A Killer Read (26 page)

What did it mean? Or was it strictly the ramblings of a mind that wasn’t lucid? She wasn’t about to let Molly know that she’d taken Enid seriously enough to try to track down who Jefferson Perkins was.

She switched her computer back on. Maybe one of the wives was still alive and could throw some light, if there was any, on all this. She gave up after twenty minutes. She was not highly skilled on the computer; she readily admitted that. If the information was there, she didn’t have the patience to ferret it out. She called Andie and thankfully reached her. After tasking her with tracking down Jefferson Perkins and anyone named Claydon who might have connections to him or Frank Telford and the wives of the deceased investors, Lizzie had a quick dinner and left for the literacy class.

Teesha had brought in some reading suggestions. Unfortunately, she hadn’t moved much past the graphic novels, but at least she had put some thought and effort into it. Jolene actually had some questions about characterization, and so Lizzie finished the evening a happy teacher.

“By the way,” Lizzie said as they were about to leave, “I want to remind y’all that there is no class on Monday night. If you’ll remember, that night was excluded from the schedule right from the beginning of the term since the community center classes are cancelled due to their annual general meeting. But since all literacy classes need to advance at the same rate, you get the night off, too. But don’t forget to come next Wednesday,” she added for good measure.

There were a few laughs and chuckles, then good-byes. Jolene hung back as the others left, and handed over an envelope.

“It’s my story,” she said. “At least the first chapter. I hope you meant what you said about reading it. If you like it, I’ll bring in the rest. I’m up to chapter ten now.”

Lizzie smiled, hoping she looked more enthusiastic than she felt. “Of course I meant it. I’ll try to get this read by next class, but I can’t promise, okay? It all depends on how much work I have to do for my day students.”

“That’s cool. No rush. I’m just going to keep on going at it anyway. Night now,” she said.

L
izzie had just gotten home when the phone rang. Molly’s breathless voice announced another figurine had been stolen. And this time, the thief had been captured on tape. The police had been called and fortunately, it wasn’t Officer Craig who turned up. The officer took the tape and was on his way to arrest Dwayne Trowl.

Lizzie looked at the phone in disbelief. Dwayne the thief? She’d thought for sure that since Troy was back, that’s whose name Molly would say.

“Oh boy. Well, I guess we’ll hear all about it after they question him,” Lizzie said. “I am totally shocked, though. Why, he was a bartender at your picnic and nothing was stolen.”

“I know, honey. I can’t believe it either. But at least one mystery has been solved. Let’s hope the other, more serious one follows suit.”

L
izzie stopped by the police station the next morning on the way to school, hoping Mark would be in and tell her all about Dwayne. He was and he did.

“It seems he’s a clever guy. He’d been hoping Troy would be suspected. That’s why he never stole when Troy wasn’t there.”

“But why did he steal those things? They couldn’t have gotten him much money.”

“He gave them to his girlfriend, Teesha Torres. Seems she has an eye for glittery things and he wanted to keep her happy. Ahh, young, misguided love.” He chuckled.

“Do not laugh about this, Mark Dreyfus.” She’d almost stamped her foot, she was so upset. “He was just telling me at the garden party on Sunday that he wanted to be a chef, go to cooking school, and he had big plans. Now what’s going to happen to him?”

Mark sobered quickly. “Sorry, Lizzie. Well, these are misdemeanor items, totaling less than five hundred dollars. And he doesn’t have a previous record. Maybe the judge will have a long talk with him and look kindly on young love.” His smirk was back.

“Did Teesha ask him to steal them, did he say?”

“No, he didn’t, and I don’t think he’s about to, do you?”

She shook her head. “No. I sure hope she didn’t, though. Oh boy… that stupid kid.”

“That’s exactly what he is. But I’m glad this was sorted out so Ms. Mathews doesn’t have to worry about it anymore.”

Lizzie looked at Mark and felt better. “Exactly. That is a good thing.”

“Would you like some coffee? It’s not as good as Starbucks but not as bad as they make out in all those cop shows.”

“Thanks for the offer, but I’ve really got to get to class.”

“We still on for Saturday night?” he asked, a smile playing at the edges of his mouth.

“Absolutely. What did you have in mind?”

“Well, you did sort of do the asking…”

Lizzie blushed.

“Sorry, I couldn’t resist teasing you a little.” He laughed. “Saturday’s the final night of the FallFest, so I thought we might eat at the Black Tomato, then wander around the
booths and maybe take in the big show at the main stage. Tell me you like Cajun music, now.”

Lizzie laughed. “I love Cajun, and I love the idea of taking it all in. What time?”

“I’ll pick you up at six?”

“Great. See you then.”

Mark walked her to the front door of the station and gave her arm a light squeeze. “See you then.”

Lizzie found it hard to concentrate on work that day. Fortunately, she had no appointments scheduled. She’d planned to finish putting together her workshop and needed to access the school library to do so. What with recent cutbacks, there was no longer a librarian on staff for her to check in with, so she commandeered what had been the librarian’s desk in the small office and hooked up her computer. The shelves in the office appeared to have been co-opted for school storage. And a laminating machine was crammed in the corner with a small table nearby. A note with large black letters asked that the space be kept clear for use as a cutting surface.

After about an hour of busywork, she finally shut out thoughts of both Dwayne and Mark and concentrated on her PowerPoint presentation. She glanced at the clock as the lunch bell rang but planned to work straight through until she finished. Eventually she reached that point, read it all over a second time and emailed the entire package to the office to have them print out packages for the teachers.

She stopped by Molly’s on her way home, wanting to fill her in on her conversation with Mark— well, the part that pertained to Dwayne, at least. She followed the sound of Molly’s singing and found her out back, on her knees, digging around the daylilies again.

“I’m altogether surprised that you don’t join our choir, Molly. You have such a beautiful alto voice,” Lizzie told her as she settled into a nearby wicker chair.

Molly laughed. “You know, a little part of me wanted to
be a sultry singer in a smoky jazz club, but that was just the part that needed a small vacation from my real life every now and then. We all need those places to visit. What’s yours, Lizzie?”

“I guess I never gave it much thought. I just immerse myself in a book if I want to do that. But if I had to choose a fantasy… umm… I think I’d like to be an artist, my easel set up on a white sandy beach in Aruba or some such place, and me there all by my lonesome, barefoot and painting.”

“Why, Lizzie girl, I never did know you had a yen to paint. Why haven’t you done something about it?”

“Probably the same reason you haven’t gone to a club and asked to sing.”

Molly nodded. “You’d have to find a new fantasy then. And, of course, there’s always the threat of rejection. In my daydreams, I’m fabulous. In reality… well, it’s better not to find out.”

“Exactly. Now, I had a talk with Mark Dreyfus this morning and— don’t you waggle your eyebrows at me, Molly Mathews. I was concerned about Dwayne Trowl, so we had a little chat. Now, if you don’t press too hard on this, the judge may go a little easier on the boy.”

Molly pushed herself up and brushed off the knees of her faded jeans, then shook her gardening gloves. The sleeves of her khaki canvas jacket had been pushed up to her elbows, and she took a moment to straighten them. “As I said, the objects weren’t valuable. Some were sentimental, but when you come right down to it, they’re just objects. Why did he take them, anyway?”

“To give to Teesha. He’s sweet on her and she coveted them, I guess, and he wanted to make her happy.”

“Humph. Like I said, it’s not the items so much as the fact that he chose to steal from me. He violated my trust in having him in my house. That I cannot condone, so while I won’t push, I won’t ask for leniency either.”

“Fair enough. He does have to learn the consequences of his actions. At least, he’s out of jail on his own recognizance until the trial. I’m hoping he’ll try to make it up to you.”

“I
want to talk about Janet Evanovich today. Not Shakespeare,” Andie announced as she dropped her bag on the floor and slouched into the chair at the bridge table Molly had set up in the library.

“Evanovich is strictly for book club night. Shakespeare gets the daytime billing.” Lizzie was secretly pleased that her unconventional attempt to interest Andie in reading seemed to be working. However, she still had to get the girl through a year of English lit.

Lizzie had done her own homework, though. She’d chosen a passage in
The Taming of the Shrew
quite similar to part of Evanovich’s
One for the Money
. She asked Andie to read it aloud and watched with glee as Andie eventually made the connection between the two.

Andie fingered one of the many small silver loops in her right earlobe, which had remained hidden until that point, since her long black hair, recently rid of its customary colored streaks, hung loosely to her shoulders. A new look for
her, but one that Lizzie liked. “Cool,” Andie said finally. “This shrew babe is kinda her own boss and not taking being pushed around by any guy, just like Stephanie Plum, right?”

“I’d say so. What else do you find similar?”

“Well, you can tell they’re nuts about each other, all that sexual tension even though they’re saying otherwise. Like Plum and Joe Morelli.” She bit into a molasses cookie she’d absently taken from the plate of freshly baked cookies Molly always supplied.

“So, I guess they sorta went through the same things we do these days,” she went on once she’d swallowed. “But it’s hard to figure out. If only he’d write so’s you could understand it.”

“You’re right, but you know, the more you read Shakespeare, the easier it becomes to understand. Trust me.”

Andie looked doubtful, but she went back to reading aloud. By the end of their session, she’d relaxed in her chair and was asking Lizzie questions about the time period.

“By the way,” she added, “thanks for getting Ms. Mathews to go over to see Steph.”

“Molly does have a knack for empathizing with others. And I know she’s concerned about Stephanie, so she was happy to go over to her house. I hope everything will work out.”

“Me, too.” She pulled out her cell phone and checked it. “There’s a message from Steph, sent about fifteen minutes ago. I had it on vibrate but had already stuck it in my bag.” She punched her way into her messages. “Oh boy. She wants me to come right over. She says Officer Craig is there and giving her a hard time.”

Lizzie gathered her own books. “I’ll go over. Maybe I can help.”

“Can I come with you? It was me she texted, after all.”

Lizzie looked at her. “Of course. I’ll just say bye to Molly and meet you at my car.”

It took less than fifteen minutes to get to the apartment, but by that time, it was empty.

“Where’s Steph? Do you think they took her in?” Andie sounded worried.

“I wouldn’t put it past our Officer Craig. Let’s go see.”

Lizzie spotted Stephanie right away, as soon as they entered the police station. She sat with her arms hugging herself, looking thoroughly dejected, at Officer Craig’s desk. She wore a bulky beige cardigan as a defense against the questions. Several strands of her hair had escaped her ponytail and now hung limply framing her face, emphasizing the look of terror it held.

Lizzie wanted to rush right over, but she knew that would only antagonize Officer Craig. Instead, she asked the young officer at the front desk if he would please go over and tell Stephanie that they were waiting for her. That would give her morale a boost, anyway. He appeared reluctant to do so but after some cajoling by Andie, gave her a quick grin and did it.

“You have a way with the young men in uniform, I see,” Lizzie joked.

Andie smirked. “I’ve known Kenny Watson since grade school. He’s only a couple of years older than me, and I’ve always teased him. I think he kind of likes it.”

Lizzie nodded. She agreed. He delivered the message, and both an irritated Amber Craig and a relieved Stephanie looked their way. Lizzie gave a little wave, as did Andie. Officer Craig went right back to questioning Stephanie, so the two took a seat in the waiting area, positioned so they could see a bit of the desk. On the plus side, she wasn’t being questioned in an interrogation room. However, she had been brought to the station, so things weren’t great.