, after all? Not much beyond the peanut allergy and Vanessa’s weak excuse for not going to her husband’s rescue. One thing was clear, however. Her joy over being invited into the bosom of the Hospital Auxiliary easily outweighed her grief over the loss of her husband.
“Has Jeb Brannigan come in to talk with you?” I added while the C hief was considering what I’d told him.
“Bright and early this morning, which is partly why I’m here.”
Truthfully, I was surprised. The Jeb I knew from high school would have ignored my advice, simply blowing off the whole mess, hoping it would go away.
“Do you believe him?” the C hief asked.
“Eighty or ninety percent,” I said, wiggling my hand in a classic comme çi, comme ça wave. I told him what Alyce Jahnke had seen.
Boone Talbot whistled. “You do get around. I have to admit there are advantages to living here since the Year One. Any other tidbits?”
“No. But I’m working on how peanuts or peanut butter got onto Rainbow’s End . I mean, it’s not like they were something Martin would stock in the galley.”
The C hief nodded. “Point made.”
“So you don’t think I’m nuts for thinking Martin might have been murdered.”
“I think you’re nuts for trying to do my job for me.”
Slam. Bang. Thank you, ma’am, but back off.
“But—but you just admitted I know everyone and you don’t. People talk to me.”My pride had just taken a hard fall and, dammit, I
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