Murder of a Bookstore Babe

A few seconds later Risé pushed open the door, looked at Skye, and said, “Oh, it’s you. I thought you were gone. Here, let me take those.” She grabbed the tray and pitcher in one hand and gripped Skye’s elbow with the other. Nearly pushing her toward the exit, Risé said in a rush, “Thanks so much for helping us out. I really appreciate it. You must be exhausted, so I won’t keep you. Bye.”

As soon as Skye was over the threshold, Risé locked the door, pulled down the shade, and turned the sign to CLOSED.

“You should have seen her. She couldn’t wait to get me out of there.” Skye lay on her stomach across Wally’s king-size mattress, her chin resting in both hands. “What do you think they don’t want people to know?”

“More important, who is going to tell it?” Wally was running on the treadmill next to the bed. The exercise machine was a recent gift from his father, who after a health scare was on a fitness kick. “And what does Risé have to quit doing in order to stop him?”

“I wonder if it’s Hugo.” Skye narrowed her eyes. “The first day I met Risé, Hugo was with me, and they had that argument about parking spaces that I told you about. As we were walking away, he said something about most people having to make a living from their business and that he’d done some digging, too.”

“Did you talk to Hugo today?” Wally wiped his face with the towel hanging around his neck.

“No. I didn’t realize he worked such short hours.” Skye played with a loose thread on the bedspread. “By the time I got to the used-car lot he was gone. But he’ll be my priority tomorrow.”

“Good.” Wally increased the speed on the treadmill. “Call me before you go inside, and I’ll have an officer nearby as backup in case there’s a problem.”

“Okay.” She looked at Wally, admiring his powerful, well-muscled body moving with such easy grace as he ran in place. “Any more on the security camera image or Risé’s or Kayla’s background?”

“The crime scene techs had to send the tape to the state, so who knows how long that will take.” Wally took a swig of water from the sports bottle in the treadmill’s cup holder. “Martinez is still digging, but the police from Risé’s old neighborhood said they’ve never heard of her.”

“How about her old job?” Skye asked. “Anything there?”

“There doesn’t seem to be any record of where Risé worked before opening up the bookstore.”

“Wouldn’t her income tax records tell you that?”

“Sure, but we’d need a warrant to see them,” he explained. “I told Martinez just to ask Risé for the info, but I think Risé intimidates her. I need to get on Martinez about that.”

“Or ask Risé yourself.”

“I will if I have to, but Martinez needs to learn.”

Skye nodded. This was the young officer’s first job after police training. “Anything on Kayla?”

“The students at her school seemed to have genuinely liked her. None of them mentioned anyone being jealous.”

“How about those blue plastic pieces the ME found in Kayla’s hair?” Skye sat up. “Do we know what they came from? I’m assuming they must have broken off of whatever hit her on the head.”

“That’s what I think, too, but the ME has no idea what it is.” Wally scowled. “I sure wish it was like TV, where they track a speck of dirt back to the exact location the criminal got it stuck on his shoe.”

“Me, too.” Skye was a big fan of those shows. “Oh, I keep forgetting to let you know Vince’s big news.” After telling Wally about the engagement and elopement plans, she added, “But now I can’t get in touch with him or Loretta, and I’m worried.”

“He’s probably just hiding out at Loretta’s and not answering his messages, in case your mom gets wind of what’s going on.”

“I hope so, but you’d think he’d want to talk to me.” Skye wrinkled her brow.

“Maybe.” Wally shrugged. “I wouldn’t worry too much about him. Haven’t you noticed? He always seems to land on his feet.”

“True.” She swung her legs over the side of the bed. “Well, I’d better get going.”

Wally turned off the treadmill, walked over, and stood in front of her. “Why don’t you stay?” He ran his fingertips along her inner thigh. “I could grab a quick shower, and then . . .”

“I really should go home.” Skye’s mouth went dry, and she swallowed. He was so darn sexy. “It is a school night.”

“So?” Slowly and seductively his gaze slid over her. “I’ll set the alarm for six.”

“But I don’t have anything to wear in the morning.” She fought an overwhelming desire to lie back and forget the practicalities. “All I have here are jeans, T-shirts, and tennis shoes.”

“Wrong.” Wally kissed her nose. “I bought you a present.” He drew her off the bed and over to his closet. Pointing, he asked, “What do you think?”

“Oh, my gosh,” Skye gasped. It was the emerald dress she had tried on during their last shopping trip to Von Maur’s, a high-end department store near Yorktown Mall. Although it had fit perfectly, she had decided it was too expensive and had reluctantly put it back on the rack. “When did you get this?”

“When you went to the bathroom,” Wally answered. “Surprised?”