Eggs Benedict Arnold (50 page)

Suzanne held an index finger to her lips.
Shhh
was the mantra, discretion the watchword.

“
Oh ho,
”
said Toni,
“
no stage names today, huh? Okay,
no problem.
”

Petra rolled her eyes.
“
You
’
re incorrigible, Toni.
”

Toni gave a wicked grin.
“
Incorrigible. That
’
s good, huh? That
’
s a good thing, right?
”

Just
as the pulled sugar demonstration was about to begin,
Suzanne took a little break. Stepped around back to give
Baxter a Milk-Bone. She
’
d brought him along today, since
chances were good she
’
d be at the Cackleberry Club until
well past ten tonight. And here he could be close to her and
still enjoy the out-of-doors with minimum supervision.

“
Bax,
”
she said, holding out the treat.

Baxter
’
s plumed tale thumped dry dirt as he pulled him
self to his feet.

“
Got a goo
di
e
for you.
”

“
Rwrrr?
”
Really?

“
You deserve it because you
’
re such a good guy,
”

Su
zanne told him.
“
Staying here, putting up with our silly
cake party. All those cars rolling in and people out front.
”

Baxter took the treat and gave it a good crunch. One half
fell from his mouth, while he happily tossed back the other
half and chewed with relish.

“
Suzanne?
”
A low voice called to her from the back line
of trees.

“
What?
”
Suzanne replied, startled, spinning around. But
she didn
’
t see anything. Had she really heard a voice? Or just
a shout from out front? Narrowing her eyes, Suzanne took a single step and peered at the cedar trees and underbrush that stood in a jagged line behind her back shed.
“
Who
’
s there?
”
she called. Baxter picked up the other half of his bone and held it in his mouth while he gazed silently.

There was a
fl
utter of green and, for a moment, Suzanne
thought it was just remnants of leaves or cedar branches
moving in the breeze. Then a figure, dressed in camouflage
colors of olive green and drab, seemed to unfold and rise up from the underbrush. It was Dil.

“
Good Lord!
”
exclaimed Suzanne.
“
I
’
ve been wondering where you disappeared to!
”

Dil extended both arms out to his side in a gesture that seemed to say,
I
’
m here now.

“
Where have you been?
”
Suzanne asked, rushing toward him.
“
Where did you run off to?
”

“
Back to the cave,
”
said Dil. His voice was low and hesitant, like he was still getting used to conversing with people.
“
Safer there.
”

“
You went back to ...
”
Suzanne stopped, stared at him,
then grabbed the lapels of his tattered jacket with her fingertips.
“
Never mind, we
’
ve got to get you out of here.
”

Dil glanced around, as though he was suddenly fearful of being discovered.

“
There are a hundred people out front,
”
began Suzanne,
“
any number of whom would like to see you questioned about a couple of murders.
”

Dil
’
s eyes grew large.
“
I didn
’
t do no murders. I
wouldn
’
t!
”

“
I believe you,
”
said Suzanne.
“
The thing is, what am I
going to do with you?
”

“
I could stay by your dog,
”
Dil volunteered.

Suzanne stared at him.
“
What do you ... ?
”

He made a casual gesture.
“
Over in that shed.
”

“
The
tool
shed,
”
said Suzanne, suddenly catching on.
“
Gotcha. Great idea. Brilliant idea.
”
She knew she had to get Dil out of sight now!

Grabbing one arm, she half pulled, half dragged Dil into
the shed where her old Toro lawn mower was stashed.

“
Now you stay here,
”
she told him, quietly.
“
Until I fig
ure things out.
”

Slamming the door, Suzanne dusted her hands together.

Okay, now what?

She turned, a little unnerved... and found herself staring directly into the steely gray eyes of Sheriff Roy Doogie!

Chapter twenty eight

“
Doogie!
”
Suzanne screamed.
“
Whoa!
”

Doogie took a step backward and held his arms out toward her, palms facing up.
“
Easy, easy, Suzanne,
”
he mur
mured.
“
I didn
’
t mean to scare you.
”

Suzanne clamped a hand to her chest, trying to still her timpani drum-beating heart.
“
Well . . . you did,
”
she told him, fear and a little anger creeping into her voice. She drew a deep breath, hoping against hope that Doogie wouldn
’
t notice how discombobulated she suddenly was.

“
Toni said you were out here,
”
said Doogie. His eyes slid past Suzanne toward the old shed.
“
Said you were just... putting stuff away?
”

“
Right,
”
said Suzanne, adding a touch of brightness to her voice.
“
Packing stuff away ... um... hoses and t
h
ings. Probably don
’
t need them anymore. Sure don
’
t need them today.
”
Still panicked, she glanced up at the sky where storm clouds seemed to be bunching in the west, ready to crowd out the gradually thinning sunshine.
“
It
’
s probably going to rain later on.
”

“
Could be,
”
said Doogie, who turned his languid focus back upon Suzanne.

Suzanne smiled.
“
How you doing, Sheriff? How
’
s the
investigation going?
”
She was terrified Dil would suddenly
come lumbering out from the shed and announce his pres
ence. Get himself arrested, plunge her back into hot water.

“
I
’
m still pretty ticked at you,
”
said Doogie, arranging his
face in a stern, stoic gaze.
“
Going out to that farm and all.
”

“
Sorry,
”
said Suzanne, trying to lead him toward the back door, praying Baxter wouldn
’
t give anything away.
“
It was all a big oops. A complete blunder.
”

“
No kidding,
”
said Doogie. He stood with his feet spread
wide apart, listing ever so slightly.

“
You didn
’
t find anything else out there, did you?
”
Su
zanne asked.
“
Chemicals or anything?
”

“
Nope,
”
Doogie told her.
“
If they
’
d had some of the
same chemicals that were stolen from Driesden and Draper,
then I
’
d be on to something. But for now . . .
”
He blew out air, making a slight whistling sound between his front
teeth.
“
I
’
m perplexed.
”
And, with his bushy brows knit together, Doogie really did appear perplexed.

“
So you
’
re back to square one?
”
Suzanne asked.

“
It ain
’
t
that
bad,
”
said Doogie, backpedaling now, try
ing to save face. At the same time, he certainly wasn
’
t bub
bling over with hot, new leads.

“
My money
’
s still on Earl,
”
Suzanne told him.
‘
There
’
s
something hinky about him. Especially his ... what would
you call it? Whirlwind second courtship with Missy?
”

“
Some people are just naturally hinky,
”
said Doogie.
“
They look suspicious and act suspicious, but they don
’
t really have anything particularly sinister going on.
”

Suzanne nodded. She understood what Doogie was talk
ing about.

“
Although,
”
continued Doogie,
“
that hale-hearty type of
personality can sometimes be an outward manifestation of
someone who
’
s actually quite secretive.
”

“
Seriously?
”
said Suzanne.
“
Did you read that in a book
or did you postulate your own theory?
”

Doogie glowered at her and struck a slightly defensive
pose.
“
For your
information
, I once took a class on psy
chological profiling. Given by an ex-FBI agent fella. And
that was the basic gist of one of his hypotheses.
”
Doogie
shook his big head and his jowls sloshed.
“
Jeez, Suzanne,
sometimes you make me feel like I
’
m some poor dufus who can
’
t find his way out of a corn maze.
”

Suzanne patted his arm.
“
Sorry, Sheriff, I didn
’
t mean to insult you. Truly. Last thing on my mind.
”
And the number one thing on my mind is to get you as far away
from here as possible.
“
I think you
’
re running a heck of an
investigation.
”