Murder at the Courthouse by A. H. Gabhart Read Free Book Online Page A

came home.” Angela made a face. “It’s a waste of time talking to her. She doesn’t care if he comes to school or not.”
    â€œShe may not, but we do. I do. If he shows up, send one of your office helpers down to let me know.” Malinda tapped the counter beside Angela. “Don’t forget.”
    â€œYes, ma’am,” Angela said.
    As Malinda left the office, the bell was ringing. Her students were going to get a kick out of her being tardy to class. She might even let them laugh about it for one of those minutes Michael thought she’d need to get them back on task.

7
    Back at the sheriff’s office, Michael turned around to face the others with a shrug and a self-conscious grin. “Aunt Lindy heard we’d been letting people get killed on the courthouse steps, and she doesn’t think that’s exactly the sort of thing peace officers should allow to happen.”
    Sheriff Potter chuckled. “Malinda has drawn a bead on the truth there.”
    Paul stared straight at Michael. “I must insist we don’t discuss our investigation with anybody outside the police departments.”
    â€œSure, Paul, whatever you say.” Michael took a deep breath and forced himself to unclench his fists. He walked past Paul to the door.
    â€œWait a minute. I’m not through,” Paul started, but Michael went on out into the hall as though he didn’t hear him.
    Buck followed, right on Michael’s heels. “I thought I was going to have to slug him before I got out of there.” Buck smiled over at Michael. “And I thought you were going to for sure. The little bozo. Who does he think he is?”
    â€œYou heard him. The officer in charge of this investigation.”Michael looked over his shoulder, glad Buck had pulled the office door closed. “He must have been studying up at night on how to handle a murder just in case somebody got shot in Hidden Springs.”
    â€œMaybe he did it.” Buck made a gun with his finger and thumb and pretended to shoot it.
    Michael laughed. “I don’t think he’d go quite that far to stir up excitement, but you never know. Anyway, the sheriff will smooth down Paul’s ruffled feathers before he wakes up Chief Sibley and ushers them out the door.”
    â€œAnd Little Osgood won’t even know what Al’s doing.”
    â€œThe sheriff has a knack for getting folks to do what he wants them to do.”
    They pushed through the front door, and Michael couldn’t keep from looking over to where the body had been. A couple of men in overalls had crossed the yellow police tape, still zigzagged across the yard, to get a better look at the brownish-red smears on the post and the steps.
    â€œSomebody needs to clean that up,” Michael said.
    â€œOh, I don’t know. It gives people something to gawk at and keeps them from pestering us for answers we don’t have. At least not yet.” Buck nodded toward the farmers, who didn’t even look their way. “But what’s this about Anthony Blake? You’re talking about that kid we caught breaking into a car a couple of months back, right?”
    â€œThat’s the one.” Michael looked over at Buck. “Why?”
    â€œI don’t know. I just didn’t expect to hear his name this morning.” Buck’s voice changed, became guarded. “You don’t think he has anything to do with what happened back there, do you?”
    â€œAnthony?” Michael was surprised. “No. But I saw himin the crowd this morning, and he’s not supposed to skip school. Not if he wants to stay out of juvenile detention. That was one of the conditions handed down by the juvenile court judge, but you know how some kids are. There’s no helping them.”
    â€œYeah.” Buck sounded relieved Michael hadn’t spotted something he missed about the murder. “A hard-luck kid for