Читать книгу The Trouble with Talent - Kathy Krevat - Страница 12

Chapter 3

In the movies, an explosion sends the actors flying through space with their arms and legs splayed out. This time, the hot blast sent us toward the ground in a heap of tangled limbs. My face bounced on Benson’s boots and I had the strange thought that the metal buckle outline would be forever pressed into my face.

I sat up slowly and saw Yollie nearby, with a lifeless Benson in between us. She shook her head, looking as dazed as I felt.

Somehow the door had completely missed us, squeezing past like the Knight Bus in the Harry Potter novels and landing almost in the street. Small bits of garage debris rained down all around us.

A fire truck stopped at the end of the driveway and several firefighters raced up to help us.

“You okay?” I asked Yollie, but my voice sounded like I was underwater.

She stared down at Benson. “He’s dead.”

I wasn’t sure I heard her correctly, but I scooted crab-like a few steps back. “What?”

She pointed a shaking finger and I followed it to the small hole in the side of his neck.

* * * *

Pure chaos followed. EMTs swarmed all three of us, asking Yollie and me our names and checking our vital signs. The firefighters doused the small fire on one fragment of a wall, which was all that was left of the garage, but stayed away from the flames shooting from the open gas line.

Once they made sure Yollie and I weren’t seriously injured, they moved us across the street to the waiting ambulance. I couldn’t take my eyes off the scene, details cascading through my brain like a roll of photos clicking by.

The pulsing vein in the forehead of the man yelling into his phone at the local utility company to turn off the gas. The acrid smell of charred wood and melting plastic. The splat of boots on the wet pavement. The iridescent whiteness of the sheet covering Benson.

Yollie and I waited in the back of the ambulance. The police officers who arrived in the first patrol car asked us if we were okay, and then moved to the body, waiting for someone further up the chain of command to take over. They placed crime scene tape to keep people a block away.

A local news van showed up and I was suddenly grateful for the distance.

My ears crackled and then seemed to release, like recovering from an airplane ride, and I could hear better. “Someone had to make that explosion happen,” I said slowly, figuring it out as I spoke. “To cover up Benson’s…murder.”

“Oh my God,” Yollie said. “Benson is dead.”

“Why would someone kill an oboe teacher?” I didn’t really expect her to answer.

“I have to let Steven know I’m okay,” Yollie said. She felt around for her phone, but it was gone, now part of the crime scene.

I pulled mine out of my back pocket and handed it to her. When she was done, I texted my dad a cryptic message. Had a problem at the oboe teacher’s house. Will text more when I know something.

He responded right away. That explosion??

Shoot. He’d already heard about it. We’re both fine but we can’t leave yet.

I’m on my way.

Please just stay there and take care of Elliott and I’ll keep you updated. Besides, you won’t be able to get past the crime scene tape.

He sent me an emoji of an angry face, along with Fine, making me smile. I still couldn’t get over my dad using emojis.

“I know I should feel bad about Benson,” Yollie said, with a hitch in her voice. “But I can’t stop thinking that now he can’t help Steven get into college. He just needed a couple more months. It’s like I have this selfish loop playing in my mind, over and over.”

I reached out to grab her hand. “It’s the adrenaline. It’s making your brain think only about self-preservation.”

More fire trucks arrived, probably because of the high fire danger at this time of year, and the firefighters spread out, monitoring the surrounding area.

Then a sheriff’s car arrived and out stepped Detective Norma Chiron and her partner Detective Ragnor. She stopped to talk to one of the police officers before coming over to us.

I’d met Norma the first time I’d found a dead body, and I recognized that hunter’s look in her eye. It didn’t matter that we’d become friends since then. Both Yollie and I were in her sights as possible suspects for whatever just happened.

She walked up to us. “Are you two okay?”

She must have heard from the officer that we were cleared by the EMTs, but wanted our confirmation before questioning us.

When we both nodded, she told Yollie, “Detective Ragnor will drive you to the station and Colbie will ride with me. The patrol officer will bring your car.”

We both gingerly stepped down from the ambulance. Yollie winced and I limped, the aches of being hit by an explosion making themselves felt. “Who knew being blown up could be so painful?” I asked.

Yollie gave me a grim smile and glanced over at the sheet covering Benson. “It could have been much worse.”

* * * *

The only question Norma asked on the short trip to the sheriff’s station was, “Are you sure you’re fine?”

I nodded, feeling somewhat as if I might cry. I excused myself to the ladies’ room once we got to the station and saw a bruise blooming on my cheek. For some reason, that made me tear up even more, but that stopped when Norma led me to the interrogation room. They called it a conference room, but I knew what it was.

Norma was all business. She wanted to know why I was at Benson’s house with Yollie and was particularly interested in Quincy’s fight, asking me in several different ways what I knew about it.

“Look,” I said. “I was at one of Benson’s lessons exactly one time and heard him being abusive. There has to be lots of disgruntled parents, and students too. Plus, if he’s that much of a jerk to people who are paying him, how does he treat the rest of the world?”

Norma raised her eyebrows. “But we know of only one person who punched him.”

“Quincy is not capable of killing someone,” I said, understanding right away where she was going.

She nodded. “Tell me again why Yollie chose this time to go to Mr. Tadworth’s house.”

“Oh for crying out loud,” I said, losing my patience. “You think Yollie did this and used me as a cover? Why would she try to save him? Believe me, she was as surprised and shocked as I was when we saw he was dead. And especially when we were almost blown up.” The last two words were said very loudly.

Norma didn’t let up, and once again I went through how and why we arrived at the house when we did. Then she asked for a detailed account of what I did all morning, which ended with, “And Trouble hated the bison dish.”

She smiled a bit at that.

After what seemed like forever, I was allowed to leave. “Please don’t discuss this with anyone, especially Quincy.”

I nodded, but there was no way I was following that request.

Yollie came out of another “conference” room at the same time, and we made our way to the lobby where Steven and Joss were waiting.

I went right into Joss’s arms, tears springing to my eyes, and Yollie hugged Steven tightly.

Steven just said, “Mom,” in a rough voice.

Joss pulled me back to look at me, his fingers brushing my bruised cheek. “Are you okay? All your dad said was that you were near that explosion.”

I shook my head. “Let’s get out of here.”

“Do you want a ride home?” he asked Yollie.

When she looked confused that he was offering, he explained, “I brought Steven here. I’m pretty sure they’re keeping your car for a while.”

Yollie’s face pinched with worry. “Can you drop me off at the Rent-A-Wreck off of Main Street?” she asked. “Detective Ragnor said I’ll get my car back in a day or two.”

Joss kept his arm around me as we left the station, the November air chilling my arms. It seemed so weird that the sun was shining and everyone was going about their business when something so awful had happened.

The car rental office was only a few blocks away and we all stayed silent until Joss pulled up in front. I got out of the car to hug Yollie. “It’ll be okay,” I told her.

She nodded and we watched them go in before pulling away from the curb.

“Where’s Kai?” I asked, remembering that it was Joss’s weekend with her.

“She’s helping Elliott with costumes,” he said. “Gemma will be picking her up soon.”

“At my house?” I asked. That was just plain weird.

“Maybe,” he said. “Is that okay?”

I held back the Not at all I wanted to say. “It’s fine.” My voice sounded strained.

He didn’t pursue it. “The news is saying someone died.”

I nodded and told him what happened. After a few attempts at explaining what we were doing there, I had to start over at the beginning of the story when I picked up Steven at Benson’s house.

“You did the right thing,” he said, his voice sounding offended that Yollie gave me a hard time for interfering.

I paused. “I’m not sure now. Steven’s almost grown up and knows what he’s doing.”

He came to a stop at an intersection and glanced over at me like he wanted to argue, but one look at my bruised face must have reminded him what I’d recently gone through. “What happened after that?” he asked instead.

I told him about Yollie picking me up and heading over there, all the way through the explosion. He stopped the car hard in front of my house, with a look of disbelief on his face.

“What?” I asked.

“You smelled gas and went inside to save some guy you met once. And hated?”

“I didn’t hate him,” I protested. “I didn’t think the concentration would be high enough…”

“To explode?”

I bit my lip and nodded. “Wouldn’t most people do that?”

He gave an incredulous laugh. “No, Colbie. They wouldn’t.” Then he frowned, as if realizing what he was getting into by dating me and perhaps not liking it. Or maybe because that kind of thing doesn’t happen to normal people.

“Well, I didn’t end up saving him because he was already dead,” I said.

He reached over to grab my hand. “That was too close.”

I nodded, remembering Yollie’s words. It could have been worse.

“Let me open the door for you,” he said, as he came around the car.

I didn’t really need the help, but I let him, since I could see how concerned he was.

I focused on not limping and ended up bumping into him when he stopped. “Are you going to look into this one?” he asked. He knew my history with murder investigations.

“No way,” I said. “Norma is all over this and doesn’t need any help. I’m staying away from it.”

He lifted one eyebrow, clearly not believing me. Then he said, “Narrator’s voice: No, she didn’t.”

“Not funny,” I said, even though it kind of was. I turned to the front porch to see a beautiful woman watching us.

She waved. “Joss! I just saw the goats, and I swear they’re already bigger.” She was somehow both glamorous and athletic, wearing diamond earrings that shone through her long black hair. Sunlight caught the edge of her sunglasses, and her amazingly high cheekbones glimmered with some highlighter that I’d never be able to afford. Her cropped shirt showed rock-hard abs and her yoga pants were slung so low, they could be hip huggers.

Dismay filled my stomach. This had to Joss’s ex-wife, Gemma. I mentally catalogued my explosion-blown hair, bruised face, and skinned knee. I couldn’t have looked worse if I tried. I stopped my hand halfway up to smoothing my hair and put it down, knowing it was futile.

Joss stared at her, distinctly uncomfortable. He must not have thought ahead to what the two of us meeting would be like.

“Oh my goodness,” she said, once she focused on me. “What happened?”

Joss guided me up the stairs, keeping himself between his ex-wife and me. “She was in an accident but she’s fine.”

I stopped and held out my hand. “Hi,” I said, proud that my voice was clear. “I’m Colbie.”

She grabbed my hand with both of hers, squeezing a little too tightly. “I’m so delighted to meet you. Kai has told me so much about you and Elliott.”

“Come in,” I said, working very hard to be gracious.

Just then, my dad opened the door, looking confused at the combination of people on his porch. “What are you doing chatting out here? Come in and tell me what the hell happened.”

“Dad,” I said, trying not to sound like my teeth were clenched. “This is Gemma, Kai’s mom. Gemma, this is Hank.”

He blinked at her for a moment and then said, “Welcome. Kai’s a delightful kid.”

“Thank you,” she said. “That’s so nice of you to say.”

Joss seemed a bit dazed as we moved inside. Gemma stared around with interest, checking out the family photos that I’d recently put up in the hallway.

Trouble stayed on the stair landing, watching the stranger intently from between the bars.

Elliott and Kai took that moment to run out of the dining room wearing the Simba and Nala masks and singing, “I Just Can’t Wait to be King.” They even did some of the choreography before starting to laugh too hard to continue.

“Oh my,” Gemma said at the same time Kai noticed her.

“Hi, Mom!” Kai said. “Isn’t this mask cool?”

I’d always thought that Kai looked like a miniature Joss, with his curly brown hair and blue eyes, but the high cheekbones and tiny nose were definitely her mom’s.

Gemma nodded. “It certainly is. Do you have all of your stuff?”

“My backpack’s in the kitchen,” Kai said.

Gemma followed her for a few steps and then stopped when she saw the costume mess in the dining room.

“It gets kind of crazy around here before a show,” I explained.

“Of course. What a nice little hobby for all of you,” Gemma said. She turned to me. “Do you sew?”

Was that an insult? She said it in such a nice tone that I couldn’t tell.

“Gemma,” Joss said in a warning voice.

He knew her better than I did. I had to assume she was getting in a dig.

My dad answered her with narrowed eyes, “No, I do.”

She blinked, seemingly stunned that he sewed, or maybe that he was so obviously defending me.

Then, because we needed more drama, the doorbell rang its nerve-jangling “Yankee Doodle Dandy” song, and Annie and Lani walked in.

Annie was my dad’s neighbor and girlfriend. She was the one who had convinced me to move home when my dad was sick, and was now a big part of our family. She wore a sparkly hat with girl power stenciled on it and carried a plateful of baked goods. As soon as she moved closer, I caught the delicious scent of bananas and nuts.

“Hi everyone,” Annie said. “I come bearing muffins. Look who I found on the porch. Lani!” Annie said as she introduced herself to Gemma.

“I’m Gemma, Kai’s mother.”

Joss was looking more stressed every minute. “Kai!” he called out. “Time to go.”

Lani slipped by me and reached out to shake Gemma’s hand. “I’m Lani.” She turned to me and gave me a hug. “I come empty-handed, but full of love.”

“Love for those muffins,” I teased. “You can come in anyway.”

“What’s going on?” she whispered in my ear. Today she wore a tank top with swirls in all colors of the rainbow over purple jeans and sandals that looked like they were sprouting sunflowers from between her toes.

“Later,” I said with a tight smile.

“Now, Kai!” Joss said, with a hint of desperation that I totally understood.

Finally, Kai and Elliott came out of the kitchen and their faces grew wary, sensing the tension in the room.

“Okay, then,” Joss said. “Out the door.” He practically shoved both his daughter and ex-wife through it.

Kai threw out a quick, “Thank you for everything,” before Joss went outside and closed the door emphatically behind them.

I huffed out a deep breath. “Wow.”

“Wow is right,” Lani said.

“She seems like a very nice lady,” Annie said, but I wasn’t sure she meant it.

My dad put that all aside and grabbed me by my shoulders and looked into my face. “You’re okay?” he asked as if he was demanding that I actually be okay.

“I’m good,” I said.

He took a moment to pull me close for a hug and then said, “Muffins first or shower?”

“Muffins,” I said. “Definitely muffins.”

With the crowd thinned out a bit, Trouble came down to sniff at me. You stink. But she joined me when I plopped down on the couch at Annie’s urging.

I filled them in on what had happened at Benson’s, and none of them were surprised that I’d found another dead body. That would concern me if I wasn’t so tired.

Elliott made me tell the story twice, and asked a lot of questions about how being in an explosion felt. Then he wrote down everything I said. He’d recently heard that one of his favorite writers recommended taking lots of notes about details in your life so that he could pull from them later. He was writing a play but still thought he’d be a Broadway actor when he grew up. Sometimes he said he’d be a small business owner like me, but that he’d sell something cool like skateboards instead of cat food.

I asked Lani to call Quincy and tell him that Norma would be contacting him and why. She readily agreed with my most likely interfering with a police investigation idea and dialed his number, but he didn’t answer. She left a message for him to contact her.

My dad’s concerned frown never left his face. “I don’t know how you get into so much trouble.”

“Like anyone could anticipate a garage exploding?” I asked.

He shook his head. “Not that. The whole dead guy thing.”

I couldn’t blame him, since I had gotten involved in local murder investigations before. “This one has nothing to do with me,” I told him.

Trouble meowed. That’s what you said the last time.

“So we’re not going to talk about the elephant in the room?” Lani asked when my dad and Annie went into the kitchen for muffin reinforcements and probably some private smooching.

“Elephant?” I asked. “Oh you mean Joss’s ex-wife.” My casual tone didn’t faze her.

“Yeah,” she said. “She’s gorgeous. And she just arranged to meet her competition.”

“She did not arrange anything,” I said. “She couldn’t know that Joss would have to pick me up at the freakin’ police station.” Then I thought more about what she said. “You think she’s trying to get back together with Joss?”

“I don’t think it,” she said. “I know it. She didn’t dress like that to pick up her kid. You better watch out for her.”

Great. Something else to worry about.

“Is there something wrong with me that I’m more shaken up by meeting my boyfriend’s ex-wife than…you know?” I asked Lani.

“Than finding a dead body and getting blown up? Absolutely not,” she said, loyal to the end. “Besides, I’m sure it’s all just compounded together. Jealousy on top of extreme panic.”

“Let’s go with that,” I said.