Rest Ye Murdered Gentlemen by Vicki Delany Read Free Book Online Page B

movement to pull my hood over my face and remembered I wasn’t wearing a coat. The last thing I needed was my picture in the local paper, as a person of interest in a police investigation. Good thing I wasn’t in my Mrs. Claus costume. That would do the reputation of Rudolph no favors.
    Candy threw me a poisonous glance, but went to do as she’d been ordered. She turned the full force of her official indignation onto Russ. I figured he could handle it.
    â€œWhere’s your coat?” the detective asked.
    â€œI put it over . . . over Nigel. It went with him in the ambulance.”
    â€œYou’re freezing.” Only when she said the word did I realize that I was. I’d discarded one of my gloves fumbling for my phone. I wrapped my arms around myself to try to control the shivering.
    â€œWe’ll talk in my car,” she said. “I’ll turn the heat up.”
    â€œI have to bring Mattie.”
    â€œIs that your dog?”
    â€œYes.”
    â€œRather on the . . . uh . . . large size, isn’t he?”
    We both looked at the Saint Bernard. He was pulling on the leash with enough force that the poor tree was in danger of breaking in half. Drool flew in all directions ashe displayed his enormous pink tongue and sharp young teeth to the detective.
    â€œHe’s just a puppy,” I said, “But he’s very well behaved.” Here I was, lying to the cops already.
    â€œHe can come,” she said. “But if he makes a mess of my car, you’re the one who’ll clean it up.”
    I ran to free Mattie from the tree. His gratitude apparently knew no bounds and he tried to knock me over in a display of affection. “Stay,” I said firmly. Then, less firmly, “Heel.”
    In response he leapt toward Detective Simmonds, pulling the leash out of my half-frozen hand. To my considerable relief, the cop didn’t pull out her gun and shoot him. Instead she pointed with one finger and, in a deep, rolling voice, said, “Down, Mattie!”
    He dropped to his haunches without a sound.
    â€œWow!” I said, hurrying over to grab the leash. “How’d you do that?”
    â€œMy parents train animals for movies and TV. He looks like a good boy, but with a dog of that size, you’re going to have to ensure he gets proper training.”
    â€œI know.” She was right, and I figured there was no point in making the usual excuses.
    â€œGive me a sec, and I’ll be right with you,” she said.
    As we’d talked, more men and women in uniform and plainclothes had begun to arrive. “This witness has to get warm,” Simmonds said. “I’m going to talk to her now. In the meantime, try to keep that area secure, although it looks like a lot of damage has been done already.”
    â€œSorry,” I mumbled.
    â€œCouldn’t be avoided,” she said. “You wanted to help. We could have done without the dog though. Come on.”
    She led the way to the rows of cars lining the park. We passed Candy ordering Russ to get back to the road. He wasn’t arguing with her, just walking so slowly, while his camera clicked all the while, that it might be time for the July parade before he got there.
    Simmonds stopped so abruptly that Mattie ran into her. “Are you physically disabled, sir?”
    â€œNo,” Russ said, snapping a picture of her.
    â€œGood. Because if you aren’t behind that tape in ten seconds I’ll be taking you in. Got it?”
    Clearly he got it, because he sprinted across the snowy field without taking another picture. I wondered if Detective Simmonds’s parents trained human actors as well as animals. “Secure the perimeter,” Simmonds said to Candy. “And do a better job of it than you did with one reporter.”
    â€œYes, ma’am,” Candy said, throwing me a look that said she firmly believed her humiliation was all my fault. I