Relative Chaos by Kay Finch Read Free Book Online

running around. My husband
travels two, three days a week"
    "Just the kind of job I love to sink my teeth into," I said, "and I
have some great tips for teaching kids to be organized. Never too
early to start. Unfortunately, I can't get to you right now."
    "No rush. In fact, I wouldn't consider doing this until-" She
looked at Dylan, then lowered her voice. "After they catch the bad
person."
    I nodded my understanding.
    "I hope they find him soon," she said. "Should be easier now that
they have a suspect."
    "They do?" I said, surprised.
    "You didn't hear?"
    "Guess I'm out of the loop, since I don't live in the neighborhood.
Who is it?"
    "They don't have a name yet, but several people have seen the
perp hanging around, or so I'm told."
    "Where did you get this information?" I said.
    "From my dad," Vicki said. "He's taken a personal interest in the
case since his grandsons live so close. He lives on the richer end of
the subdivision, but he's always over here keeping an eye on things."
    "That's what fathers are for."
    "That and antagonizing their kids. Believe me, he's an expert."
She motioned toward the golf course. "That's him in the dark Windbreaker, talking to the detective."
    Barton Fletcher. Sounded like Vicki might agree with Aunt Millie's take on the man's personality.
    "Dad's one of the witnesses," Vicki went on. "Gave a detailed description, and two other people reported the exact same man lurking around"

    "That's great news," I said. "I'll feel a lot better once they have
him in custody."
    "Me too," said Vicki. "In the meantime, watch yourself. They say
the kid's twentyish."
    Not McCall, then.
    "He has blond, shaggy hair," she continued.
    McCall had dark hair.
    "Drives an old Ford pickup."
    My heart rate quickened. There had to be a million of those
around, didn't there?
    "Green, so dirty you can hardly read the plates."
    No way. She couldn't be talking about my Kevin.
    "Dad got half of it."
    "Half of what?" I said.
    "The plate number. It ends in YNS"
    I felt like somebody had clamped my windpipe shut. Kevin's truck
plate ended in YNS-ya numbskull-Kevin's acronym.
    "They had another sighting this morning," Vicki said, "so the
perp couldn't have gone too far."
    Kevin had dropped Millie off-what, thirty minutes ago? Where
was he now?
    "Anyway." Vicki shifted Tyler on her hip and struggled to keep a
hold on Dylan. "It's lunchtime. I'd better get these little monsters inside where it's safe."
    "Right," I said, not sure if my voice was audible. "Be careful."
    "You too." Vicki headed for her house, Dylan in tow.
    Before they were out of earshot, I heard him shout, "Perp. Perp"
    Just what Vicki needed. A toddler using police lingo.

     

The last thing I wanted to do right now was draw attention, so I
forced myself to walk, not run, back to Featherstone's house.
    They had it all wrong. Somebody saw Kevin in the neighborhood
this morning, but connecting him to the murder was a big leap. Maybe
the killer drove the same kind of truck Kevin drove. Every other vehicle on the road these days was a Ford pickup, right? I had to put an
end to this ridiculous misconception before the cops did something
stupid.
    But first I had to talk to Kevin.
    By the time I reached Featherstone's back door, I was close to hyperventilating. I stepped into the kitchen, flipped my cell phone open,
and nearly jumped out of my shoes when Featherstone entered the
room.
    "Whoa," he said. "You okay?"
    "I'm fine." My mouth felt as dry as chalk dust. "You surprised
me, that's all."
    "Stopped in to check on progress," he said. "How's it going?"
    "Steady." I slid my phone into my pocket. No way I could talk to
Kevin in front of my client. "Hard to see a difference this soon, but
I've been a busy bee."
    "Good." He glanced through the family-room window. "Seems
you're not the only busy one. Nasty business out there."
    "Sure is." I smoothed my windblown hair with a shaky hand.
    "They know whodunit yet?" he said.
    "I haven't heard." My