Free A Most Unpleasant Wedding by Judith Alguire

woman’s name?”
    Arnold snorted. “We didn’t get that far.”
    Brisbois scribbled some notes. “So you had a confrontation with a woman in the bar. Then what?”
    Arnold shrugged. “Nothing. I hung around the bar, had a few more drinks, then I came home.”
    â€œWhat happened to the woman?”
    Arnold stared at him. “How in hell should I know? She threw a drink in my face and stormed out.”
    â€œOK.” Brisbois flipped a page. “So you left the bar and started home. Did you see anything?”
    Arnold shook his head. “Hell, I can’t remember. There might have been a car or two, but I don’t remember anything in particular.” He paused, took a drink. “What’s this about, anyway?”
    Brisbois sat back, let the silence build for a minute. “We found a body. Might have been near where you were.”
    Arnold’s jaw dropped. “You think I killed somebody? You’re crazy.”
    Brisbois glanced at Creighton. “We’re just asking questions.” He gestured toward the trousers. “We’d like to take your pants, have a look at them, if you’re agreeable.”
    â€œAre you charging me with something?”
    â€œNo, just asking for your cooperation.”
    Arnold stared at him for a moment. “Take whatever you want. I didn’t kill anybody.” His lips parted in a sloppy grin. “I’m a lover, not a fighter.”
    Brisbois stood. “Thank you for your cooperation.”
    Arnold waved this off. “No problem, buddy. I’ve got nothing to hide.”
    â€œThat’s good.”
    Arnold reached for a tumbler and a bottle of whisky on the bedside table. “Oh, by the way…”
    â€œYes?”
    â€œCould you get those pants cleaned before you bring them back?”
    Terri Hopper arrived home around eleven. Roslyn had just finished washing the kitchen floor. Terri stopped a few feet inside the door. “Sorry, Ros.”
    â€œIt’s OK, honey, it’s just about dry.”
    Terri took off her shoes, tiptoed in, looked around. “Where’s Dad?”
    â€œHe went upstairs to have a shower a while ago. Maybe he fell asleep. He took a couple of pills for his tooth before he went up.”
    â€œHow did the dentist go yesterday?”
    Roslyn moved the mop pail to one side. “I think he had kind of a rough day. The pills they gave him made him all fluey. He said he fell. When I got here, I thought he’d been rolling in Drummie’s dirt pile. He looked like that kid from the Charlie Brown comic.”
    â€œPig Pen?”
    â€œYeah, that’s the one. He said he slept on the couch. I don’t know if he had any supper. I made him some scrambled eggs. He hardly touched them.”
    Terri frowned. “Where’s Mom?”
    â€œYour dad said she went riding.” Roslyn glanced at the clock. “Gosh, she’s been gone a while. She was away when I got here.” She paused. “Do you want me to fix you some lunch?”
    Terri gave her a hug. “Oh, no thanks, Ros. I stopped for something on the way. I’ll just go up and look in on Dad.”
    Roslyn went on with her cleaning. Terri went upstairs. The door to the master bedroom was ajar. She knocked, peeked in.
    Carl lay on the bed in his bathrobe, fast asleep, his hair still damp from the shower.
    â€œI’ll be back in a few minutes, Dad,” she whispered.
    She ran back downstairs, grabbed some carrots from the kitchen, called to Roslyn as she passed the living room, “Ros, I’m going down to see the horses.”
    She hurried down the path to the stable. She was worried about her father, and it wasn’t just because he’d had a lousy day at the dentist and ended up sleeping on the couch. He looked so thin. He would never tell her, but she knew his depression was getting worse. He was having trouble with the latest manuscript. He’d told her it