Behind Chocolate Bars by Kathy Aarons Read Free Book Online Page B

where she was killed.”
    â€œWhat?” I asked.
    â€œHer body was left at the Green Meadows community center,” he explained. “We’re looking for the original murder site.” He used our stunned surprise to ask his own question. “So what do you know about Dylan and his family?”
    Erica shrugged. I could see that she was taking time to figure out how much to tell him before she could ask more questions. “He’s a bright kid. A straight-A student who’s planning to go to college for electrical engineering. Obviously I know him as an employee and a member of the store’s comic book club, and he’s fantastic at both of those—committed and caring. He’s close to his father. You’re probably aware that his mother moved to Florida this summer, after somewhat of a scandal. He’s a devoted son. His friends love him.” She paused. “I’m not sure what else I can add, except that I know he’s not capable of killing someone, especially with a bat.”
    I held back a shudder.
    â€œWe have reason to believe there was more than one assailant,” Lockett said, carefully watching her reaction.
    Suddenly the room felt absolutely airless. Was this why the comic book club members weren’t talking?

5
    D etective Lockett was not happy that we rushed him out of there soon after he dropped his second bombshell. Before he left, he informed us rather emphatically that whoever was responsible should come forward before the police found the site of the murder. That it would reveal more clues and make it harder for him to offer any kind of deal to the killer. “Or killers,” he’d added.
    â€œThis isn’t good,” I said to Erica. “We have to help Dylan.”
    â€œAbsolutely,” she said.
    â€œTime for a project plan?” I asked.
    Erica thought any problem could be solved with a ruthlessly organized project plan. “Of course.”
    Zane West walked in, sighing with a put-upon air. “I know,” he said. “You want me to look into that woman’s murder. What do you have?” Today he wore his usual boating look—a greenand white striped T-shirt with matching green long shorts and a bright yellow windbreaker, collar up. He pushed his hipster glasses up on his nose with one finger and sat down at his desk, which was wedged into the small office next to Erica’s.
    Zane studied computer science in college and was the tech expert of most of the Main Street shops. His burgeoning, not always quite legal, skills to access information us normal people couldn’t get to had come in handy before.
    â€œI’m so glad you’re here,” Erica said. “You know we can’t do this without you.”
    He looked pleased even though he knew Erica’s tactics as well as the rest of us. “Name? Age? I don’t suppose you have a Social Security number.”
    Erica smiled. “Faith Monette. She lived in Frederick.”
    â€œThat’s it?” he said. “Wunnerful.” That last part must be sarcasm.
    I left them to work their computer spelunking magic and stopped over to see how Colleen was holding up. Just a few months before, we’d had our town’s first murder in a decade, and the victim had been Colleen’s best friend.
    â€œCan you believe we have another murder in West Riverdale?” she asked. She’d recently started highlighting her light brown hair, which made her face seem brighter somehow. Or maybe it was because she was happier in general after ditching her cheating husband.
    â€œI know,” I said. “It’s terrible. Are you okay?”
    She nodded. “Did you see the news coverage of Marino?” she asked. “He zoomed up to the police station in that stretch limo, wearing that bowler hat and brandishing his cane at the reporters.”
    He must have done a good job drawing attention awayfrom Dylan’s escape out the