Foal Play: A Mystery (25 page)

“You mentioned an eyewitness worked with Ms. Kennedy. Where is that eyewitness now?” Colleen heard a reporter ask and returned her attention to the press conference.

“With relatives in Raleigh,” Garcia said.

“Did the eyewitness identify Mr. Cascio from a mug shot?”

“Yes.”

“What about Charles Nuckels? Didn’t he confess to the very same crimes you are now arresting Mr. Cascio for?”

“I’ll take that one,” Bill said, stepping in. “As those of you who are part of our community know, Charlie Nuckels has a vivid imagination.” A few giggles were heard from the crowd. “I’m afraid Charlie let that imagination get the best of him. He now understands the seriousness of the charges and has admitted that he had no part in the crimes mentioned.”

“What about Antonio Salvatore’s part? Isn’t he Mr. Cascio’s uncle?”

“He is,” Bill said. “But there’s no indication that he had any knowledge of what his nephew was up to in Corolla. I ask that you respect Mr. Salvatore’s privacy as you would any member of our community. After all, who among us doesn’t have family or past relationships we’d rather kept private?”

Colleen studied Bill, surprised. His answer was unexpected given how he felt about Pinky. She was impressed by his professionalism. But then something in her gut made her wonder if his response didn’t come more from personal experience or feelings. Did Bill have something or someone he wanted kept private? Did it have anything to do with her? Stop it, she scolded herself. Not everything is about you and not everyone has ulterior motives. She pushed the questions from her mind.

“Thank you for coming. That will be all the questions for now,” Garcia said, officially ending the press conference.

Reporters called after Garcia as he entered the sheriff’s department building, then hurried to do their stand-ups for their news reports. Bill joined Colleen and Rodney.

“Nice job,” Rodney said. “Glad I didn’t have to do it.”

“Why don’t you head in, Rodney? We’ve got a meeting with Agent Garcia in five minutes.”

“Nice working with you, Chief McCabe,” Rodney said and left Colleen and Bill alone.

“How are you holding up?” she asked once Rodney was gone.

“I hate the press. And you?”

“I’m a little sore from yesterday but otherwise fine.”

“Hey, Chief,” Bobby said to her as he limped toward them. “Hey, Sheriff Dorman.”

Bill shook his head. “I can’t believe you’re okay after that stunt you pulled.”

“It was nothing,” Bobby said with pride.

“Really?” she asked with raised brows and a smile.

“Well, I am a little bruised,” Bobby said touching his bandaged cheek. “But nothing major.”

Colleen stole a glance at Myrtle and Nellie. “So how are things with you and Myrtle?”

“We had a long talk. Mother is going to stay with Miss Byrd while the house is repaired and I’m going to get my own place.”

“I think it’s for the best,” she said with a wink. “So, are you still coming to the orientation meeting at the station?”

“Definitely,” Bobby said, his mood brightening. “Monday in two weeks, right?”

“That’s right.”

“Great. I’ll see you then. Bye, Sheriff,” he said, crossed the lot, and mounted his motorcycle.

“What was that all about?” Bill asked.

Colleen grinned. “After everything that has happened, Bobby’s thinking of becoming a firefighter.”

Bill raised his brows in surprise and he and Colleen burst out laughing.

“What’s so funny?” Myrtle said through the passenger window as Nellie pulled next to them in her Buick.

“Oh, nothing,” Colleen said. “I see you’re letting Nellie drive for a change,” she added, teasing Myrtle.

“It was time,” Myrtle said with a shrug.

“Thirty years. I’d say it was time,” Nellie said with a roll of the eyes.

Colleen and Bill chuckled.

“You two are certainly happy today,” Myrtle said.

“You should be, too. You don’t have to stay with me anymore.”

Myrtle and Nellie grew quiet.

“I’m gonna miss Smokey,” Myrtle said after a pause.

“And I’m gonna miss Mitch,” Nellie said.

“Maybe Mitch can visit his niece and Smokey again sometime,” Myrtle said.

“Really?” Nellie asked, looking with hope into Myrtle’s eyes.

“Of course, it’s up to Colleen. Uncle Mitch wouldn’t want to visit without being invited.”

Colleen couldn’t believe the bizarre charade that was playing out between the two old friends. Even more unbelievable was that she found herself playing along. “Yeah, sure, maybe Uncle Mitch can visit sometime.”

“That’s wonderful,” Nellie said, smiling at Myrtle.

Bill stared at her in disbelief. Colleen shrugged. There was no rational explanation for why she had agreed to indulge the old women’s fantasy other than it seemed to make them both happy.

“You want to join us for pancakes?” Myrtle asked Colleen and Bill, her mood now bright.

“Thanks, but I’ve got a meeting with Agent Garcia,” Bill said.

“And I need to get to the station. There’s a lot to do since I was tied up with the investigation.”

“Suit yourself,” Myrtle said. “Okay, Nell, let’s hit the road.”

Nellie saluted, gunned the engine, and drove from the lot.

Colleen watched the Buick disappear. “What just happened?”

“You lost your mind,” Bill said.

She grinned. “I think you’re right. But it sure feels good.” She checked the time. “I should let you get to your meeting.”

Bill lingered.

“Something else on your mind?” she asked.

He took a breath and straightened his back. “I was wondering … what are you doing tonight?”

She felt the temperature rise several degrees. Was Bill really asking her out?

“I thought we could catch a movie, relax after everything that’s happened,” he added.

Before Colleen had a chance to answer, his phone rang. He checked the number and his cheeks flushed red. It rang several more times.

“Aren’t you going to get that?” she asked.

“Uh, yeah, could you hold on a minute?” He turned his back and walked a short distance away before she could answer.

Colleen strained to hear what Bill was saying. All she could make out was “Wow … okay … in Corolla?” and then her phone rang. She looked at the number. It was the station. She hit the
ANSWER
button. “What’s up, Jimmy?” she asked while keeping an eye on Bill.

“Mr. Salvatore,” Jimmy said. “Seems he’s threatening to burn debris if you don’t come by.”

Colleen turned her focus from Bill to her conversation with Jimmy. “But he’s not actually burning debris?”

“Nope.”

She smiled. Threatening to burn debris and actually burning it were two different things. Could she be making progress with Pinky? It was a baby step, but she’d accept it.

“You want me to go out there?” Jimmy asked.

“No. If he calls again, tell him I’m on my way. Thanks.” Colleen returned her phone to her pocket and turned to find Bill standing next to her, his call having obviously ended.

“Everything okay?” he asked.

“Yeah, it was Jimmy,” she said, keeping her impending visit to Pinky to herself. “And you?” she said, gesturing to the phone in Bill’s hand.

“Just someone I haven’t heard from in a while,” he said. “So where were we?”

Colleen studied Bill a moment, trying to remember what they had been talking about before the calls. She had never seen him flustered like he was by that phone call. It almost made her forget that he had asked her to the movies. Almost.

“I believe you were asking me about my plans for tonight,” she said. “I have none.”

Rodney opened the front door of the sheriff’s department building. “Hey, boss, everyone’s waiting,” he said to Bill.

Bill waved to Rodney, then turned to Colleen. “I’ll see you later then?”

She grinned. “Absolutely.”

His eyes wrinkled in a smile behind his sunglasses. She had missed that smile. He turned away and she crossed the lot to her SUV. She slid into her vehicle, watched Bill enter the building, and let out a satisfied sigh. All was right in the world again.

Colleen drove toward Pinky’s development with the windows down. The salty ocean breeze whipped her hair around her face and the summer sun warmed her left forearm as it rested on the window frame. She rounded a corner and spotted a mare and her foal grazing on vegetation near a vacation home. The vacationers were gathered on the balcony of the house taking pictures. She slowed to watch the mother with her baby. As she passed, the foal nuzzled its mother and she heard a chorus of “aws” from the onlookers. Colleen beamed. Today was going to be a glorious, blue-sky day in Corolla.

About the Author

Kathryn O’Sullivan is a winner of the Malice Domestic Best First Traditional Mystery Novel Competition, an award-winning playwright and creator of the Western Web series
Thurston
, and a theatre professor at Northern Virginia Community College. She lives in Virginia with her husband, an award-winning director and cinematographer, and their rascally rescue cat, Oscar. Visit her Web site at
www.kathrynosullivan.com
.

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

FOAL PLAY.
Copyright © 2013 by Kathryn O’Sullivan. All rights reserved. For information, address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.

www.thomasdunnebooks.com

www.minotaurbooks.com

Cover photograph of beach scene © Eric Full/
Shutterstock.com

Illustration of legs © Ben Perini; Photograph of horses © Fred Hurteau,
www.carolinawildphoto.com

ISBN 978-1-250-02659-0 (hardcover) ISBN 978-1-250-02660-6 (e-book)

First Edition: May 2013