Read Online Summerkill by Maryann Weber - Free Book Online

to be suspended at intervals from the rope. They were barely in place when Channel 8’s people showed up, driving me to cover.
     Forced to shoot their footage from a distance they couldn’t have found promising, they made quick work of it and left.
    Finally, Donna’s Honda appeared. She stopped to talk briefly with the deputies, then, detouring around the roped-off area,
     drove on back to where I was standing.
    The boys spilled out of the car. “Can we go see, Aunt Val?” Galen asked.
    I shot Donna a questioning look. “The deputies said as long as they stayed beyond the rope.”
    “Check it out, then.” We watched them race back along the driveway.
    “I did have to tell them, Val. When we finally got out of the school, Alex planted himself in front of my driver’s side door
     and demanded to know what all that had been about.”
    “How did things go? It took long enough.”
    “Galen isn’t into concise plot synopses,” she answered dryly. “And Alex had to demonstrate his superior understanding from
     time to time. I thought it went well. We were all satisfied that you were indeed inside in the house with the boys last night
     from the time you got home until one A.M. Mrs. Judson may not have approved of such late hours, but she did believe.”
    “How did the boys hold up?”
    “Galen was in his glory. Alex? Part worried, part bored. A little cranky because his brother remembered more than he did.”
    “What about after you told them?”
    “Not many questions, but they couldn’t wait to inspect the place where it happened. It’s probably just as well. That outline
     they’ve drawn inside those ropes doesn’t seriously look like a body to me.”
    “Maybe you had to see the real thing first. God, I hope so. They were just starting to once in a while feel this is their
     turf. Hard to argue now that it’s safer than a South Albany street.”
    “Or the interior of a South Albany apartment. We both know it is, though. You and Vicky made the right decision in not whisking
     them away.”
    “I hope. What did Sheriff Dye have to say?”
    “I bear messages. First, you’re free to drive the Bronco. Second, let me get the exact wording … He can’t offer official clearance
     yet, but you shouldn’t deprive yourself of a good night’s sleep. Val, I get the strong impression he doesn’t think you killed
     that man.”
    “This morning I didn’t have a clue what he was thinking.”
    “He’s on the quiet side. Seems to have a way with children. As we were getting into the car he came over and told Alex he
     should renegotiate his television privileges, whatever that might mean. For maybe half a second Alex looked puzzled— then
     he started grinning.”
    I found myself grinning, too. Mr. Nice Guy or no, it hadn’t been a bad little cross-check.
    When Donna left, promising her continuing availability on what she proclaimed was the off chance it might be needed, I had
     the boys come on in the house and explained, trying to keep it low-key, why I wanted them to stay inside the rest of the day.
     I got two incredulous faces. Summer evenings they’re usually in and out till dark. Still, their protests were brief enough
     that I suspected the boys were kind of relieved to have the restriction.
    Both had gotten to the bottom line on the afternoon’s questioning: “We alibied you, didn’t we, Aunt Val?” Galen put it.
    “That’s about it.”
    “Why didn’t you tell us first so we could’ve done it better?” Alex demanded.
    “For one thing, I didn’t know there was a dead man out front until after you left this morning. For another, what you want
     to put in an alibi is the truth. From what I hear, you guys did just fine.”
    “So who was it got killed, anyhow?”
    “A man I worked with. You never met him.”
    “Did you like him?”
    “Not much. But I surely didn’t want him dead, either. Especially in our front yard.”
    Galen, I could see, believed unconditionally. For Alex it was not that