Free Hopscotch Homicide (Zoe Donovan Mystery Book 16) by Kathi Daley

back.”
    Trenton didn’t actually confirm Gilda’s accusation that Mrs. Brown set the fire, but he didn’t deny it either. He likewise would neither confirm nor deny the idea that it might actually have been Mrs. Brown and not her husband who was responsible for her baby’s death. He did confirm that her son’s name was Jonah and that he was buried in the cemetery in Ashton Falls.
    When I called Salinger again he was able to tell me that Jonah had originally been buried in Lake Polk, but Mrs. Brown had had the body moved after she and her husband moved to Ashton Falls. He also could confirm that the official cause of death for Jonah Brown was crib death, but the officer he spoke to revealed that there had been some doubt as to the exact circumstances surrounding the tragedy.
    Any way you looked at it, it seemed Mrs. Brown was a disturbed woman who’d lived a tragic life.
     

Chapter 7
     
     
    Later that evening, Zak, Levi, Ellie, and I relaxed on the patio near the fire Zak had built in the fire pit. The three kids had gone inside, leaving us with a few quiet minutes to unwind and catch up. Between getting things ready for the school year, taking Scooter to soccer, and settling into married life, Zak and I hadn’t had much time to spend with Levi and Ellie since we’d returned from our honeymoon.
    At the beginning of the summer, Levi had been offered a job at the state college, which he’d decided to turn down. Now that he’d recommitted to Ashton Falls High School, he seemed excited about the upcoming season in spite of the fact that they still hadn’t come up with a replacement for his assistant, who had been fired for giving steroids to one of the players. Levi realized he needed a full-time assistant, but he was making do with volunteers until someone could be recruited and hired.
    “If Dezil Washburn decides to play for me we’re going to be unbeatable,” I heard Levi tell Zak.
    “Did he seem interested?” Zak asked.
    “He said he was. He needed to check with his aunt. She’s really focused on his academic success, so he wasn’t certain she’d consider letting him join the team.”
    “He’s very intelligent. I can see why his aunt wants him to focus on his education, but I believe a balanced approach is usually best. I can speak to the aunt if Dezil really wants to join the team.”
    “That’d be great,” Levi said. “Any of your other geniuses athletically inclined?”
    “Pi is athletic, but I don’t think he’s played football. He seems to be most interested in joining a band,” Zak answered.
    “You should hook him up with Jeremy,” Ellie suggested.
    “I’m pretty sure I saw the two of them talking earlier in the day. I’m going to head over to the Zoo on Tuesday after the events committee meeting. I’ll ask Jeremy if he can help Pi find a group to jam with.”
    “Pi is sixteen,” Zak reminded me. “I’d be willing to bet he’d prefer to find a band to jam with on his own.”
    “Yeah, you’re right. This parenting thing is hard.”
    “Speaking of the events committee, did you ever get the situation with the barn worked out?” Ellie wondered.
    Somehow, in spite of the fact that my life was already really full, I had been elected chairperson for Haunted Hamlet. One of my responsibilities as chairperson was to secure a facility to house the annual haunted barn. In years past we’d used the Henderson house, but considering the tragic past of that property it was decided that our haunted house should be a bit less haunted. Of course the barn I’d picked out had turned out to have its own creepy history, so the committee was recommending an alternate to the alternate.
    How do I get myself into these things?
    “It’s not like there are a lot of empty barns around here. I’ve identified one other location, but I doubt the committee will go for it either.”
    “Don’t tell me there’s a third barn in the area with a history of gruesome murders?” Ellie asked.
    “No. And