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WINSTON RETURNED TO an empty house and sat fuming in the living room. The neighbors seemed like they’d all been home and might make good witnesses. He knew he needed to question them about Bill, but how?
At that moment, Marcy strolled in. She smelled like hairspray, and her nails gleamed with a bright-orange polish.
“You went to the salon? Do you know what you missed?” Winston shivered. “An ambulance came for Bill.”
Marcy thrust a flyer into his hand. “That explains what I found posted in the mail area.”
The paper urged for a neighborhood watch meeting to be held tomorrow night. Besides the regulars, though, who would be able to make it on such short notice?
“I bet it’s to elect a new captain.” Marcy lowered her eyes. “So sad about Bill.”
“A real shame.” But the meeting offered the perfect opportunity to discover what had really happened. It’d be his chance to talk to the others, to find out whether they’d seen anything suspicious when Bill had fallen from his ladder.
Blueberry came by and rubbed his body against Winston’s legs. In that moment, Winston felt a twinge of misery. He scooped up the cat and cuddled it, but Blueberry was a sorry substitute for his owner and soon jumped out of Winston’s arms. Awash with loneliness, Winston dialed Kristy’s number. She picked up on the first ring.
“I miss you,” he said before she could even speak.
“Oh, Winston,” Kristy said. “I wish you could be here. The baby came early. Listen to this—”
A gurgling came down the line. Was that the cooing of a baby? He thought that all infants did was cry and make dirty diapers. Perhaps they weren’t so bad after all?
Kristy came back on the phone. “He’s a cutie. I could hold him twenty-four seven.” Her voice had softened, and Winston could imagine her maternal tenderness whenever she held the baby.
“He seems sweet,” Winston said, “babbling and all.”
“I wish you could see his sweet smile.”
I wish I could see your smile, he thought, but didn’t say. “When are you coming back?”
“Next week,” she said. “Anything interesting going on?”
He didn’t want to alarm her about Bill’s tragedy, but he had to say something. “Bill fell, and I’m investigating it.”
“Oh no. Will he be okay?”
“I’m not sure.” He couldn’t tell her that he’d seen a very still body being pulled away from the house.
“Hope he recovers soon.” She paused and then fumbled for words. “Did you say you’re investigating it?”
“Yes, it’s a little odd. Wish I could get your take on things.” Kristy was invaluable when he got stumped. She helped him see things from a new perspective.
“What about Marcy? She could help you.”
His sister? That’s why they usually lived an ocean apart. Distance improved their relationship. “Well . . .”
“Is she too busy?”
Winston looked over at his sister’s coiffed hair and polished nails. “Not exactly.”
“More importantly, is she happy?”
Winston saw Marcy reach for the remote and start flipping through the channels, a bored expression on her face. “Nope,” he said.
“Lean on each other then,” Kristy said.
The baby started making a fuss in the background, and Kristy had to hang up. But before she did, Kristy extracted a promise from Winston that he’d include his sister in the new investigation.
Thinking about this agreement, Winston strode over to his sister. “Turn off the TV and listen to me.”
Marcy gave him a blank look.
“We’re going to that meeting,” he said.
“Not those people again . . .”
“Are you still worried about your American Idol tryout?”
She turned up the volume on the television.
“Marcy, it’s important.” He grabbed the remote and shut off the TV. “There may have been a murder.”
She shuddered. “Okay, I promise to go with you tomorrow.”