Read Online Dead Men Don't Eat Cookies by Virginia Lowell - Free Book Online
Authors: Virginia Lowell
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glasses. “This is all conjecture, and I wouldn’t repeat it under oath. Robbie didn’t yearn to be a police officer, as far as I could tell. He reminded me more of a tattletale. He seemed to feel superior to pretty much everyone.”
“I sense from your tone that you aren’t fond of the type.” Olivia dug into her apple pie, which was almost as meltingly delicious as Maddie’s lemon sugar cookies.
With a rueful smile, Del said, “As a kid, I was more the type that got tattled on. Lucky for me, in fifth grade I had a teacher who realized that punishments like sending me to the principal’s office or making me stay indoors during recess weren’t having the desired effect. I was becoming more andmore rebellious. So she started talking to me, getting to know me better. When she found out my folks were going through a divorce, she told me about her own experience being a kid with divorcing parents.”
Olivia’s heart gave her a little pinch as she flashed back, once again, to her father’s death when she was in high school. His loss had been even harder on Jason, who began to hang out with troubled kids and nearly flunked out of high school. “Your teacher understood your rebellion was really about pain,” she said.
Del took a sip of wine and nodded. With a shrug, he said, “The kids who tattled on me had their problems, too. Who knows what was going on with Robbie Quinn. At any rate, I tried to discourage him from gleefully turning in his neighbors for partying past nine p.m. It took a while, but he finally ceased his daily reporting. Underneath it all, Robbie seemed resentful. But that’s for a shrink to decide. I’m just glad he isn’t my brother.”
Olivia thought back to her conversation with Crystal in the band shell. “I’m thinking Robbie Quinn might be an irritating husband, but he seems to be a good provider. And I suppose he is more reliable than Alicia’s real father was. When I spoke with Crystal, she struck me as deeply angry. She was openly critical of her daughter and still resentful of Alicia’s father. Also, money seems to be a big issue for her. I suspect she’ll show up at your office and demand that you hand over anything of value that might have been found with the bones. I’ll let you handle that situation, though I’d appreciate hearing about it.”
“I’m guessing you’d like me to set Crystal straight, and not in a gentle way?”
“Goodness, no,” Olivia said. “That would be unprofessional. I’d like to be kept in the loop, that’s all.” She attempted a wide-eyed, innocent expression, which made Del laugh. “Anyway,” Olivia said, “I doubt we can trust Crystal’s perceptions about the people in her life.”
“I’ll talk to Crystal tomorrow.” Del drained the last of his merlot. “It’s interesting that she doesn’t seem to know about the necklace. I wonder what else Alicia might be keeping from her mother.” Del pushed aside his empty dessert plate. “It might be some time before we confirm who those bones belonged to. Maybe it isn’t Kenny Vayle after all, but it won’t hurt to question the family informally. I don’t have much else going on right now, assuming you don’t stumble upon another body any time soon.”
“Hey, not fair,” Olivia said. “This time someone else did the stumbling. Maybe I’ll have a chat with Mom. She will almost certainly have lots of long, involved stories about the Vayle/Quinn family, going back decades. The trick will be sorting out what’s relevant.”
“Patience, Livie. Ellie’s stories are always relevant.”
“Eventually.” Olivia checked Pete’s Audubon bird clock. “Well, it’s past the red-winged blackbird and approaching the yellow warbler. I’m opening the store tomorrow morning, so I’d better wend toward home.”
“And I have a cold case to warm up.” Del pulled out his wallet. “Ida deserves a tip.”
“Nope, it’s my turn.” Olivia counted out several bills for a generous tip.
“I sense from your tone that you aren’t fond of the type.” Olivia dug into her apple pie, which was almost as meltingly delicious as Maddie’s lemon sugar cookies.
With a rueful smile, Del said, “As a kid, I was more the type that got tattled on. Lucky for me, in fifth grade I had a teacher who realized that punishments like sending me to the principal’s office or making me stay indoors during recess weren’t having the desired effect. I was becoming more andmore rebellious. So she started talking to me, getting to know me better. When she found out my folks were going through a divorce, she told me about her own experience being a kid with divorcing parents.”
Olivia’s heart gave her a little pinch as she flashed back, once again, to her father’s death when she was in high school. His loss had been even harder on Jason, who began to hang out with troubled kids and nearly flunked out of high school. “Your teacher understood your rebellion was really about pain,” she said.
Del took a sip of wine and nodded. With a shrug, he said, “The kids who tattled on me had their problems, too. Who knows what was going on with Robbie Quinn. At any rate, I tried to discourage him from gleefully turning in his neighbors for partying past nine p.m. It took a while, but he finally ceased his daily reporting. Underneath it all, Robbie seemed resentful. But that’s for a shrink to decide. I’m just glad he isn’t my brother.”
Olivia thought back to her conversation with Crystal in the band shell. “I’m thinking Robbie Quinn might be an irritating husband, but he seems to be a good provider. And I suppose he is more reliable than Alicia’s real father was. When I spoke with Crystal, she struck me as deeply angry. She was openly critical of her daughter and still resentful of Alicia’s father. Also, money seems to be a big issue for her. I suspect she’ll show up at your office and demand that you hand over anything of value that might have been found with the bones. I’ll let you handle that situation, though I’d appreciate hearing about it.”
“I’m guessing you’d like me to set Crystal straight, and not in a gentle way?”
“Goodness, no,” Olivia said. “That would be unprofessional. I’d like to be kept in the loop, that’s all.” She attempted a wide-eyed, innocent expression, which made Del laugh. “Anyway,” Olivia said, “I doubt we can trust Crystal’s perceptions about the people in her life.”
“I’ll talk to Crystal tomorrow.” Del drained the last of his merlot. “It’s interesting that she doesn’t seem to know about the necklace. I wonder what else Alicia might be keeping from her mother.” Del pushed aside his empty dessert plate. “It might be some time before we confirm who those bones belonged to. Maybe it isn’t Kenny Vayle after all, but it won’t hurt to question the family informally. I don’t have much else going on right now, assuming you don’t stumble upon another body any time soon.”
“Hey, not fair,” Olivia said. “This time someone else did the stumbling. Maybe I’ll have a chat with Mom. She will almost certainly have lots of long, involved stories about the Vayle/Quinn family, going back decades. The trick will be sorting out what’s relevant.”
“Patience, Livie. Ellie’s stories are always relevant.”
“Eventually.” Olivia checked Pete’s Audubon bird clock. “Well, it’s past the red-winged blackbird and approaching the yellow warbler. I’m opening the store tomorrow morning, so I’d better wend toward home.”
“And I have a cold case to warm up.” Del pulled out his wallet. “Ida deserves a tip.”
“Nope, it’s my turn.” Olivia counted out several bills for a generous tip.
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