Body Over Troubled Waters

by Denise Swanson

  Skye beamed. “Excellent.” Maggie was her mother’s best friend and a nonfamily member, so an acceptable alibi for Charlie.

  “Now that that’s settled.” May wiped her fingers on a napkin. “What are you wearing to the Valentine’s Dinner Dance?”

  The newish Stanley County Country Club that had been built between Scumble River and Laurel had opened up their event to nonmembers and sold tickets to benefit the local humane society. When Skye and Wally decided to attend, most of their immediate family and friends had followed suit.

  “I ordered a couple of dresses online.” Skye worried her bottom lip. “Hopefully they came today. Wally’s going to wear his dress uniform since he hasn’t had time to replace his tux yet.”

  “I’m wearing that dress I bought for Maggie’s daughter’s wedding.” May hopped off her stool; returning a few seconds later, she held a wine-colored dress with a tiered skirt and lacy jacket. The color was perfect with her salt-and-pepper hair. “Your father’s wearing his dark suit and I bought him a shirt to match my outfit. Should I wear my silver sandals or black pumps?”

  “The sandals for sure.” Skye bit into the chewy brownie and closed her eyes at the delicious hit of chocolate. “I wonder what Loretta’s wearing?” Skye shrugged. “Not that it matters. She and Vince will be the handsomest couple there even if they come in his and hers gunny sacks.”

  “They are very attractive people.” May’s voice was firm. “But you and Wally have a special glow when you’re together that is hard to compete with.”

  “Aw. Thanks, Mom.” Skye liked this new, sweeter May and hoped the change wasn’t something temporary. “Did you hear that Carson is back from his business trip to Texas and is coming to the dance too?”

  May’s lips formed a hard line and she scowled. “Is he taking Bunny Reid? I can just imagine her trampy outfit. Not to mention her makeup.”

  Bunny was an ex–Las Vegas showgirl and a thorn in May’s side. The two women had gotten along briefly when Skye was dating Bunny’s son, Simon, but as soon as that relationship was over, so was the uneasy truce the two mothers had been maintaining.

  “Nope. They haven’t been seeing each other since just after Christmas,” Skye teased. “I can’t believe the queen of gossip didn’t hear about their breakup. Bunny didn’t take it at all well.”

  “What happened?” May’s eyes gleamed. “What did that floozie do?”

  “Carson had wanted to end things for a while, but he’s such a gentleman, he waited until after the holidays. But when he finally told her that they just weren’t right for each other, she threw a bowling trophy at him and he ended up needing stitches on his chin.”

  Bunny managed the bowling alley that her son owned. She lived in an apartment above the business and spent a lot of time at work.

  “Oh my good gracious.” May covered her mouth with her hand.

  “Wally thought she should be arrested for battery, but Carson refused to press charges.”

  “A small price to pay to be rid of her.” May didn’t seem too upset that there had been bloodshed. “So who is Carson taking, then?”

  “Dr. Norris.” Skye finished eating and got up to put her dishes in the sink. “I really like her and I think she’s perfect for Wally’s dad. Did I mention she was at the crime scene this afternoon? I thought it was odd she was there instead of Simon.”

  “Simon’s on vacation.” May picked up the used paper napkins and walked into the utility room to put them in the trash can that she kept hidden in the coat closet. “He took that Emmy Jones to the Bahamas.”

  Before Skye could respond, Charlie stomped into the room and said, “What are you two talking about?”

  At the sound of her godfather’s voice, Skye whirled around. Although she fought to keep her expression neutral, Charlie’s gray color and rapid breathing scared her. As he took a seat at the dinette table, his color began to improve, but she was still worried.

  Skye hastily explained, “Mom was just telling me that Simon and Emmy are out of town.” Then she narrowed her eyes and pointed to the cigar in Charlie’s mouth. Tapping her fingernails on the counter, she nagged, “Your doctor said you are not supposed to be smoking.”

  He pounded on the glass tabletop and yelled, “It’s not lit!”

  “Keep it that way.” Skye dealt with adolescents for a living, and his show of temper didn’t affect her. “What did Loretta have to say?”

  Charlie ran sausage-like fingers through his thick white hair and blew out a breath. “She thinks that I’m in the clear. The state police haven’t found a speck of evidence that I was aware of anything illegal going on in the motor court. And of course, there were no drugs or weapons in my personal quarters or in my Caddy.”

  “That’s great.” Skye walked over to Charlie, leaned down, and gave him a big hug. “When can you get your car back and reopen the motel?”

  “It might be a couple more days.” Charlie frowned. “And that old mattress of yours gives me a backache.”

  “You can come stay with us,” Skye offered. “The bed in our guest room is brand new.”

  “Nah.” Charlie shook his head. “I was just teasing. At my age if you don’t wake up with pain in every joint, you’re probably dead.”

  “Quit it, Uncle Charlie.” Skye stomped her feet. “You always claim to be knocking at death’s door.”

  “I do not. I ring the bell and run like hell. The grim reaper hates that.” Charlie chuckled. “Anyway, Loretta is on top of things, and the state police can’t stall much longer.”

  “Awesome.” Skye was relieved to hear that he wouldn’t have to spend time in jail.

  Intense blue eyes under bushy white brows scrutinized her face. “How are you doing? I heard about that stunt Opal pulled at school. I can’t believe we have to give the Dooziers money the district can ill afford.”

  “Everything’s fine.” Skye really wished she could tell him about Dr. Wraige. “I did the best I could negotiating with Earl, but a lawsuit would cost a lot more than a trip to Beverly Hills.”

  “Yeah.” Sighing, he leaned back and crossed his arms. “I blame Knapik, not Opal, for what happened. I told Wraige we need to force that man into retirement, but for some reason the superintendent keeps protecting him. It’s like Knapik has something on him.”

  “True.” Skye frowned. She should mention that to Wally. “I wonder what it is?”

  “Whatever it is, Knapik has to go.” Charlie shook his finger. “I’m sick of Wraige’s excuses. And while we’re cleaning house, Wraige’s cousin Pru Cormorant needs to retire too. She used to be a decent teacher, but the past ten years she’s gotten downright nasty, and I’m tired of all the parent complaints about her playing favorites and sending home snide little notes. Just the other day, Mrs. Brenner called and screamed at me that Corny sent her a letter that said her son is depriving some village of its idiot and that the boy has been working with glue too much.”

  Shoot! Skye had forgotten that Pru was related to the superintendent. She needed to remind Wally of that as soon as possible.

  “It would be great if Homer and Pru both retired.” Skye’s smile was weak. “Well, I’d better get going.” She leaned down and kissed her godfather’s cheek, then walked over to her mother, and as she kissed her mom goodbye, she whispered, “Remember. Do not tell Charlie about Dr. Wraige’s murder.”

  As Skye hurriedly shoved her feet into her boots and put on her coat, she looked at May and asked, “By the way, what’s with the goose’s costume?”

  “He’s the Birdman of Alcatraz.” May shot a pointed glance over her shoulder to where Charlie still sat. “The Birdman was innocent too.”

  She nodded her understanding, and May thrust a foil-wrapped plate into her hand. As Skye rushed out of the house, she waved her thanks, then ran to her SUV and slid behind the wheel.

  While she hastily dialed Wally’s
number, she thought about Pru and the superintendent. A while back the English teacher had said that she and Dr. Wraige were more like sister and brother than cousins.

  Which meant there was a good chance that Pru knew things about her cousin that his wife or son might not. They needed to talk to her before she heard about his death.

  Chapter 12

  Counting Valentines

  After Skye reminded Wally about the English teacher’s relationship with the superintendent, he cursed. “Good gravy! How did we forget about that?”

  “It’s hard to keep up with who’s related to whom in a town where everyone is about three degrees of separation from each other.”

  “Right.” Wally sighed. “I’m on my way back from Laurel, so I’ll meet you at home in about twenty minutes.”

  “Why were you in Laurel?” Skye put him on speaker and started the SUV.

  “This afternoon, Dr. Wraige’s jewelry box turned up at the pawnshop and I brought it straight to the techs so they could start processing it for clues.”

  “Interesting. You can tell me all about it tonight.” Skye backed out of her parents’ driveway and onto the road. “See you soon.”

  Checking her watch, Skye hastily increased her speed. It was nearly four thirty and she didn’t like to make Dorothy work longer than her agreed-upon hours. They were extremely fortunate in securing May’s old friend as their live-in housekeeper and nanny, and the last thing Skye wanted to do was take advantage of the woman’s good nature.

  Unlike her parents’ country road, the one leading to Skye and Wally’s new house was clear of snow. Even though there were still some icy patches and drifted-over spots, she made good time and pulled into their long paved driveway with a few minutes to spare.

  As she passed the site where her old home had stood, she stopped and looked to the right. It was truly amazing that there was no indication that before the tornado, there had ever been a structure in that spot. She had inherited the three-story residence from Mrs. Griggs, an elderly woman who left it to her because she was convinced that Skye was her reincarnated daughter.

  At first, Skye had been skeptical about Mrs. Griggs’s claim, but after the woman’s ghost began to make appearances and leave little gifts, Skye had decided to keep an open mind. Mrs. Griggs’s spirit had stuck around for as long as Skye lived in her house, but after it was destroyed, she evidently went into the light.

  At least, that was the message she sent to Skye through Millicent Rose, a woman claiming to be the twins’ fairy godmother.

  Smiling at the memory, Skye drove a bit farther and again paused. This time, she gazed to the left. The RV that she and Wally had lived in after their house was demolished by the twister was finally gone.

  Carson had provided them with the motor home while they were having their new place built, and he’d had arranged for it to be taken away once they moved into their forever home. Skye had to admit, it was nice having a billionaire father-in-law and a husband with a hefty trust fund.

  It still felt a little surreal to be able to buy anything she wanted without worrying about how to pay for it. But her sister-in-law, Loretta, had come from an affluent family, and she had helped Skye come to grips with Wally’s wealth.

  With a final look at both locations, Skye drove on. She and Wally had decided to build their new house closer to the river. She’d been worried about the upkeep for the enormous yard and lengthy driveway, but after Wally hired a landscape company to keep the yard mowed and the snow plowed, she was happy they had chosen that site.

  She loved the view from their rear deck, and having the house set farther back from the road gave them a lot more privacy.

  Once she’d pulled the SUV into the attached garage, Skye grabbed her purse and the brownies, then went inside. She stopped in the laundry room to hang her coat on one of the hooks lining the walls and to take off her boots. Just because she wasn’t the one cleaning up, didn’t mean she was willing to track mud into the house.

  Having divested herself of her outerwear, Skye walked down the short hall that led to the kitchen. From there, she could see both the dining and great rooms.

  Although the TV was on, Dorothy wasn’t paying it much attention. She had the twins on a pad in front of the fireplace and was blowing bubbles with a wand that she dipped into a bright red bottle.

  Eva was gurgling, her brown eyes sparkling as she watched the bubbles dance over her head. Her cute little nose twitched with excitement and her soft pink lips crinkled in a smile.

  CJ was moving his hands around excitedly every time a bubble came close to him. His thickly lashed green eyes were wide with wonder as he attempted to close his fingers around the floating spheres.

  Bingo, the black cat that Skye had inherited from her grandmother, was sleeping on the sofa. As per the Feline Law of Comfort Seeking, Bingo had claimed the coziest spot in the room.

  “Hi!” Skye raised her voice, not wanting to sneak up and scare the older woman. “I’m home.”

  Dorothy used the edge of the heavy coffee table to get to her feet and said, “We were having such a good time, I didn’t hear your car.”

  Skye pointed. “I think it was more that guy on TV shouting.”

  “Televangelists are sort of the pro wrestlers of religion.” Dorothy chuckled.

  “Does Father Burns know you watch his competition?” Skye teased.

  “Hey.” Dorothy snickered. “I just like hedging my bets.”

  “Humph.” Skye giggled. “When God decides to communicate with humanity, I doubt his messenger will be a guy on cable with a bad hairstyle and a wife wearing enough makeup to graduate at the top of her clown school class.”

  “Maybe so.” Dorothy shrugged, not at all offended by Skye’s gentle ribbing. “But better safe than sorry.”

  “You could be right.” Skye knelt beside her babies and picked up the bottle of bubbles to play with them. “Everything okay with the twins?”

  “As right as rain.” Dorothy beamed. “Both little darlings have been fed and changed. They wouldn’t fall asleep earlier, so I was just about to put them down again and see if they’d nod off now.”

  “I’ll do that.” Skye blew a few more bubbles. “You are officially off duty.”

  “Let me help you,” Dorothy insisted, scooping up Eva and heading toward the nursery. “I’ll put the princess in her bed and you bring the prince.”

  “Okay,” Skye agreed. “But then you’re through for the day.” Dorothy would work twenty-four/seven if Skye didn’t stop her.

  CJ and Eva were asleep before their little heads hit the mattress and Dorothy reluctantly went up to her apartment above the garage.

  Skye and Wally had added it to their house plans once they’d realized they’d need live-in help to manage with the twins. It had a kitchen, living room, bedroom with an attached bathroom, and its own outside staircase entrance, giving Dorothy the privacy to come and go as she pleased.

  Once Skye was alone, she quickly went into her bedroom to change into a pair of jeans and sweatshirt. She was in the kitchen investigating what Dorothy had planned for her to cook for supper when she heard Wally’s Hummer park out front.

  She frowned. It was odd that he hadn’t put his car in the garage.

  A few minutes later, he joined her in the kitchen and said, “Any chance I can get you to come with me to Pru Cormorant’s house?”

  “Sure.” Skye put the casserole dish back in the fridge. “But what about the twins? I’m not asking Dorothy to watch them.”

  “I called Dad and he said he’d be happy to come over and keep an eye on them for a few hours.” Wally stepped closer to Skye and drew her into his arms. “He even said we could go out to eat afterward.”

  “Oh! That would be such a treat.” Skye snuggled against his muscular chest. They rarely had any alone time. “Are you sure he doesn’t mind?”

&nbs
p; Chuckling, Wally rested his chin on the top of her head. “You know Dad loves being with his grandchildren. Plus, Doris Ann canceled their date because she’s busy doing the Wraige autopsy.”

  “Sold.” Skye tilted her chin up so she could look at her gorgeous husband. “I’ll just go change back into my work clothes.”

  “Okay.” Wally headed toward the nursery. “While you do that, I’m going to take a peek at the babies. Dad will be here any minute.”

  After putting on her black wool pants and red sweater set again, Skye took a few extra minutes to comb her hair and freshen her makeup. She firmly believed that it was always a good idea to look your best before tackling a difficult situation.

  And any situation involving the prickly English teacher was by definition difficult.

  By the time Skye returned to the kitchen, Carson and Wally were sitting at the table. Both had large glasses of milk in front of them and they were demolishing the brownies her mother had sent home with Skye.

  Every time she saw her father-in-law, Skye was struck by how much he and his son looked alike. Both were tall, with broad shoulders, trim waists, and chiseled features.

  While Wally’s dark hair was only threaded with gray at the temples, Carson’s thick mane was now completely white. But they both had the kindest, warmest brown eyes that Skye had ever seen.

  Carson hastily swallowed, wiped his lips on a paper napkin, rose to his feet, and gave Skye a big hug. When she’d become engaged to his son, he’d asked her to call him Dad. And from that moment on, he had treated her like a beloved daughter.

  Hugging him back, Skye said, “Thanks for watching the twins on such short notice. I don’t like to take advantage of Dorothy.”

  “Anytime.” Carson sat back down and reached for the remaining brownie. “Especially if you have treats like this for me.”

  “Glad you enjoyed them.” Skye couldn’t believe the men had gone through the whole plateful. “But I can’t take the credit. Mom made them.”