Crowning the Slug Queen (A Callie Stone Mystery Book 1) (16 page)

"The gun's on the stage floor. I'm fine, but I'm not sure about Steven."

Scott approached the catwalk and entered it cautiously. "Mayor Felson? Do you want to come with me?"

Dot rose to her feet, now shoeless, but still mumbling to herself. Stepping over Steven's now moaning form she went towards Scott, who escorted her to the elevator. One of the uniformed policemen handcuffed her. "Take her to the station. Carson, go down and secure the weapon that's lying somewhere on the stage," said Scott.

Callie stepped around so she was in front of Steven and knelt down, unwinding the rope from around his neck. "Steven? Can you tell me where you're hurt?" Scott took off his jacket, folded it up and made a pillow that he gave to Callie. She put it under Steven’s head.

Steven just groaned. There didn't seem to be any other injuries and he was breathing, but the red burn marks left by the rope that had been tied around his neck looked painful to Callie.

She thought it ironic that the same blackmail tactics Dot had used on Sheldon, were in turn used against her. Maybe Alex would have been a good council member after all.

Scott looked at her. "What happened? One minute you're telling me to look for the mayor, the next you're going mano-a-mano with her in mid-air. Why didn't you come and get me?"

She shrugged. "It all happened so fast I was afraid she was going to push him off and I knew once that happened she had a chance of getting away with all of it."

"You could have been shot, or worse, taken the quick way down to the stage," he said.

"But I wasn't. I'm fine, Steven will be fine, and you've caught your murderer and drug dealer."

He leaned over and grabbed her hand. "I am not fine. When that gunshot went off and I realized you were up here, I think I lost a few years off my life."

"I'm sorry," Callie said, trying to ignore the warm sensations where her hand was touching his. "I'll try not to do it again."

He shook his head. "I have my doubts about that. You seem like a magnet for trouble. For now though, I think you have a show to run. I'll stay up here with Steven until the EMT's arrive."

"That's right--and I'm going to have to make adjustments, because I don't think he’s going to be doing his one man band act tonight."

Callie carefully stepped over Steven and because of the narrow walkway, brushed by Scott. He grabbed her in a hug. "I'm glad you're alright." She hugged him in return.

She took the elevator down retrieved the top hat from where she'd left it on the floor and found the cane a few feet away, no worse for wear. Dot Felson's peep toe heels remained mournfully on the stage.

The lights shone down on the catwalk and the smoke machine had kicked in. Three mirrored disco balls shot bright rainbow reflections through the smoke as the three remaining contestants strutted, danced and preened through the competition. Callie had Kit tell the audience Steven's alter ego, Gastronia Creepalot, had fallen ill and would be unable to perform.

The question and answer session, where the Old Queens quizzed the contestants went much as Callie thought it would. Queen Slugabeth II was rather tongue tied, although Bella Oozonia held her own. Slimerita Rivera was the clear victor in that portion.

The talent competition surprised Callie. Callie was sure Queen Slugabeth II wouldn't be too popular and she was correct as the poetry reading was booed off of the stage after only two minutes. She thought the audience would favor Slimerita, if only for the community service aspect, but it was Bella's lasso and striptease that brought down the house.  Maybe the crowd just favored the exotic. Slimerita Rivera's flamenco was hot, but Bella was hotter.

Kit, looking dapper in his top hat and cane, walked over to the table where four of the Old Queens were sitting. They whispered back and forth to one another for a moment and then the Queen dressed as what Callie could only guess was a striped slug-like bumble bee handed Kit a small piece of paper.

Drawing the moment out Kit turned and faced the crowd. Queen Slugabeth II, Bella Oozonia and Slimerita Rivera stood behind him. “Aaaand, the new Skinner Slug Queen is….Bella Oozonia!”

Bella, clad only in her camouflage bikini, thrust a fist in the air. From the deafening cheers coming from four brawny men in the second row, Callie thought Bella’s brothers didn’t mind losing their bet.

As there were two uniformed policemen waiting for Sheldon Normal off stage at the end of the pageant, Callie was glad he hadn’t won. It would be tough to perform Slug Queen duties from prison and with charges against him for dealing meth, he probably wouldn’t get the same sweet deal he had gotten before.             

The crowd was slowly filtering out of the Newsome Center into the rainy night, ready to continue the Skinner Days partying at local bars. Callie sat in a chair a few rows back from the stage, tired, but relieved that the event had managed to go without a hitch, if you discounted the attempted murder by the mayor.

              Scott came and sat down in the seat next to her. “I hope that’s all the big city style you bring to Skinner. I don’t think I could take many days like that.”

Callie laughed. “Totally not my fault. All these things started months ago, long before I was even thinking about making a visit. I just happened to be here when the can of worms opened and spilled, so to speak. What’s going to happen to Dot Felson?”

“It will take a few days to pull together the evidence, but she’s pretty much confessed to killing Benny Green, so at least we have her on that. She seems to have become a little unhinged, so I’m not sure she’ll ever stand trial. She wouldn’t even stop crying until we brought her the shoes that she lost on stage.”

“What about Alex’s death?”

“That one’s a little more squirrelly. Dot hasn’t admitted to killing her, although it’s apparent she felt Alex was a threat to her. The evidence on that is all circumstantial without a confession. But with Benny’s death, she’ll either be in prison or at a mental institution and off the streets.”

He hesitated for a second and Callie thought he seemed nervous. He said, "Some of us are going out tomorrow and meeting at the Cloudburst. Want to come along?"

"Are you asking me out on a date?" she asked.

              See, that's what drives me crazy about you. Always with the direct questions. Always the planner. Can't you take things as they come? Moment by moment? No pattern, no plan, no intuition?"

She thought of her decision to stay in Skinner, which she hadn't told him of yet. "Yes, I can try that."

"So don't consider this a date. Let's just get together and see if we can jettison all those high school memories and start like we never knew each other."

"Scooter, I don't know if I can remember to always call you Scott," she said.

"I think I can live with the occasional Scooter. As long as I can call you Carline from time to time."

She laughed. "I think I can live with that."

He kissed her on the cheek. "I'll pick you up at six."

Acknowledgements

I don’t believe there is any type of art that is created in a vacuum. Although at times, writing can feel like a very solitary business, no writer would prosper without a community of people to support them. Thanks to Brian Alvstad, Julia Sherman, Stephen King, Brooke Millet Montgomery and Kim Evans who were so willing to step forward and read the work of a new author that I felt very heartened. Sometimes, encouragement like that is more important than actually reading the book.

I’d also like to acknowledge the people who kept telling me I could be a writer when I didn’t believe it myself, and listened to me over all the years I have wanted to do this: Brian Alvstad, Yvetta Myers, and Joe McLamb.