“The boys are fine,” he said, before I even asked. “James is making sure they don’t go near any of the carnivores.”
“That’s good,” I said. “I was calling to ask if the Methodists could borrow some animals for the live Nativity scene.”
“Hmmm,” he said. “I’ve only got the two camels right now, but I suppose it’s better than none.”
Camels! Mrs. Dahlgren certainly wouldn’t be expecting the camels. I began to feel almost smug, imagining the look on her face.
“That would be excellent,” I said. “And is there any chance you could bring a few docile barnyard animals from the petting zoo? A donkey, a cow or two, and perhaps a few goats.”
“Yes, yes,” he said. “But why stop there? Let’s make this thing impressive!”
I liked his enthusiasm, but I wasn’t sure what he had in mind.
“I could bring the wolves,” he said. “They make quite an impression, especially the Arctic Wolf.”
“I’m not sure wolves are quite what people are expecting at the Nativity,” I said. “It’s not really biblical.”
“The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid,” Grandfather quoted.
“Yes, but not at the Nativity,” I said. “I know you find wild animals a lot more interesting, but people will be expecting domestic animals. It’s tradition.”
“I’ve even got a fairly tame leopard,” he said.
“‘Fairly tame’?” I repeated.
“You’re missing a wonderful opportunity to put a whole new multicultural spin on this thing.” I could almost see him pouting.
“Cows. Goats. Donkeys.”
“Oh, all right. When and where do you need them?”
I gave him the time and place of the pageant rehearsal, thanked him, and hung up. Then I took a couple of deep, calming breaths.
“You okay?”
I looked up to see Randall Shiffley peering into my window. I nodded, grabbed my purse, and opened the door.
“I’m fine,” I said. “Just settling my temper before going inside, because I figure on general principles you should never be thinking murderous thoughts when walking into a police station.”
“I’m going in to see the chief myself,” Randall said, and we fell into step together. “So who’s your intended victim, and when do you need an alibi?”
“Mrs. Dahlgren, and I don’t know yet.”
He winced.
“Okay, so I guess you already heard about how she needs some animals for the live Nativity.”
“I have now.”
“I’m sorry.” He pulled out a small notebook—his equivalent of my notebook-that-tells-me-when-to-breathe—and frowned at it, as if the missed signal was the notebook’s fault instead of user error. “I was supposed to tell you about the animals, and I was going to just as soon as—”
“Life happens.” I stopped about ten feet from the entrance. “You want to make it up to me? Answer me something.”
“Sure thing.”
“What’s Duane Shiffley’s story?”
Randall stiffened, then closed his eyes and shook his head.
“What’s he done now?” he asked.
“You tell me.”
“Nothing, lately,” Randall said. “That I know of. Apart from appropriating a few ducks from Quincy’s flock and selling them, but you already knew that. He seemed to think Quincy owed him something for pitching in to help at the farm. We straightened him out on that score, and he’s paying Quincy back.”
“You were awfully quick to suspect him when I called to ask who might have sold Rob a duck,” I said.
“Was I?”
I just waited.
“Black sheep,” he said finally. “Every family has a few. Duane had a drug problem. Did some prison time, and some time in a residential treatment facility. He’s clean now. Far as I know. If you know different, tell me, so we can deal with it.”
“He’s been seen lurking around Trinity,” I said.
“He works for Shiffley Construction,” Randall said. “Hard for someone with his record to get hired anywhere else. He was one of the workmen who got the place ready for the choir concert.”
“I figured,” I said. “Couple of people thought he was behaving a little furtively.”
“If these were people who know about his problems—”
“Not all of them,” I said. “Because one of them would be me, and I didn’t know. I didn’t even know his name at the time.”
“Yeah,” Randall said. “Duane’s other problem—well, one of his minor problems—has always been that he looks guilty, even when he’s behaving himself. I’ll look into it.”