“Things that clearly were never there,” she said as she put her arm in his. “Bob, I’m really glad you’re here.”
“There’s nowhere else I’d rather be,” he said as he patted her arm. “I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m starving.” He looked at the still-empty plates and asked, “You didn’t wait for me, did you?”
David replied quickly, “I didn’t want to, but they made me. You know how these two ladies are when they stand united.”
“They are indeed a formidable force,” Bob admitted. “Well, now that I’m here, let’s eat, shall we?”
We took turns dishing out our plates, and Maddy went around pouring servings of sweet tea. It was the perfect combination of good food and fine fellowship, a night to be cherished and savored like the best of wines. I loved the memories we were creating tonight, adding to the ones I cherished as the best times of my life; this was fast becoming a real keeper.
“Does anybody want any more food?” I asked as I got up to survey what was still left. There was probably just enough barbeque and slaw left over to make one small sandwich; we’d really done a fine job of demolishing nearly all of the food we’d bought at the fair.
“I’m full,” David said, and the rest of us agreed with him.
“Then I’ve still got a late-night snack after you all go home,” I said as I started to collect the containers so I could pop them in the fridge.
“Can you honestly eat after all we’ve just had?” David asked.
“Maybe not right now, but give me enough time, and I’ll manage just fine.”
“Ladies, why don’t the two of you keep your seats? David and I will clean up,” Bob announced. “You two deserve a break.”
I grinned as I quickly sat back down. “That’s one order from a man that I’d be delighted to obey. Should Maddy and I supervise you, or should we just enjoy the evening while you two take care of things?”
I don’t know what Bob’s answer might have been had we not been interrupted just then, but suddenly it didn’t seem to matter one way or the other about his generous offer.
A police cruiser came down my street in an awful hurry, and though there were no sirens wailing or lights flashing, it was clear that something was not entirely right with the cozy little town of Timber Ridge, North Carolina.
The second Chief Hurley got out of his car, I knew that something bad had happened, and worse yet, there was no doubt in my mind that it involved the four of us.
“What’s going on, Kevin?” I asked as I hurried down the porch steps toward him. “Did something happen?”
“Why do you ask that?” he asked as he stopped in his tracks.
“You’re clearly a man on a mission,” I said, “and it’s pretty obvious that something’s wrong.”
“I wish I could say that you’re wrong, but I can’t. How long have the four of you been here on the porch?”
“You’re not going to tell us what happened first?” Maddy asked.
“If you have any hope of getting anything out of me, you’ll have to answer my questions first,” he said in a voice that offered no compromises.
“Hold on there just one second—” Bob said, but I interrupted him. I knew the attorney would want to control this situation, but it wasn’t the time for us to dig our heels in.
“We won’t gain anything by holding back.” I turned to the police chief and said, “After we left the fair, we came here and had a little impromptu picnic right out here in front of everybody. We don’t have anything to hide.”
Was it my imagination, or did he look a little relieved by my admission? “Let me ask you this. Did the four of you come here together, or were you each in separate vehicles?”
“Maddy and I came together, but David and Bob drove their own cars. We all had to shower and change because someone in the crowd at the celebration threw a cup of beer on us as we were leaving.”
“So, you two alibi each other,” Kevin said to Maddy and me, and then he turned to Bob and David. “How about the two of you? Is there anyone who can confirm that you did exactly what Eleanor just claimed you did?”
David shook his head, as did Bob. The attorney said, “Chief, we don’t have airtight alibis, if that’s what you’re asking. No matter what Eleanor says, I’m afraid that I’m going to have to insist that you tell us what this is about before we answer any more questions.”
The police chief considered the request for twenty seconds and then shrugged as he said, “I don’t know what harm it will do telling you now, since you’ll hear about it soon enough.” He turned to Maddy and said, “I hate to be the one to tell you this, but someone killed your ex-husband at the fair tonight.”