There was a shocked pause that lasted for several beats. Then we all erupted like Mt. Vesuvius and fired questions.
He held up a white napkin and waved it like a flag of surrender. “Hold up.”
April hopped up from the floor and paced the kitchen. “How is that possible? He should recuse himself. He can’t investigate the murder of someone he was dating.”
I folded my arms across my chest and frowned. “I thought he was married.”
“When has that ever stopped a man from dating someone else?” April said.
“Whoa, Nellie,” Michael said. “I didn’t say he was dating her. I said she was there to meet him.”
“What do you mean?”
“He said he got an anonymous call from a woman who claimed to have information about Clayton Davenport that might help find his killer. They agreed to meet at the wine tasting. He’d never seen her before. She told him she would wear a long green scarf.”
The image of that scarf wrapped around Sybil Castleton’s throat made me sick to my stomach. I closed my eyes and put my hand over my mouth. I felt myself being pulled down into a chair and my head pushed between my legs.
“Breathe, Squid. Slow. Deep breaths.” Michael’s voice was firm but soft.
I followed directions, and the nausea I felt just moments ago passed. When I was confident that I wouldn’t puke, I sat up.
He looked me in my eyes. “You okay?”
“Fine. Thanks. And stop calling me Squid.”
He grinned. “Now I know you’re really okay.”
Leroy handed me another cup of tea. I was sure I could float if I drank any more, but I didn’t want to hurt his feelings. So, I smiled and took a sip.
“Did Trooper Bob mention why Sybil wanted to meet with him? He must have had some idea of what she was going to tell him?”
“If he did, he wasn’t telling me.”
“We need to figure this out.”
Michael took a deep breath. “I think whatever we do, we’re going to need to do it quickly.”
“I agree, but why?”
“I overheard a conversation . . . well, an argument really, between him and the mayor. Trooper Bob wants to cancel the Spring Festival, he—”
“But he can’t,” April said. “It would destroy the town’s economy.”
“A lot of businesses have invested a lot of money in getting ready for this,” Leroy said. “Plus, tourists come from miles away for it.”
“He’s right,” April said. “Nearby towns have the Blossom-time Festival, the Harbor Shores Senior PGA Tournament, and the Winter Ice Sculptures. This is the only big event we have in New Bison.”
Michael held up his hands. “I know. Mayor Abernathy pretty much said the exact same things. Trooper Bob kept talking about public safety with a murderer on the loose. The problem is the mayor urged Trooper Bob to make an arrest.”
“You mean he doesn’t care if the wrong person is arrested?” I asked.
“Mayor Abernathy said an arrest will ease the public’s mind, and it might lull the killer into a false sense of security, believing he or she had gotten away with two murders. Then, Trooper Bob could swoop in and nab the bad guy.”
We stared at him.
“You’re joking, right?” Leroy asked.
“That’s so asinine, it had to come from that fool, Abernathy,” April said.
I glanced at Michael. “Did the mayor have a recommendation for who this sacrificial lamb should be?”
April folded her arms and paced the kitchen. “Abernathy never did like me. He was always firmly in the You’re too pretty to be doing work like this camp. I’d better go downstairs and grab my toothbrush. How long do I have?”
“Don’t be daft,” I said. “Trooper Bob hates me. He said as much at the winery. I’m the one who needs to grab a toothbrush.”
Leroy stood up. “No way. There’s no way I’m going to let him arrest either one of you. I’ll confess.”
We protested, but nothing shook Leroy’s resolve. He simply dug his heels in and refused to budge. Eventually, he held up a hand to stop the conversation. “I didn’t kill Clayton Davenport, although I would have loved to. And I didn’t kill Sybil Castleton. You all know that. If we want this nightmare to end, then we need Maddy and April to figure out who really did kill them. You two are smart. You figured out who killed Paul Rivers, Garrett Kelley, and even Miss Octavia. You’ll figure out who the killer is this time too. But you won’t be able to do that if you’re sitting in jail.” He took a deep breath and gave a crooked grin. “Besides, it won’t be my first time in jail.”
