by Rosie Sams
“Are you okay?” Leslie asked. “You look as white as a sheet.”
Melody let out a breath and shook her head. “Let’s just say I will be seeing my husband sooner than I expected.”
“Oh, no, not really?” Leslie asked.
Before Melody could say anymore Alvin arrived and Melody watched as he weaved his way through the crowd to get to her. As he pulled her into his arms she saw Wilbur coming in and knew that he would be coming over too.
Alvin held her close and then whispered in her ear, “are you all right?”
“I’m in better shape than Victor Glass,” Melody said with a shrug.
“I’m sorry, that was a silly thing to ask. Can you point me in the right direction and I will go check things out. I’m hoping to bring a team around the back so that we can question some of the people and watch their reaction before we make an announcement.”
Melody pulled back from him and took his hand in hers. “It will be easier if I just show you.”
Wilbur was now next to Leslie, holding her hand. Alvin nodded to Wilbur as Melody led him away from the party.
Soon, Melody had led Alvin back to the pond. All the time, Smudge was pulling to go back to the party.
“Is she trying to tell us something?” Alvin asked.
“It’s possible,” Melody said, “however, she met a pug called Elvis and I’m pretty sure the two of them are in love.” Melody was surprised that she gave a chuckle at the thought of the two dogs. Was she getting so used to murder or was it just the need to have a little bit of normality under such terrible circumstances?
They made their way around the pond and Alvin got her to stand back while he went to look at the body. He squatted down on his knees and searched the riverbank, but he was careful not to touch the body or to destroy any evidence. Before he came back to her he called in on his radio and walked away in the opposite direction just a short distance so that he could guide his crew directly to the pond.
The coroner’s wagon was the first to arrive and behind them the crime scene team. Once Alvin had organized his people he returned to Melody.
“I can get Wilbur to drive you and the girls home,” Alvin said.
“I’m not sure about them,” Melody said, “but I’d like to stay.” As they walked back to the party she explained about Kirsten being miserable and how she had seen Victor smoking, and then about how the girl's parents didn’t seem to care that she was miserable.
“It seems like a really nice family,” Alvin said.
Melody knew that at one time she wanted to stop the party and to shame Kirsten if she were guilty, but now, she just hoped the young girl would be okay.
Chapter Two Hundred Sixty-Seven
More officers had arrived and Melody noticed deputy John Peterson standing to one side with two other officers. She had only met him a couple of times and she could see he was nervous. A recent new recruit, the young officer of color had always greeted her with a smile. When he caught her eye, she gave him a nod and a smile and was relieved to see him relax.
Alvin approached the officers.
“I’ll speak to Kerry and Leslie,” Melody said.
Alvin nodded and continued to the officers. Melody knew that he would seal off the house to prevent anyone from leaving and then start asking questions. Weaving her way through the crowd she soon found Leslie and was not surprised to see that Kerry was with her.
“Have you really done it again?” Kerry asked. “We can’t ever have a night off without you finding a body!”
“Shush!” Leslie said, holding her hand up and looking around the room nervously.
“Well, I’m right,” Kerry said, and then she seemed to sag. Her shoulders drooped and all the energy went out of her face.
“It looks like you need a coffee,” Melody said and guided the two girls into the kitchen. It was quiet there. The only other person in the large and beautifully appointed room was Hiram Green.
“Hey, ladies, how are you doing?” Hiram asked.
Melody shut the door and gestured for him to join them. “Did you leave the house at all?” Melody asked Hiram.
“No, I’ve been hiding in here most of the night. Felicity Parker seems to have taken a shine to me,” Hiram said.
Leslie chuckled. “I saw her earlier, I didn’t realize she was chasing you.”
“It was most embarrassing; I’ve been hiding behind that door for the better part of an hour.” Hiram shrugged and Leslie and Kerry laughed a little too heartily. “What’s wrong, Melody?” Hiram asked.
Turning away for just a moment Melody grabbed four mugs and poured them all a coffee. She would not normally be drinking anything with caffeine at this time of night but somehow she thought she would need to be awake for a few hours yet. Handing out the mugs she guided them across to a large kitchen table. Once they all sat down she explained what had happened.
“Alvin has said that you and Kerry can leave if you want to,” Melody said, “sorry, Hiram, I think he might want to question you.”
Hiram shrugged. “It’s okay, I don’t need to rush back.”
“I’m okay to stay too,” Leslie said.
Kerry nodded her agreement. “It looks like you’ve done most of the clearing up, Melody. Leslie and I can finish that off and then we may as well hang around until this is all over. It would look kinda wrong if we left when others can’t.”
Melody was very proud of her partners. “Thank you, all of you. Why don’t you stay in here, you will be out of the way and I’ll go see what Alvin’s up to.”
Melody and Smudge left the kitchen and she could see that Alvin and Wilbur were questioning the party guests. Melody went across to Alvin and stood slightly behind him. Everyone he spoke to was saying they knew nothing, had seen nothing. It looked like it was going to be a long night!
Melody tapped Alvin on the shoulder and guided him to a quiet spot. “Did I mention that Victor and Kirsten were fighting earlier?” Melody asked. She knew she had intended to but wasn’t sure if she got around to it before they were back at the party. Finding a body could be enough to put you off your train of thought.
“No, you said you saw him smoking.”
“I’m sorry, Alvin, he went off for a smoke after he was arguing with Kirsten. He said something along the lines of, I expect you to honor your end of the agreement. Kirsten then replied that he did her no favors, before storming away. I don’t think it could’ve been her, as I don’t think she could have got past me and committed the crime and then got back to the party.”
“Well, we’ll bear that in mind. I was just about to start interviewing the family.”
As he said that Smudge started to bark and was pulling on her lead.
“Shush, Smudge,” Melody said casting her eye at where the bulldog was looking. It was at the Reid family group and noticed that Kirsten was there. There were a couple of other girls’ parents and Principal Jefferies. Melody couldn’t help but notice that they all seemed uneasy.
Alvin glanced down at Smudge and then led the way over to the Reids. “Mr. and Mrs. Reid, folks.” Alvin nodded to the group. “Kirsten, I would like to interview you next, if you will come this way with me.”
Franklin stepped forward. “You cannot talk to my daughter alone, she is a minor and one of her parents needs to be present for any kind of interrogation.”
“I wasn’t planning on interrogating her, Mr. Reid, merely asking her a few questions.”
Franklin moved between Alvin and his daughter. “Even so, I would like to be there.”
Kirsten stepped around him. “You are forgetting, Father, that I have just turned 18. Sheriff Hennessy, I am happy and willing to talk to you on my own, please follow me to my room.”
“Kirsten, do you mind if I tag along?” Melody asked.
“Not at all, you have been nice to me this evening… which is more than a lot of people have,” Kirsten said before turning and walking away.
Alvin raised his eyebrows at Melody and then follo
wed her as they made their way through the house. At first, they were weaving through crowds but then they went through a door into a quiet corridor. It was painted in a light ash color with large photos on either side. Melody noticed that they were not of the family, and she thought that strange. It was almost too perfect, like a corridor in a high-end hotel.
Kirsten opened a door and invited them into her bedroom. It was a nice sized room, decorated in peach. There were no photos or posters of boys on the walls and very little about the room looked personal to Kirsten. The bed was on one side and on the other side in front of a desk was a small sofa, a coffee table, and two chairs. There was a book on car engines on the bed.
“I feel happy to talk in here if that’s okay with you?” Kirsten asked. “It’s the one place we won’t be disturbed.”
“If you’re comfortable here, we are fine,” Melody said as she sat in one of the chairs. Smudge sat down on the floor next to her.
Alvin took the other and Kirsten nodded and went around the table and sat on the sofa. With her hands on her knees and her back straight, she looked most uncomfortable. Melody noticed that she was chewing her lip and she wanted to put her at ease.
“Don’t worry,” Melody said, “we just want to ask you a few questions.”
“I’m not quite sure what to say,” Kirsten said. “I’m not used to people dying.”
“As Melody said, there’s nothing to worry about,” Alvin added. “I just want to ask you what your relationship with Victor was?”
Kirsten’s eyes opened wide and she shook her head vehemently. “There was nothing dirty about it.”
“We didn’t say there was,” Melody said quickly and she noticed the girl relax just a little bit. “How well did you know him?”
Kirsten sighed. “I was foolish enough to trust him with a secret, once.”
Melody felt her senses come on high alert. Maybe she had been wrong, maybe Kirsten was involved. “What secret?”
“I told him about my parents’ desires for my future and how much they wanted it. I wish I hadn’t and that is all… I swear to you.”
“I believe you,” Melody said. “However, I heard you arguing with him earlier. It sounded like there was more to it than that. It sounded like he was bribing you.”
Kirsten swallowed. “I don’t know what he did… or if he did anything. However… Victor claimed that he used his position at the school to alter some of my final marks. I never asked him to. I never wanted him to. It wasn’t my dream to go to college.” She raised her arms in the air. “None of this is my dream.”
“I understand,” Melody said.
Smudge gave a little whine and walked across the room. Sitting beside Kirsten she rubbed her head on her leg.
“Unfortunately, your confession will prompt the school to cast a closer eye on your graduating class,” Alvin said.
“I don’t care,” Kirsten said and Melody believed her. “I’m open to any investigation, the truth might even set me free. I don’t know what else I can tell you, I’ve been here in my room most of the night.”
“That’s okay, that’s all we need for now,” Alvin said and started to stand.
“What about any of the other graduates, would they want an investigation?” Melody asked.
“I’m sure they wouldn’t,” Kirsten said. “Especially Mary Brigg’s parents. They stood next to my parents. Mary wants college so much and I’m not sure that she has what it takes…” Kirsten’s words drifted off and she looked down, once more miserable and maybe feeling guilty at telling on the other girl.
“Thank you for your help,” Melody said, “if you think of anything more give us a call.”
Kirsten nodded and then leaned back on the sofa and grabbed hold of a fluffy peach cushion. She hugged it to her chest as they left the room.
Alvin, Melody, and Smudge walked along the corridor.
“I wonder if she might have pushed Victor to trigger that investigation?” Alvin asked.
“I’m not so sure,” Melody said. “After all, Smudge liked her and I get the feeling there’s more to the story than what we’ve heard. I think we should question Franklin and Sandra and the Briggs before coming to a final decision. And then, there’s always other graduates. If there was some impropriety going on I’m sure it wouldn’t just be Kirsten’s grades.”
Alvin nodded. “You are probably right, I just feel that she is hiding something… and anyone who is hiding something… is always a suspect in my book.”
Melody chuckled. “Everyone’s a suspect in your book.”
Smudge gave a little yip of agreement.
Chapter Two Hundred Sixty-Eight
As they re-entered the main part of the house the noise of so many voices was playing on Melody’s nerves. Everyone was chatting, talking, and almost shouting to be heard. Smudge gave a little whine, pulled on her lead, and seemed to be searching the room.
“Are you looking for your friend?” Melody asked.
Smudge gave a little bark and then pulled them through the crowd.
“What’s wrong with her?” Alvin asked.
Melody gave a little chuckle. “She’s either looking for Elvis or she’s hot on a clue. Should we follow her?”
“Well, I want to question Franklin and Sandra next, I asked the deputies to leave them to me.” Alvin scanned the room. “I can’t see them yet, so we may as well follow her and see if we find them.”
Melody loosened her grip a little and started to follow Smudge. She could see the deputies. Each one was in a separate area of the room and each was questioning one or more people. They passed through room after room until they came to the large games room area that opened onto the garden. Smudge was still leading and she led them straight to Franklin and Sandra who were stood with the Briggs and Principal Jefferies. This group were as thick as thieves.
Sitting down in front of them, Smudge gave a little whine and Melody wondered if she really was missing Elvis or if this was something more. Looking around, she hadn’t seen the pug and for a moment she wondered where he was. Alvin’s questions pulled her mind back to the present.
“We would like to ask you some questions now if you don’t mind,” Alvin said.
“Of course not,” Sandra said but Melody noticed that Franklin stiffened. He was not happy about answering questions.
“We will leave you to it,” Mr. Briggs, a large, red-faced man said as the rest of the group evaporated into the crowd.
“Did you leave the house at all during the party?” Alvin asked.
Sandra shook her head. “No, we have been so busy. Everyone wanted to congratulate us and if we were to leave it would look very strange.”
Melody bit her lip. They were so busy that they hadn’t noticed their daughter's misery or that she was missing from her own party. “I imagine you spent a lot of time with Kirsten too,” Melody said, hiding her sarcasm only slightly.
Alvin kicked her ankle and she coughed to cover the little squeal she almost made.
Alvin asked a few more questions about who they had spoken to, at what time, and if they’d seen anyone else leave the party. Melody knew what he was doing. These were easy questions to get them to talk and to open up. Once he believed that they had let down their guard he would ask something a little bit more pressing.
“I hear that Victor Glass was instrumental in altering your daughter’s final grades,” Alvin said the words so matter of factly that they would often fall beneath people’s radar. It didn’t work!
Color rose up Franklin’s neck, across his cheeks, ears, and out through his forehead. Melody could almost imagine steam coming out of his nose he seemed so enraged. At his side, his fists were clenched and his teeth were gritted.
Alvin remained calm, this change of attitude would tell him a lot. For a moment, Melody thought that Franklin would lose control completely. That he would fly at Alvin, fists first. Instead, he seemed to bite back his anger. Dropping his gaze, he shook his head and then raised his eyes to Alvin.
>
“I do not believe a word of this. I do not like to speak ill of the dead but the man was a worm. He was always looking for something and someone to blame for the lack in his life. If anything, he was using my daughter’s success to try and bolster his own career. Who knows if he did that to somebody else? Maybe that is where you should look for your murderer. Mary Briggs would never get good grades, I suggest you check hers! As I said, I had no contact with Victor Glass.”
At that moment Melody noticed that Kerry, who had been cleaning up the tables and the mess from the party, had stopped behind them. In her normal bold way, she pushed in between the group of people. “But that’s funny because I saw you two arguing earlier,” Kerry said, and then she turned to Melody and Alvin. “I couldn’t hear exactly what they were saying but things were definitely heated.” Kerry turned back to Franklin. “So, what have you got to say about that then?” she asked before walking away.
Melody had to bite back a chuckle, Kerry was all tact.
“I have nothing to say to that,” Franklin said. “In fact, I have no intention of saying anything else without the benefit of my lawyer's presence.”
Alvin nodded. “That is indeed your right, but understand I will do everything in my power to investigate this murder. It doesn’t matter where the clues lead, I will follow them and at the moment, this house is part of the crime scene. You don’t have to answer my questions at this minute, but just make sure you don’t leave town, we will be speaking again.”
As they started to turn, Melody noticed that Smudge was pulling on her lead again. Thinking that she was still looking for the pug Melody tried to bring her with them. Smudge had other ideas, she went with them for a moment, easing the pressure on the lead, and then she turned and ran tugging the lead through Melody’s fingers.
The little Frenchie ran straight to Sandra, sitting in front of her and starting to whine. Sandra smiled down at Smudge and as she was about to stroke her Franklin took her hand and pulled her away.
