Free Murder of a Stacked Librarian by Denise Swanson Page B

Reid in Scumble River three or four years ago, when she was running from a shady casino owner. So Ruby was Aunt Olive’s partner. How in the heck had that happened? It had to be Bunny’s doing.
    “Believe me,” Skye declared, “when Simon and I were dating, he never thought I was perfect.”
    Skye hid a smile. Simon was as straitlaced as they came. Depending on the kind of trouble Emmy had gotten into in Las Vegas, he would be having a fit that his mother was once again part of some harebrained scheme.
    “That’s not how he tells it.” Emmy pouted.
    “Although we broke up due to a misunderstanding, one of the reasons we never got back together was that he was always trying to change me,” Skye reassured her. “And one of the reasons I love Wally so much is because he doesn’t.”
    “Good to know.” Emmy nodded to herself. “I can use that the next time Simon starts to give me a hard time about my past indiscretions.”
    Hmm! Interesting! Skye wondered how much time the vivacious blonde and the serious funeral director were spending together. Emmy seemed to be a younger version of Simon’s mother, which would drive him crazy. Then again, Skye detected a certain spark in the dancer’s eye when she talked about him. Was the attraction mutual?
    “But we digress.” Emmy turned to Wally. “I doubt you’re here to take me up on the offer of a dance lesson for your wedding.”
    “You’re right.” Wally put his arm around Skye. “We won’t be trying anything fancy. We’re keeping things as simple as possible.”
    “At least as simple as my mother will allow,” Skye clarified.
    “May is a pistol, all right, but you’re doing great.” Wally winked, then turned serious. “We’re here to talk to Phoebe Osborn.”
    “Oh, sure.” Emmy grimaced. “Maybe I am as flighty as Simon keeps telling me I am. How could I forget that her mother was killed on Christmas Eve? Let me go find her for you.”
    “Is that her?” Skye pointed to a young woman who was the spitting image of what a teenage Yvonne might have looked like. “Over there by the rear wall?”
    “Yes.” Emmy nodded, then raised her voice to call, “Pheebs, over here.”
    The younger woman started to wave at Emmy; then her gaze went to Wally in his uniform. Her eyes widened and she tore across the length of the room, clearly heading for the door leading to the storage area at the opposite end.
    At her first step, Wally shouted, “Halt, police!” Then he took off after her, yelling to Skye, “Cut her off in the alley!”

CHAPTER 8
    Read Her the Riot Act

    S kye rushed out of the dance school and raced around to the back of the building. At one end, a fence blocked any possible escape, so she ran toward the other side. She slid to a halt a nanosecond before the studio’s rear door burst open and Phoebe flew out.
    Clutching her purse in one hand and putting on her coat with the other, Phoebe glanced toward the chain-link barrier, then veered to her left. When she saw that Skye was blocking her getaway, Phoebe performed a graceful pirouette and darted around her.
    Skye’s arms closed on thin air and she stumbled forward, barely remaining upright. Making a hasty recovery, she swiveled and gave chase. Phoebe dug a set of keys from her jacket pocket and ran toward a bright green cube-shaped car.
    Phoebe was looking over her shoulder at Skye when Wally stepped directly into her path. She attempted to stop, but she was going too fast and skidded into his chest. Even as she tried to twist away, he grabbed her arms, swung her around, and propelled her against the Scion’s side.
    He snapped on cuffs and said, “You have the right to remain silent.”
    Once Wally had finished reading the Miranda warning to Phoebe and secured her in the back of the squad car, Skye asked him, “How did you get out here so quickly?”
    “When I saw Phoebe heading out the back exit, I turned around and ran for the front entrance.” Wally opened the cruiser’s front