a green dress, and I saw a man. And they were really yelling!” Ben looked at Will. “I saw them! And I ran up because I thought he was going to hit the lady. And I pushed him. And he fell down. He was lying on the ground. And he didn’t get up. I tried to help him.” He thrust his hand in front of Will. “See? I have blood on my hand!”
“Whoa, just a minute. Young man, are you telling me you hit someone? And then you two came out here by yourselves to see if a man covered with blood was lying on the ground?”
Maggie and Ben nodded.
“And what did you have in mind to do if you’d found this…man?”
“I didn’t really lose my jacket, sir. I’m really careful with my jacket.”
“I’m sure you are. But not so careful about knocking people down!”
“But he was going to hit the lady! I know he was! And I wanted to help the lady.” Ben’s face showed his distress. “I’m telling the truth! I wanted to help! I didn’t mean to hurt him, really! And Maggie made up the story about the jacket. I didn’t lose my jacket.”
Will tried hard not to smile as he looked again at Maggie, who was subtly trying to survey the area to see if anything looked disturbed.
“Ladies sometimes say funny things, don’t they?”
“Why didn’t I think to bring a flashlight?” Maggie bent down and looked at the ground. “Ben, are you sure this is where the man fell?”
“Yes. At least I think so. It had to be here. But he’s not here now.”
Will shook his head. “I don’t believe we’re having this conversation. Maggie Summer, are you crazy? What if there had been a man here who was injured. Or worse? And just you and Ben to cope.”
Maybe Will was being sexist. Or maybe he was just being nice. Well, she could play the game, too.
“But nothing happened. And you’re with us, Will. And there are no bodies. In this light, and on this mud and grass, there’s no way to see anything clearly now.” She turned to Ben. “Maybe whoever it was just fell down. He had the breath knocked out of him, and after you left, he just got up and walked away.” She looked again at the area. If there had been a man here, he wasn’t here now. She gave Ben’s shoulder a squeeze. “He probably just picked himself up and went back to wherever he came from. How long did you stay here after you pushed him?”
“I didn’t stay. I was scared. I ran to get you and Aunt Gussie.”
“Then he’s probably fine. You may not have shoved him as hard as you thought, and he’s walking around wondering how he’s going to explain a bruised shoulder.” Maggie turned to Will for confirmation. “Don’t you agree?”
“If anyone fell down here, then he’s gone now; that’s for sure. Are you certain you didn’t fall yourself, Ben? And maybe cut your hand?”
“ No! There was a man lying there.”
“You’re sure you don’t know who he was?” Maggie asked.
“He just looked ordinary. He had light hair, I think. And he was taller than I am. Just like most of the dealers. And old. Like you and Aunt Gussie.”
Will grinned. “Well, that clinches it, Ben. You don’t lie.”
Maggie glared at him before turning back to Ben.
“Like the dealers? Do you think he was a dealer?”
“He wore one of those tags with his name on it that dealers have. Like the one you have on.”
Maggie glanced down at the tag that read RENSSELAER COUNTY SPRING ANTIQUES FAIR — MAGGIE SUMMER — SHADOWS . Everyone who worked at the show had one. Dealers had blue badges; security guards had red badges; Vince and the porters he had hired to set up the booth walls and help customers and dealers load and unload vehicles had green badges.
“Did you notice what color badge he wore?” If the man had a badge on, it meant he had some role in the antiques fair. He wasn’t just someone who had wandered onto the grounds. If Ben had noticed the color of the badge, the list of possible suspects would be narrowed.
Ben shook his head. “I don’t know. I
“Whoa, just a minute. Young man, are you telling me you hit someone? And then you two came out here by yourselves to see if a man covered with blood was lying on the ground?”
Maggie and Ben nodded.
“And what did you have in mind to do if you’d found this…man?”
“I didn’t really lose my jacket, sir. I’m really careful with my jacket.”
“I’m sure you are. But not so careful about knocking people down!”
“But he was going to hit the lady! I know he was! And I wanted to help the lady.” Ben’s face showed his distress. “I’m telling the truth! I wanted to help! I didn’t mean to hurt him, really! And Maggie made up the story about the jacket. I didn’t lose my jacket.”
Will tried hard not to smile as he looked again at Maggie, who was subtly trying to survey the area to see if anything looked disturbed.
“Ladies sometimes say funny things, don’t they?”
“Why didn’t I think to bring a flashlight?” Maggie bent down and looked at the ground. “Ben, are you sure this is where the man fell?”
“Yes. At least I think so. It had to be here. But he’s not here now.”
Will shook his head. “I don’t believe we’re having this conversation. Maggie Summer, are you crazy? What if there had been a man here who was injured. Or worse? And just you and Ben to cope.”
Maybe Will was being sexist. Or maybe he was just being nice. Well, she could play the game, too.
“But nothing happened. And you’re with us, Will. And there are no bodies. In this light, and on this mud and grass, there’s no way to see anything clearly now.” She turned to Ben. “Maybe whoever it was just fell down. He had the breath knocked out of him, and after you left, he just got up and walked away.” She looked again at the area. If there had been a man here, he wasn’t here now. She gave Ben’s shoulder a squeeze. “He probably just picked himself up and went back to wherever he came from. How long did you stay here after you pushed him?”
“I didn’t stay. I was scared. I ran to get you and Aunt Gussie.”
“Then he’s probably fine. You may not have shoved him as hard as you thought, and he’s walking around wondering how he’s going to explain a bruised shoulder.” Maggie turned to Will for confirmation. “Don’t you agree?”
“If anyone fell down here, then he’s gone now; that’s for sure. Are you certain you didn’t fall yourself, Ben? And maybe cut your hand?”
“ No! There was a man lying there.”
“You’re sure you don’t know who he was?” Maggie asked.
“He just looked ordinary. He had light hair, I think. And he was taller than I am. Just like most of the dealers. And old. Like you and Aunt Gussie.”
Will grinned. “Well, that clinches it, Ben. You don’t lie.”
Maggie glared at him before turning back to Ben.
“Like the dealers? Do you think he was a dealer?”
“He wore one of those tags with his name on it that dealers have. Like the one you have on.”
Maggie glanced down at the tag that read RENSSELAER COUNTY SPRING ANTIQUES FAIR — MAGGIE SUMMER — SHADOWS . Everyone who worked at the show had one. Dealers had blue badges; security guards had red badges; Vince and the porters he had hired to set up the booth walls and help customers and dealers load and unload vehicles had green badges.
“Did you notice what color badge he wore?” If the man had a badge on, it meant he had some role in the antiques fair. He wasn’t just someone who had wandered onto the grounds. If Ben had noticed the color of the badge, the list of possible suspects would be narrowed.
Ben shook his head. “I don’t know. I
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