bleached blond hair and wore enough makeup to work in a circus.
“Getting the job of chief of police is a big deal around here. Serenity is kind of behind the times. The police station only just got a computer, and all the 9ll calls are routed through Bourbon.”
“I’m feeling much better now,” Jordan said. “And I’m tired of sitting on the ground and being a bystander. Please let me get up.”
Barry lifted her but didn’t let go of her. He insisted that she sit on the back bumper of the ambulance. “You lean on me if you feel dizzy.”
Surprisingly, she wasn’t at all dizzy, but her throbbing cheek reminded her that one of those brothers had punched her. Seething now, she was about to ask the paramedics which one was J. D. when Barry said, “Listen, if the chief does decide to hand you over, I’ll say we’re taking you to the clinic for an X-ray. I’m telling you right now, you don’t want to go anywhere with those brothers.”
“Okay,” she agreed. “You’re being very kind to me,” she said. “I appreciate it. I know it looks suspicious. I’m a stranger in town…”
“And there’s that body in your car,” Del reminded her.
“Yes,” she said. “But I am innocent. I didn’t kill anyone, and I assure you no one was more surprised than I was when I opened that trunk.”
“I’ll bet. My name’s Del, by the way. And he’s Barry.”
“My name’s Jordan Buchanan and—”
“We know who you are. The chief already got your driver’s license from your wallet,” Barry said. “She read your name out loud. You don’t remember? Del, maybe we should go ahead and get her head X-rayed.”
She hadn’t been aware that anyone had gone through her purse to get her identification. Had she been knocked unconscious? Maybe she’d just been knocked senseless. That’s what her mother used to ask her when she’d done something she didn’t approve of. Did you get knocked senseless?
“I don’t need an X-ray,” she said for the second time. “And I didn’t do anything wrong.”
“Looking guilty and being guilty are two different things,” Del said. He pulled the stethoscope from around his neck and handed it to Barry.
“I think you’re going to be okay,” Barry whispered as he folded the stethoscope and put it in the metal case before snapping it shut. “The chief knows that you weren’t over in Jessup County, and she also knows you weren’t involved in any car chase. There’s a witness.”
“And that witness is going to make it real hard for her to hand you over to the Dickeys.”
“She still might,” Del said.
“No, she can’t,” Barry argued. “Not with the witness. A woman coming out of the grocery store saw the whole thing. She also called 911, and she told the operator what she saw and how J. D. punched Miss Buchanan without any provocation. She said J. D. hopped out of the car like he had a swarm of wasps on his tail and grabbed her phone and punched her silly. Then he smashed her phone.”
“Miss Buchanan better hope that J. D. doesn’t get to the witness and scare the wits out of her so she’ll change her story.”
“It won’t matter. Every emergency call is taped, so there’s a record, and J. D. can’t change what’s already on the tape.”
The two men were talking about Jordan as though she weren’t even there. She was astonished that no one was doing anything about the body. She’d seen the chief of police glance into the trunk, but that was all. As far as Jordan knew, no one else had even looked. The paramedics certainly hadn’t. No one seemed interested in finding out who the victim was. She wondered when they were going to get around to that question.
“You think we’ll be taking the body to Bourbon?” Del asked.
“I’ll bet so. We’ll have to stick around until the crime scene people get here and the coroner releases the body.”
Weary of being on the sidelines, Jordan thanked the paramedics once again, and then walked closer to the
“Getting the job of chief of police is a big deal around here. Serenity is kind of behind the times. The police station only just got a computer, and all the 9ll calls are routed through Bourbon.”
“I’m feeling much better now,” Jordan said. “And I’m tired of sitting on the ground and being a bystander. Please let me get up.”
Barry lifted her but didn’t let go of her. He insisted that she sit on the back bumper of the ambulance. “You lean on me if you feel dizzy.”
Surprisingly, she wasn’t at all dizzy, but her throbbing cheek reminded her that one of those brothers had punched her. Seething now, she was about to ask the paramedics which one was J. D. when Barry said, “Listen, if the chief does decide to hand you over, I’ll say we’re taking you to the clinic for an X-ray. I’m telling you right now, you don’t want to go anywhere with those brothers.”
“Okay,” she agreed. “You’re being very kind to me,” she said. “I appreciate it. I know it looks suspicious. I’m a stranger in town…”
“And there’s that body in your car,” Del reminded her.
“Yes,” she said. “But I am innocent. I didn’t kill anyone, and I assure you no one was more surprised than I was when I opened that trunk.”
“I’ll bet. My name’s Del, by the way. And he’s Barry.”
“My name’s Jordan Buchanan and—”
“We know who you are. The chief already got your driver’s license from your wallet,” Barry said. “She read your name out loud. You don’t remember? Del, maybe we should go ahead and get her head X-rayed.”
She hadn’t been aware that anyone had gone through her purse to get her identification. Had she been knocked unconscious? Maybe she’d just been knocked senseless. That’s what her mother used to ask her when she’d done something she didn’t approve of. Did you get knocked senseless?
“I don’t need an X-ray,” she said for the second time. “And I didn’t do anything wrong.”
“Looking guilty and being guilty are two different things,” Del said. He pulled the stethoscope from around his neck and handed it to Barry.
“I think you’re going to be okay,” Barry whispered as he folded the stethoscope and put it in the metal case before snapping it shut. “The chief knows that you weren’t over in Jessup County, and she also knows you weren’t involved in any car chase. There’s a witness.”
“And that witness is going to make it real hard for her to hand you over to the Dickeys.”
“She still might,” Del said.
“No, she can’t,” Barry argued. “Not with the witness. A woman coming out of the grocery store saw the whole thing. She also called 911, and she told the operator what she saw and how J. D. punched Miss Buchanan without any provocation. She said J. D. hopped out of the car like he had a swarm of wasps on his tail and grabbed her phone and punched her silly. Then he smashed her phone.”
“Miss Buchanan better hope that J. D. doesn’t get to the witness and scare the wits out of her so she’ll change her story.”
“It won’t matter. Every emergency call is taped, so there’s a record, and J. D. can’t change what’s already on the tape.”
The two men were talking about Jordan as though she weren’t even there. She was astonished that no one was doing anything about the body. She’d seen the chief of police glance into the trunk, but that was all. As far as Jordan knew, no one else had even looked. The paramedics certainly hadn’t. No one seemed interested in finding out who the victim was. She wondered when they were going to get around to that question.
“You think we’ll be taking the body to Bourbon?” Del asked.
“I’ll bet so. We’ll have to stick around until the crime scene people get here and the coroner releases the body.”
Weary of being on the sidelines, Jordan thanked the paramedics once again, and then walked closer to the
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