Murder of a Barbie and Ken by Denise Swanson Read Free Book Online Page B

of her hand to Barbie’s lips. No breath.
    Suddenly, Jed grabbed Skye and hauled her away from the freezer. He continued to pull her behind him, not stopping until they were in his truck with the doors locked.
    Skye gasped for air while Jed snatched his shotgun from the rack behind the seat, wrenched the mike from his CB, and put in a call to the police.
    “They’re both dead.” Skye sagged against the backrest.
    “Yup. Saw the doc when I came through the kitchen looking for you.” Jed took a red hanky from his pocket and wiped his face. “Why’d you slam the dining room door on my hand?”
    “I thought you were the killer.” Skye looked anxiously at her father. “Are you all right?”
    “Yup.” He sat straight, his eyes scanning back and forth, the gun cradled in his arms.
    “Why did you hit me in the foyer?” Skye asked, touching the tender spot near her hairline.
    “Didn’t. You ran into me and we bumped heads.”
    “Oh.”
    A minute or two passed in silence. A painful sense of comprehension was beginning to replace the shock she’d felt when she first saw the bodies—Ken and Barbie Addisonwere dead, and someone had killed them. Skye realized how precariously close to crying she was. She buried her face in Chocolate’s brown fur and hugged the dog, forcing the tears to stay unshed. Her father had been through enough. She wouldn’t add a sobbing female to his ordeal.
    A squad car squealed into the driveway, lights flashing and siren screaming. Walter Boyd jumped out and headed toward the pickup. He was the chief of the Scumble River Police Department, a handsome man with warm brown eyes, curly black hair with just a touch of silver, and a striking year-round tan. His crisply starched police uniform emphasized his muscular chest and arms.
    Although they had never dated, Skye and Wally had a history that wasn’t easy to explain. She’d had a crush on him when she was a teenager and he was a rookie cop, but when she came back to Scumble River as an adult, he was married. His wife had left him about the time Skye had become involved with Simon. They had a
The King and I
sort of relationship—attraction without fulfillment. Recently they had taken to pretending that the attraction never existed.
    Wally conferred briefly with Jed and Skye, then spoke into his radio. Officer Roy Quirk was next to arrive, with two county cruisers roaring in soon afterward. Before entering, the lawmen surrounded the house, peering into windows and creeping around corners.
    The police took a long time to search the premises. As Wally later explained, they had to make sure the killer wasn’t hiding anywhere and that there were no more bodies tucked away.
    Skye watched as one of the deputies started to string yellow plastic tape around the perimeter of the property. She knew that an evidence technician from the county would arrive soon. He’d have his work cut out for him, going over such an enormous crime scene.
    Finally, Wally came out of the house and spoke to Jedand Skye. “It’s all clear.” His breath hung in the frigid air like a cotton ball. “Jed, Quirk’s going to talk to you for a couple of minutes, then we need for you to go to the station and make a formal statement.”
    Jed said, “Gotta drop the dog off at home first.”
    Wally nodded. “Fine. Skye, you come with me.” He jerked his head toward the cruiser. “Let’s go sit in my car.”
    She followed him, toting her bags of groceries along with her. The front seat felt like a block of ice, and she shivered.
    He started the engine and turned the heater to full blast. “What were you and your dad doing here?”
    “I had to pick up my Instant Gourmet order, and Dad was driving me because the roads were too icy for the Bel Air.”
    “Instant Gourmet?”
    “It’s a product Barbie sells, I mean sold, at parties she held in her home.”
    “Like Tupperware?”
    “You are so behind the times. But, yes, like Tupperware.”
    Wally stroked his chin. “Why