Mrs. Kingsley’s gaze landed on the statue at the east end of the park. It was hard to miss, adjacent to the large ribbon-and-light-adorned gazebo that Carson used for all town gatherings.
“My goodness!” She glanced at Savanna and began moving toward the statue.
Savanna matched the woman’s pace, followed by Bellamy and Britt.
“Our town statue went through an unexpected, um, trauma sometime last night or early this morning,” Savanna told her. “We’ve already reported it to the police. I’m sure they’ll find the responsible party. We can begin on the other end of the park,” she said, attempting to steer the woman away from the area.
Even in heels, Mrs. Kingsley had no trouble staying her course. They were now close enough to read those large, scrawled, blood-red words: NEVER CARSON. “Oh my goodness,” the woman said again, stopping in her tracks. “What happened? Is this about the Art in the Park festival?”
“We aren’t sure,” Savanna admitted, at the same time John Bellamy said, “Of course not.”
Mrs. Kingsley looked at the pair of them, her face painted with skepticism. “It certainly appears to be, with your planning banquet scheduled for this evening.”
“I can see how you’d worry it’s related,” Savanna said. “But I really don’t think so, Mrs. Kingsley. Carson is, as a community, so excited to host the event. It’ll be good for the local businesses, and it’s bringing in a lot of outside interest. Hotel and B&B reservations are way up—right, John?”
The councilman nodded. “Absolutely. And Carson’s finest are right on top of this.” John pointed now to a Sheriff’s department patrol car pulling up. “There isn’t anything to be concerned about. I can promise you the city council will coordinate with our police force to make sure of that.”
Nick Jordan and a deputy approached the statue. Mrs. Kingsley was quiet, watching them. She finally turned to Savanna. “I was the swing vote that secured the festival for Carson this year, Savanna. I’ll trust this will be handled, but I do have an obligation to inform the committee.”
Savanna’s stomach lurched. “I understand. Thank you. Please don’t worry.”
“Let’s take a look at the rest of the area,” the older woman suggested.
Savanna handed her folder to Britt. “Councilman Bellamy and my colleague Britt will walk you through our thoughts on the setup,” she said, pleading silently with Britt. He could manage while she had a quick chat with Detective Jordan; he and the young woman in uniform with him were already checking out Jessamina and her disconnected head.
Detective Jordan greeted Savanna when she joined them and introduced the woman as his forensics tech. The tech placed numbered yellow evidence markers in a series of spots and moved between the debris on the ground and statue, snapping photos.
“What do you think it means?” Savanna asked the detective.
Read the rest! Order Behind the Frame now.
Out of the Picture Page 28
