Free Demise in Denim by Duffy Brown

in Conway?”
    â€œHe’s not talking if he does, but I got a few names that fit and—”
    â€œAnd sweet mother above, there goes one already on the list,” Mercedes said in a rush and jumped up, pointing across the crowd. “It’s the guy who did the jab-and-stab on Conway at the Slumber.” Mercedes snagged my hand and zigzagged through the crowd, elbowing patrons out of the way till we stumbled out onto the sidewalk.
    â€œDo you see him?” I asked Mercedes.
    â€œThere.” She pointed to a newer white pickup passing right in front of us. “Brown hair, short dude, cowboy hat, that’s him all right. He must have spotted me and took off.” She pursed her lips. “So I ask you, what kind of man goes after a dead guy? It’s the craziest thing I ever saw since I started over at the Slumber. Conway’s layout is tomorrow; you got to come, you know this nut-job is bound to show up. He’s sure enough got something against Conway.”
    I slapped my hand against my forehead. “Did you happen to get his license plate?”
    Mercedes gave me a
duh
look.
    â€œThink you’d recognize the guy without the hat?”
    â€œI’m counting on him recognizing me at the funeral and making a run for it again, just like he did. You need to be around to give chase if it happens.” Mercedes posed a hip and rolled her shoulders. “My womanly roundness isn’t as agile as your skinny self for that kind of thing.”
    â€œHey, you outdid me just now.”
    â€œAnd I used it all up in one big swoop. Now it’s your turn.”
    We headed for Mercedes’s pink Caddy, and I gave her the lecture on there being a killer playing for keeps and that she needed to be careful. She dropped me off at Cherry House and I promised to get to the funeral. The upstairs light in Auntie KiKi’s bedroom was on, meaning she and Putter were settled in for the night. I opened the back door to the Bruce Willis welcoming committee of puppy whines and tail wagging. That’s the thing with dogs; no matter how crappy the day went and even if your hair had roots and you’d been hiding in a pantry and looked like death warmed over, your doggie was glad to see you.
    We trotted upstairs and I did my minimal night prep, and then we collapsed into bed, with my feet dangling over the edge and BW sprawled out in the hall, his new favorite place for catching the breeze coming up the steps. My body wanted sleep, but my brain was on overdrive. Who was at Boone’s house and left the picture? Who was Mercedes’s blade man, and if Boone didn’t do more than kiss me soon, I was joining thenunnery.

Chapter Five

    â€œW HY in the world did it take you so long to get home last night?” KiKi wanted to know the next morning as she watched me dump the debris from the hole in the porch roof into the garbage can. “I did my part and got rid of the cops for you; what more was there?”
    â€œThere was Boone hiding in the pantry.” I tossed in the rotting shingles.
    â€œSweet Jesus in heaven, what was the man doing in there?”
    â€œEating crackers and peanut butter. He said the neighbors are keeping an eye on the place and saw our intruder. Guess they called Big Joey or something. Anyway, I showed him the picture and we were right, he’d never seen it before. Best I can tell, he doesn’t have any idea who’s setting him up,though he probably wouldn’t tell me if he did. Like always he wants me to stay out of it.”
    â€œAnd if he has an ounce of sense he knows you’re not.” KiKi sat down on the little wooden stool I had behind the counter. “Did he happen to let slip the names of any suspects?”
    â€œNo, but Mercedes has someone in mind.” I swept up the last of the roof shrapnel and tossed it in the can. “When she was getting Conway spiffed up for his last big fling, some guy barged in and stabbed