pulled out of a hot stove.”
Maggie nodded. Her feet sometimes felt like that, too, after a long day. Although she’d never phrased it quite that way.
“Who do you think killed Harry?”
Lydia looked at her as though she were crazy. “Maggie, the Lord knows. He’ll take care of it. You go back and get some rest. We’ve got a long day tomorrow. I’m going to bed.” Lydia turned toward her door. “Leave well enough alone. Whatever will be, will be.” The door shut, and Maggie was left in the dark by the trailer.
Well, maybe the Lord knew. But that wasn’t going to help her. Or help Ben.
She glanced at her watch. No wonder she was tired. It was close to 2 A . M . Maybe there wasn’t much more to be done tonight.
Will’s trailer looked like a sanctuary as Maggie made her way back through the now quiet lines of vans and trucks. It had been a long day. Most of the dealers, including Maggie, had been up at dawn or before to pack vans, then drive at least several hours, set up, and get dressed for a reception. Even the excitement and fear of a murder hadn’t been enough to keep exhaustion away, and most people had retired to their sleeping bags or cots. A couple of uniformed policemen were still walking the grounds and talking to each other on radios, but no one was being questioned at the picnic tables.
Maggie knocked softly. Will opened the door almost immediately and gestured to her to be quiet as he stepped outside. “Susan’s asleep inside. She went back to her van with one of the detectives, so they could search it, and then she came here and collapsed. Where’ve you been?”
“Talking with Lydia. Remember she said she’d seen Harry talking with Vince earlier? I wanted to know whether she’d overheard what they’d been talking about.”
“Well, while you’ve been playing detective, the police think they’ve solved the crime.”
She looked up quickly. “Who?”
“Ben. They’ve taken him down to the local police station for questioning.”
Already. She’d thought she had some time. What would Gussie think?
“Did they arrest him?”
Will shook his head. “I think they’re waiting to see if they can get some more solid information.”
Maggie sat down on the nearest picnic-table bench. “When did it happen?”
“About fifteen minutes ago. It seems Susan told the police Ben had come flying at Harry, and she’d run away. Some other dealers saw Susan running from in back of the rest rooms, and then, a few minutes later, Ben running from the same place. Plus, when they asked Ben, he didn’t lie.”
“He told them he’d knocked Harry down.”
“Of course. And the police want this to be simple. A young, retarded boy gets a crush on Susan—several people saw him following her around today—and then kills her husband out of jealousy. He doesn’t really understand what he’s doing, of course, but Harry is dead.”
“Do you believe that, Will?”
“Hell, no. Even if he’d been able to knock Harry down hard, resulting in that gash in Harry’s head, it doesn’t explain how Harry got from in back of the rest rooms to the middle of the parked vans. Either he walked, or someone carried him, through a lighted area where people were talking. So far no one’s come up with a reasonable explanation.” Will paused. “I suspect even the police are trying to figure out how Ben moved the body.”
Maggie started up. “Gussie—”
“I’ve already called her. Ben’s been told not to say anything more. Gussie said she had a lawyer she was going to call.”
“Ben’s retarded. Can the police just take him away like that?”
“They’re just questioning him. And Gussie did tell him not to talk. Ben probably won’t even ask for a glass of water.”
Maggie shook her head. “It’s all happening too fast. Will, we have to figure out who really killed Harry. We can’t let Ben be blamed just because he’s young and has Down’s syndrome.”
“And just happened to knock down someone
Maggie nodded. Her feet sometimes felt like that, too, after a long day. Although she’d never phrased it quite that way.
“Who do you think killed Harry?”
Lydia looked at her as though she were crazy. “Maggie, the Lord knows. He’ll take care of it. You go back and get some rest. We’ve got a long day tomorrow. I’m going to bed.” Lydia turned toward her door. “Leave well enough alone. Whatever will be, will be.” The door shut, and Maggie was left in the dark by the trailer.
Well, maybe the Lord knew. But that wasn’t going to help her. Or help Ben.
She glanced at her watch. No wonder she was tired. It was close to 2 A . M . Maybe there wasn’t much more to be done tonight.
Will’s trailer looked like a sanctuary as Maggie made her way back through the now quiet lines of vans and trucks. It had been a long day. Most of the dealers, including Maggie, had been up at dawn or before to pack vans, then drive at least several hours, set up, and get dressed for a reception. Even the excitement and fear of a murder hadn’t been enough to keep exhaustion away, and most people had retired to their sleeping bags or cots. A couple of uniformed policemen were still walking the grounds and talking to each other on radios, but no one was being questioned at the picnic tables.
Maggie knocked softly. Will opened the door almost immediately and gestured to her to be quiet as he stepped outside. “Susan’s asleep inside. She went back to her van with one of the detectives, so they could search it, and then she came here and collapsed. Where’ve you been?”
“Talking with Lydia. Remember she said she’d seen Harry talking with Vince earlier? I wanted to know whether she’d overheard what they’d been talking about.”
“Well, while you’ve been playing detective, the police think they’ve solved the crime.”
She looked up quickly. “Who?”
“Ben. They’ve taken him down to the local police station for questioning.”
Already. She’d thought she had some time. What would Gussie think?
“Did they arrest him?”
Will shook his head. “I think they’re waiting to see if they can get some more solid information.”
Maggie sat down on the nearest picnic-table bench. “When did it happen?”
“About fifteen minutes ago. It seems Susan told the police Ben had come flying at Harry, and she’d run away. Some other dealers saw Susan running from in back of the rest rooms, and then, a few minutes later, Ben running from the same place. Plus, when they asked Ben, he didn’t lie.”
“He told them he’d knocked Harry down.”
“Of course. And the police want this to be simple. A young, retarded boy gets a crush on Susan—several people saw him following her around today—and then kills her husband out of jealousy. He doesn’t really understand what he’s doing, of course, but Harry is dead.”
“Do you believe that, Will?”
“Hell, no. Even if he’d been able to knock Harry down hard, resulting in that gash in Harry’s head, it doesn’t explain how Harry got from in back of the rest rooms to the middle of the parked vans. Either he walked, or someone carried him, through a lighted area where people were talking. So far no one’s come up with a reasonable explanation.” Will paused. “I suspect even the police are trying to figure out how Ben moved the body.”
Maggie started up. “Gussie—”
“I’ve already called her. Ben’s been told not to say anything more. Gussie said she had a lawyer she was going to call.”
“Ben’s retarded. Can the police just take him away like that?”
“They’re just questioning him. And Gussie did tell him not to talk. Ben probably won’t even ask for a glass of water.”
Maggie shook her head. “It’s all happening too fast. Will, we have to figure out who really killed Harry. We can’t let Ben be blamed just because he’s young and has Down’s syndrome.”
“And just happened to knock down someone
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