happened to catch the brass ring while the other stood next to the carousel, destined to watch the world go ’round without him. Jealousy and resentment were heady emotions for a younger man who had to stand by listening to the cheerful calliope music while he watched his brother ride the golden stallion.
Avy kept her voice low. “Drake was the second to the last person to see Tom alive. One of Chubby’s articles said that he drove right home from the dinner party. My Mom testified that he arrived home late in the evening. She said he stayed there, but she couldn’t be sure of the exact time because she was taking prescription drugs under a doctor’s care. I wonder.”
“Gee, Avy. There are a lot of bells going off in my head right now. Are you thinking what I’m thinking? Would he have had the time to set that up, carry it out, and then cover his tracks?”
Avy brought up a county map on the screen. She studied the ledger, calculating the distance of the body position to the home of Tom Labrador. She factored in the speed limit of the round trip, and added an hour to the timeframe to account for the manipulation of evidence. She also added the time it would take to drive home for the final trip. It was possible. Drake’s arrival time at home was undetermined, but it was within the window. The crime was doable within the timeslot.
She turned the computer off, gazing at the blank screen. “I knew he was a pig, Sebastian, but I never thought he could be capable of doing it. If it’s true, he destroyed three lives with one act. Two of them were deliberate, but one of them—”
“Was collateral damage,” Sebastian cut in. He gave her hand a gentle squeeze.
“I think I’ve had enough,” she said. “Any more of this is bound to throw my timing off tonight.”
They left the library and drove straight to Crabtree Valley Mall. Avy picked up some white dinner gloves and a pair of lavender pumps. On the road again, they decided to kill some time. They stopped for an impromptu picnic at Shelly Lake, sitting under the shade of an oak, talking about general subjects, admiring the weather and scenery. Avy enjoyed herself, relaxed with the easy-going manner of her companion. She chalked it up to a date, since the last time she’d been out had been to a movie theater with a high school boy who’d had a hard time taking no for an answer. She made a mental note that Shelly Lake qualified for a spot in her diary.
Leaving the park, refreshed from the brief respite, the couple stopped at a custom tailor shop to pick up Avy’s modified costume. Swapping vehicles at her motel, their next destination was the theater. Once there, Avy arranged the prop tables while Sebastian attended to the animals, installing them in quick release cages in preparation for the night’s performance.
Sebastian walked her through a complete show at faster than normal speed, sans music. This time the trapdoor worked without incident. Sebastian explained that their ticket-taker would arrive thirty minutes before show time. Her name was Mindy. Sebastian had hired her for her efficiency at keeping the receipts straight and disallowing sneak entries into the theater.
People began showing up at five-thirty, filling the first two rows, eager to get close to the action. Sebastian explained that they always did so in an attempt to spot the hidden wires or trick gismos.
Just before show time, the ticket booth was closed. The house lights dimmed. Sebastian began the music. Avy stepped out on stage, a smile plastered across her face, determined to dazzle the crowd.
The show began. She had no idea what to expect, but when she moved to hit her marks in the first act, she began to fall into a comfortable rhythm. She had acted in theater stage plays before, but those audiences seemed dignified compared to these viewers. The audience members “ooohed” and “aaawed,” often calling out, clapping after each trick. Sometimes they raised such a din that
Avy kept her voice low. “Drake was the second to the last person to see Tom alive. One of Chubby’s articles said that he drove right home from the dinner party. My Mom testified that he arrived home late in the evening. She said he stayed there, but she couldn’t be sure of the exact time because she was taking prescription drugs under a doctor’s care. I wonder.”
“Gee, Avy. There are a lot of bells going off in my head right now. Are you thinking what I’m thinking? Would he have had the time to set that up, carry it out, and then cover his tracks?”
Avy brought up a county map on the screen. She studied the ledger, calculating the distance of the body position to the home of Tom Labrador. She factored in the speed limit of the round trip, and added an hour to the timeframe to account for the manipulation of evidence. She also added the time it would take to drive home for the final trip. It was possible. Drake’s arrival time at home was undetermined, but it was within the window. The crime was doable within the timeslot.
She turned the computer off, gazing at the blank screen. “I knew he was a pig, Sebastian, but I never thought he could be capable of doing it. If it’s true, he destroyed three lives with one act. Two of them were deliberate, but one of them—”
“Was collateral damage,” Sebastian cut in. He gave her hand a gentle squeeze.
“I think I’ve had enough,” she said. “Any more of this is bound to throw my timing off tonight.”
They left the library and drove straight to Crabtree Valley Mall. Avy picked up some white dinner gloves and a pair of lavender pumps. On the road again, they decided to kill some time. They stopped for an impromptu picnic at Shelly Lake, sitting under the shade of an oak, talking about general subjects, admiring the weather and scenery. Avy enjoyed herself, relaxed with the easy-going manner of her companion. She chalked it up to a date, since the last time she’d been out had been to a movie theater with a high school boy who’d had a hard time taking no for an answer. She made a mental note that Shelly Lake qualified for a spot in her diary.
Leaving the park, refreshed from the brief respite, the couple stopped at a custom tailor shop to pick up Avy’s modified costume. Swapping vehicles at her motel, their next destination was the theater. Once there, Avy arranged the prop tables while Sebastian attended to the animals, installing them in quick release cages in preparation for the night’s performance.
Sebastian walked her through a complete show at faster than normal speed, sans music. This time the trapdoor worked without incident. Sebastian explained that their ticket-taker would arrive thirty minutes before show time. Her name was Mindy. Sebastian had hired her for her efficiency at keeping the receipts straight and disallowing sneak entries into the theater.
People began showing up at five-thirty, filling the first two rows, eager to get close to the action. Sebastian explained that they always did so in an attempt to spot the hidden wires or trick gismos.
Just before show time, the ticket booth was closed. The house lights dimmed. Sebastian began the music. Avy stepped out on stage, a smile plastered across her face, determined to dazzle the crowd.
The show began. She had no idea what to expect, but when she moved to hit her marks in the first act, she began to fall into a comfortable rhythm. She had acted in theater stage plays before, but those audiences seemed dignified compared to these viewers. The audience members “ooohed” and “aaawed,” often calling out, clapping after each trick. Sometimes they raised such a din that
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