Free Death Among The Stacks: The Body In The Law Library by Louise Hathaway Page A

he
asks Willis.
    “ Yeah, I did. Maybe she
smokes those clove cigarettes that some of the kids are into these
days. What do you make of ‘Yvonne’s scandal in
Chicago’?”
    “ I’m going to have to make a
few calls to our friends in the Chicago Police
Department.”
     
     

Chapter Nineteen
     
     
    Kelly knocks on the door and comes
gingerly into the conference room.
    “ Hello again, Kelly,” Sledge
says.
    “ You gentlemen wanted to see
me?” Kelly asks, with a disarming smile.
    “ Take a seat, Kelly,” Sledge
says. “We’ve been looking into your history in the Marine Corps and
found out that you got into some trouble that led to your discharge
from the Corps.”
    Kelly becomes very upset, saying,
“What’s that have to do with anything? I was honorably discharged.
I acted in self-defense. Two guys were harassing me in a bar. Some
marines just can’t handle the idea of a woman officer. They were
drunk and hurling all this abuse at me and at women, in general.
All I was doing was trying to unwind with a beer and a game of pool
with a friend. They wanted our table and started criticizing every
shot we made. Saying that it was a man’s game and we should leave.
One of them grabbed my pool cue and tried to yank it away from me.
I pushed him away and got jumped by his buddy. They both attacked
me, so I picked up my pool cue and started swinging. I hit one of
them so hard that he almost died. To make a long story short, there
was an investigation and I was asked to leave the
corps.”
    “ Do you have any animosity
towards men in general?” asks Sledge.
    “ Not at all. I like most
men.” Kelly smiled.
    “ What about
Gaylord?”
    “ Oh; he was just a jerk.
That’s the extent of my feelings towards him.”
    Sledge asks, “Do you think Yvonne may
have been angry at Gaylord?”
    “ I have absolutely no idea.
You’ll have to ask her yourself.”
    “ She called in sick today.
Could you please ask John to come see us?”
    “ Certainly. I’ll go get
him.”
    After she leaves the room, Willis asks,
“What do you think of her?”
    Sledge answers, “I can’t see her
drinking and swinging a pool cue at anyone. She seems so
dainty.”
    Willis jokes, “I think she’s taken you
under her spell.”
    “ I imagine that happens to
her all the time with guys,” Sledge answers.
     
     

Chapter Twenty
     
     
    John Meadowlark briskly walks into the
conference room. “You rang,” he lamely jokes, doing his best
“Lurch” impression.
    “ Have a seat, John. We’ve
been doing some background checking and we came across a picture of
you at a Tea Party rally. Isn’t this you?” Sledge asks as he shows
him a newspaper clipping.
    “ Yes. I’m a Libertarian, you
know. I believe this country has gotten way off course, especially
since the last election. This county needs to get back to its
roots. I’m a Revolutionary War re-enactor, you know.”
    “ No; we didn’t know
that.”
    “ Yes; I believe in a strict
interpretation of the Constitution.”
    Sledge interrupts, “Yes; we’re hearing
you, Mr. Meadowlark. What concerns me is this sign you’re holding
in this picture that says, ‘The tree of liberty must be refreshed
from time to time with the blood of Patriots and Tyrants.’ Sounds
pretty radical.”
    “ Hey—that’s a direct quote
from Thomas Jefferson. We need to get back to the America that our
founding fathers envisioned.”
    Sledge responds, “Do you really think
violence is the answer? Have you ever felt so angry with the
Federal Government that you might resort to bearing arms and
rebelling?”
    John answers, “It’s just a metaphor. I
didn’t mean for you government types to take it literally. I mean,
I don’t even own a gun, for God’s sake.”
    “ Did you ever feel anger
towards Mr. Gaylord, who is an employee of the Federal government?”
Sledge asks.
    “ Well, I think the
government is way too bloated. Lots of federal jobs could be
eliminated. We’re bankrupting our