Murder of a Bookstore Babe

Finally, he said, “Kayla’s the only girl I ever loved. We were going to get married next month.”

“I’m so sorry.” Skye leaned forward. “When did you two start dating?”

“Our freshman year in high school.” He gazed over Skye’s head.

“That’s a long time to be together.” Skye said in a comforting voice. “I’m sure it’s a shock.”

“I just can’t believe it.” Chase buried his face in his hands.

Skye searched her mind. What would Wally want her to ask Kayla’s boyfriend? “What made you come here this morning?”

“I was worried about her.” Chase rubbed his eyes with his fists. “She never showed up at my place last night.”

“Were you expecting her?” Skye asked, wondering why it had taken him so long to check the store for her.

“Not exactly.” Chase shook his head. “She spends most nights with me, but she technically still lives with her parents.”

Skye nodded, remembering Kayla’s explanation of her living arrangements. “So you called her folks this morning and found out she wasn’t there either?”

“Actually,” Chase admitted, “I called them around midnight, after I tried her cell a few times and it went straight into voice mail.”

“And when she wasn’t there . . . ?” Skye trailed off, confused. Why hadn’t Chase come to Tales and Treats at that point?

“The thing is”—Chase frowned—“sometimes she spends the night with Xenia. She has all the latest film-making gadgets, and I knew that Kayla had a big project she was working on for school, so I thought she might have crashed at Xenia’s.”

Skye nodded again. That, too, fit in with what Kayla had said. “Did you call there?”

“I tried, but the machine picked up, and Xenia didn’t answer her cell.”

“Is that unusual?”

“Not really.” Chase’s neck turned red. “Xenia doesn’t like me.”

Skye tucked that information away and was considering what else Wally would want to know, when a silver Toyota Prius zoomed up and parked behind Chase’s SUV. It was beginning to look like a parade lineup with all the cars double-parked bumper to bumper.

Risé threw open the driver’s door and exploded out of the car. She was wearing a short pink T-shirt with the words PARDON ME WHILE I SLIP INTO A GOOD BOOK emblazoned across her chest, and she tugged at it as she tore toward Skye and Chase.

She skidded to a stop inches from Skye’s chair and demanded, “Okay, I’m here. What’s the big emergency?” Her tone was stiff, but her expression was worried.

Before Skye could answer, Chase howled and lunged at Risé, shouting, “This is all your fault.”

It took both Wally and Skye to subdue Chase, but he finally calmed down enough to be sent to the police station with Anthony. Wally had decided they would continue questioning the young man after they were finished at the scene. Soon afterward, Xavier and Simon left with the body, and now Skye, Wally, and Risé were staring at the shards of glass and scattered books on the shop floor.

“That poor, poor girl.” Risé’s skin was ashen, and she blinked back tears. “I should never have left her alone yesterday to close up.”

“What time did you leave here?” Wally asked.

“We close at eight on Fridays and Saturdays,” Risé answered mechanically. “I left about fifteen minutes later. Kayla wanted to finish vacuuming, so I told her to lock the door when she was finished. I took Beelzebub and Cherub and headed for the motor court.”

“Her pet chinchillas,” Skye explained when she noticed Wally’s puzzled expression.

“Oh.” Wally made a note on the pad he took from his breast pocket. “Did you and your husband leave here together last night?”

“No.” Risé’s mouth twisted. “He couldn’t wait for me to count the cash drawer. He had a meeting to attend over in Laurel and took off right behind our last customer.”

“Where is he now?” Wally looked up from his notepad.

“I have no idea.” Risé’s tone was tart. “He never made it back to the cottage.”

“Is that usual for him?” Wally raised a brow.

“No, not anymore. It used to be, a long time ago, but he’s been sober for nearly fifteen years. He’s never slipped and taken a drink in all that time.”

“But he used to get falling-down drunk?” Wally asked.

“He preferred to call it becoming accidently horizontal.” Risé sighed. “But yes.”

“Was he going to Laurel for an AA meeting?” Skye asked quietly.

“Yes.” Risé nodded. “He attends meetings a couple times a week, and they have one especially for vets over there.”

“And when he failed to return to the motor court, you didn’t look for him or try his cell phone or call someone to find him?” Wally’s tone was skeptical.

“He refuses to carry a cell. And I didn’t know where to go or who to call.” Risé shrugged. “Everything in AA is confidential, and since we only recently moved here, he hasn’t found a sponsor in the new group yet.” She whispered half to herself, “I should have known the recent stress about my previous job and then opening up a business might push him over the edge.”

“I’m sure it’s not your fault,” Skye said.