Murder of a Bookstore Babe

“Don���t you have to get to work?”Skye asked. Despite her attempt to dissuade Xenia from accompanying her, the teenager doggedly followed Skye to her car, plunked down in the passenger seat, and ignored Skye’s commands to get out.

“I’m not missing this.” Xenia whipped out her cell. “I’ll call in sick. They’ll be okay without me.”

“You’re going to make this harder,” Skye argued. “He’ll probably talk to me more openly if you aren’t there, since you two don’t get along.”

“So, you’ll have to work for it.” Xenia crossed her arms. “Deal.” When Skye glowered, Xenia asked, “Do you think he killed Kayla?”

“I don’t know.” Skye measured her words carefully. “I want to check on something.” What the Dooziers had said about Kayla’s winning film, and what Xenia had said about thinking that Kayla had had a change of heart regarding marrying Chase, were starting to add up, not to mention his lie about the timing of his calls to Xenia. But Skye still wasn’t sure she’d done the math correctly.

Part of her refused to believe that the young man who was so torn up at seeing his fiancée crushed under a bookcase could be the one who put her there. However, another part of her knew it all fit. If she was correct about the motive, Chase may even have convinced himself he didn’t do it. Another thing to keep in mind was that Chase was a darn good actor. His Prince Charming in the school’s production of Sleeping Beauty had been outstanding.

“What do you want to check on?” Xenia asked. “Do you think he murdered her because she broke off their engagement? That’s pretty wack, even for him.”

Skye ignored the girl’s questions. “I am going to call the chief and have him on the line while we talk to Chase.”

“Is that legal?”

“Yes. You told me Chase will be at the park playing baseball, so he has no expectation of privacy. Plus, I’m not recording him.” Skye paused, considering what the city attorney had told her when she was hired as a consultant, then murmured half to herself, “We aren’t arresting him or even taking him to the police station, plus I’m not a sworn officer so I don’t have to read him his rights.”

“Cool.”

“I’ll be back in a second.” Skye got out of the Thunderbird and said over shoulder, “Don’t forget to let Risé know you’re not coming in.” As soon as Skye was out of Xenia’s earshot, she phoned Wally, explained her theory, and asked him to check something with the ME. Although Wally wasn’t thrilled with her idea, he did agree that bringing Chase into the PD and formally interviewing him probably would not elicit much information.

When she pointed out that Chase was a long shot and they would be in a public place, in full view of dozens of witnesses, Wally finally acquiesced, saying, “The only reason I’m going along with this is because I know if I don’t, you’ll do it without me. At least this way I can be nearby to protect you.”

“True. And I appreciate your being there.” Skye smiled. At least he realized his limitations. “I’ll call you back once we find him, and if I need you, I’ll say, ‘Thanks for clearing that up.’”

“Fine. I’ll ask the medical examiner your question.”

As Skye and Xenia drove to the baseball field, Skye outlined what she wanted Xenia to do, then asked, “Any questions?”

“Duh. What part of shut up and keep quiet do you think I might not understand?”

Skye went over the plan in her head as she turned onto the park’s rutted gravel pathway. Chase was far from the sharpest cleat on the athletic shoe, and he was easily riled up. She just needed to poke at him until he lost his temper and blurted out something incriminating.

When Skye first got out of her car, she didn’t see Chase, but she finally spotted him sitting on a bench in the dugout among several other guys in their early to mid-twenties. Once she got Wally on her cell phone and reminded Xenia to keep quiet, Skye approached the young man.

“Hi, Chase.” Skye waved. “Can I speak to you for a second? It’s important.”

Instead of answering, he glared at Xenia. “What’s she doing here?”

“Actually”—Skye thought fast—“she’s the reason I need to talk to you. Xenia has told me some things that don’t jibe with what you’ve said.”

“She’s a liar.” His face was tight with indignation.

“I know Xenia has had some issues with the truth in the past.” Skye shot the girl an apologetic look, and Xenia rolled her eyes. “That’s why I want to hear your side before leaping to any conclusions.”

“Gee, Ms. Denison.” The young man pushed back his cap and scratched his head. “I can’t leave. We’re in the middle of a game.”

“How about we just stand over there in the parking lot so you can see when your team goes on the field?” Skye was used to coaxing teenagers, their parents, and sundry school personnel into doing what she wanted. “I only need a couple minutes of your time.”

“Well, okay, but I gotta leave as soon as my team takes the field.” Chase got up off the wooden bench and said to the guys sitting near him, “I’ll be right back.”

Skye and Xenia followed Chase across the gravel.