Free Frozen Stiff by Mary Logue Page A

sure.”
    Sheriff Talbert winced. “How’d his privates come through the ordeal?”
    So like a man to worry about such things. Claire had to cough to keep from laughing. “Well, the doctor didn’t mention them. I’m sure they had burrowed deep into his body and were protected.”
    “Hope so. Makes me shiver just to think about it.”
    “What I’m concerned about is, well, it’s looking like someone tried to kill him. I’m wondering how we should handle this.”
    “I guess handle it like an attempted homicide.”
    “Yes, but his wife is, at the moment, number one suspect and she’s also the one making decisions about his medical care.”
    “Well, that’s gotta stop. Is there anyone else who could step in?”
    “His daughter’s there.”
    “How old is she?”
    “I’d guess early twenties.” Claire thought about Danielle’s attitude. “But somehow I don’t trust her even as much as his wife. They seem cut from the same cloth. Skinny women who need to be kept in high style.”
    “Well, talk to the doctor and keep a close eye on what’s going on with him. So you think the wife might have locked him out? That’s cold.”
    “I don’t know. She’s the logical suspect. She has the most to gain. According to Daniel’s daughter, who by the way is named Danielle, if they divorced Sherri wouldn’t get a penny, but if Daniel died before the divorce went through she might inherit most everything.”
    The sheriff pouched his lips, then nodded. “That’s certainly a darn good motive. Money’ll do it.”
    “Yes, but something just doesn’t feel right to me.” Claire had been thinking about this as she drove to work, going over and over what had happened to Daniel Walker in her mind. “First of all, Sherri has no alibi for New Year’s Eve. You’d think she’d haveplanned something if she was going to try to off her husband. Secondly, she was the one who told us the house was locked up with a dead bolt, which could only have been done from the inside or with a key. If she hadn’t let us know that, we would have assumed Walker had just had an accident—letting her off the hook. Third, why would she have been the one to find him?”
    The sheriff shrugged. “So who did it?”
    “Well, as I told you, when Sherri got there the house was locked up tight. I think it all comes down to who had a key.”
    “To get in and then lock the deadbolt.”
    “Right. So my mission today is to track down all the keys.”
    The sheriff tilted back in his chair and Claire worried that he might tip over, but he caught himself. “Better than a needle in a haystack.”
    9 am
    As always, Curt was waiting for Meg when she got off the bus at school. He smiled up at her as if nothing was wrong. His light brown hair was still damp from his shower and he looked happy to see her.
    “Hey,” he said, bumping her gently with his shoulder. “Good movie last night. I’ve been wanting to see that one for a while.”
    “Yeah. It was okay.” She didn’t stop to bump him back or to tilt her head up for a kiss. She just kept walking.
    Curt walked along with her, staying close. “Sorry about last night. I just lost track of time. Andy had this new game, you know. It was pretty cool. I just spaced out, you know.”
    “I don’t know.”
    “Come on. Lighten up.”
    She had been all ready to forgive him, after all he had finally said he was sorry, but the ‘lighten up’ comment got her all mad again. “I don’t want to lighten up. I’m kinda serious, if you haven’t forgotten that about me. Also I’m serious about you. I think you need to think about how you feel about me. What’s more important in your life?” As soon as the words were out of her mouth, Meg wished she could pull them back. She sounded so needy.
    “Whoa.” Curt stepped back from her as if he was trying to see her from a new angle.
    She stalked off and this time Curt didn’t follow.
    Meg felt like putting her head in her locker and then just climbing in and