Some Like It Hawk(93)

“Actually, I think it’s rather reassuring.” I shaded my eyes as I watched the buzzard’s slow, stately flight. “She’s not circling tightly over a particular area. She just seems to be looking.”

“And she’ll find something sooner or later.”

“Yes, but so far today she hasn’t. No dead bodies, animal or human, anywhere nearby. I like that thought.”

Once the first act, a country music group, took the stage, Shiffleys arrived with discreet shipments of parts and tools for the trapdoor construction. Since Rose Noire had everything under control, I spent a happy hour at the petting zoo with Eric and the boys. I arrived back in time for my 11 A.M. blacksmithing demonstration. While I hammered madly, the Shiffleys started the final stage of demolition work on the old trapdoor and continued it while a fife and drum corps marched and played overhead. The cousin who was selling my ironwork and Rose Noire’s herbs texted me to say that she was running low on everything, so I recruited a couple of burly cousins to go with Rose Noire to load the truck and resupply her.

For the first few hours Lad showed up occasionally with a lost child, but eventually Seth’s retraining program took effect, and we’d see Lad trotting by, driving his charges before him, en route to the police tent.

Since the banks were closed, every hour or two Caroline would send someone over with money from the petting zoo’s donation box. I set a sturdy box in the pen where Tink and Spike could guard it and we poured the cash and coins into that. We’d probably need another box before the end of the day.

At lunchtime, I called Mother’s cell phone and asked her if she could gather some provisions for me to pick up.

“Of course, dear,” she said. “And while you’re here, there’s someone you should talk to.”





Chapter 36




The someone turned out to be Shannon, the pretty blond teenager who either was or wasn’t dating one of the Flying Monkeys. Mother whisked us into a back corner of the kitchen area.

“Now just tell Meg and see what she thinks,” she said.

Shannon turned to me with an anxious look on her face.

“I don’t know whether I should tell the chief something I saw.”

“When in doubt, tell,” I said. “That’s my policy.”

Of course, whether this was a good day to tell him was another question. I knew I’d hesitate to bother him today unless I was pretty darn sure my information was important.

“Shannon and her young man were over in Clay County last night,” Mother said. “I am allowed to call him that now that he’s quit his job—right?”

“Yeah.” Shannon’s sunny smiled returned. “Andy got hired at the hunting goods store over in Clay County. He doesn’t want to do that forever, but he’s going to go back to school in the fall if he can transfer his credits to Caerphilly.”

“Excellent,” I said. “So what did you and the former Flying Monkey see?”

“I took Andy over for his second interview yesterday, and after they said he was hired, we went across the street to the diner for a little lunch, to celebrate. And as we were coming in, you know who was coming out?”

I shook my head.

“Ex-Mayor Pruitt!”

“You’re sure?” I asked.

“I know everyone thinks he’s in Cancún, but he’s not,” she said. “And Andy said ‘Afternoon, Mr. Mayor,’ and Mr. Pruitt just grunted, and I asked Andy why he called him that, and how he even knew him. Andy thought he was still mayor. He’s seen him hanging around over at the courthouse a lot lately, talking to Mr. Fisher.”

I glanced at Mother, who wore the same pleased expression our family cat used to wear when bringing us a particularly large and succulent mouse.

“Definitely tell the chief,” I said. “He will be very pleased with you for reporting this.”

Shannon looked anxious again.

“Or if you’d rather, I’ll tell him,” I offered. Her smile returned, and she nodded vigorously. “Is Andy around today?” I added.

“Helping your father in the first aid tent,” Mother said. “Dr. Smoot wasn’t working out—too unsettling for the tourists. But Andy volunteered, and he’s had EMT training. Such a nice young man!”

Clearly Andy had been forgiven for his brief sojourn on the dark side and was being welcomed into the Caerphillian fold. Mother would probably soon be asking if Michael could put in a good word for him at the college admissions office.

“Good work,” I said to Shannon. “I’ll take it from here.”

If Andy was available for interrogation, the chief might not even need to talk to Shannon.