Free Derby Divas (Zoe Donovan Mystery) by Kathi Daley Page A

to talk in a less public place, so we arranged to meet at the boathouse as soon as they finished their meal. I called Zak to fill him in. I didn’t want to interfere with his time at the beach, but I also didn’t want him to think I was leaving him out of what had just turned into another Zoe Donovan murder investigation.
    I also checked in with Jeremy , who said he was fine and didn’t need me to come in.
    I started reworking the derby schedule while I waited for Levi and Pandora. It occurred to me that Boomer most likely still didn’t know that Pandora was alive. I realized that his reaction to the news could be pretty telling, so I called Levi again and told him I might be a few minutes late, and then headed to the park downtown where the cars were displayed for viewers as well as potential buyers.
    I suspected Boomer would be at the car show with the other members of his team , but when I stopped by, I was informed by Masher that Boomer had pulled out of the entire event and planned to leave the area as soon as he was packed. I changed direction and headed over to the Ashton Falls Motor Inn. I knocked on the door of his room and was invited to come on inside.
    “Hey , Zoe.” Boomer sounded defeated. “Guess you heard I was leaving.”
    “I did, although I’m surprised , given the circumstances.”
    “Circumstance s?”
    I watched his face as I continued to speak. “I figured that once you found out that Pandora didn’t die in the crash this morning, you’d stay around to help her deal with things.”
    Boomer ’s jaw dropped. “What do you mean, she didn’t die? Of course she died. There’s no way anyone could have survived that crash.”
    “True , but Pandora wasn’t driving the car. I thought you knew that.”
    Boomer grabbed my arm. Hard. “Are you messing with me?”
    “Of course not. Now let me go, you oaf.”
    I pulled my arm away and began rubbing it. I was pretty sure I was going to have a bruise.
    “Pandora wasn’t driving?”
    I could see that he wanted to believe me but couldn’t quite bring himself to do so.
    “She wasn’t,” I insisted. “I’ve talked to her myself. She was passed out in bed when I found her. Guess she had too much to drink last night.”
    Boomer smiled as he let my news sink in. “Then who?” He left the sentence unfinished, but I knew what he was asking.
    “Pepper.”
    Boomer’s smile turned back into a frown. “Pepper? Why Pepper?”
    “I guess she decided to fill in for Pandora so the race wouldn’t be forfeited.”
    Boomer sat down on his bed and put his head in his hands. I decided to give him a minute to process things. He seemed genuinely surprised that Pandora was alive and Pepper was dead. It didn’t clear him from tampering with the car or drugging Pandora, but I got the feeling he was almost as torn up about Pepper as he had been about Pandora. If I had to guess, Boomer was innocent of both acts.
    “God, poor Pepper,” Boomer groaned. “The whole thing makes no sense. I was with Pandora last night. She had two drinks, maybe three. Definitely not enough to get drunk.”
    “Did you notice her acting oddly?”
    Boomer lifted his head, ran his hand through his thick dark hair, and looked at the ceiling. “This whole thing is my fault,” he moaned.
    “Your fault?”
    “I did notice Pandora was acting strange, but I figured she was just tired. I’d had a few drinks before she arrived and was feeling the effect of the alcohol. I remember telling her to go back to her room and sleep it off. I should have known something was off.”
    “Did Pandora leave with Pepper?” I asked.
    “No, Pepper had already gone. Pandora left with Dezee. He said he’d walk her back to her room since he was going out for a smoke. These are all nonsmoking rooms.”
    “Have you seen Dezee today?”
    I knew he hadn’t been at the race , and Willa hadn’t tracked him down as of this morning’s emergency events committee meeting.
    “No, I haven’t,” Boomer