to live with a man who teeters on the brink of death every time he falls asleep?”
“If we spend the night in jail, are we going to be back in time to catch the bus to the Orkney Islands tomorrow?” Dick Stolee inquired.
“What about breakfast?” asked Dick Teig. “What kind of grub do you serve at your jail? Buffet or sit-down?”
Bean waved off the crowd descending upon him. “I’ve no way ta accommodate all of ye. I’m sorry. Mrs. Sippel can choose one of ye ta accompany us, but only one.”
“I’ll go,” I offered.
“Oh, no you won’t,” countered Mom. “She’s my mother and my responsibility. I’ll go.”
Nana craned her neck to look up at Bean. “What’s the sleepin’ situation like in your cells?”
“We just purchased new single beds with memory foam mattress toppers. I actually tried one out myself and found it quite comfortable.”
Her eyes lit up. “In that case, I’ll take George.”
“Mother!” cried Mom. “It’s a jail cell, not a college frat house! What in the world are you thinking?”
Nana crossed her arms beneath her bosom and stared tight-lipped at Mom. “I’m not gonna tell you on account of I don’t think you could handle it.”
“Who can’t handle what?” asked Etienne as he hurried into the room from the outer lobby, his arms clutching paper sacks from the grocery store across the street. “There’s a police car parked out front,” he said in a tentative voice. “That’s not for us … is it?”
“Hold everything!” I waved my arms over my head as I hurried across the room. “Etienne is the perfect choice to accompany Nana to jail. He volunteers, don’t you, sweetie?”
“Excuse me?”
“You’re going to jail with Nana,” I announced as I grabbed the sacks out of his arms.
“Why is your grandmother going to jail?”
“I’m bein’ held for questionin’,” Nana piped up. “But only ’til they get them results back from the postmortem.”
“What postmortem?” He gave me a desperate look as I herded him toward Officer Bean. “Did someone die? Emily, what’s going on?”
“Officer Bean will explain, won’t you, Officer?”
“This is yer husband, Mrs. Miceli?” Bean eyed Etienne with the kind of universal respect that one officer of the law pays another. “The former police inspector?”
Etienne extended his hand. “Etienne Miceli, Lucerne Police Department, Chief Inspector, retired.”
“I’ll explain the situation on the way ta the station, Inspector.”
“I’d prefer you explain—”
“C’mon, handsome.” Nana grabbed Etienne’s hand. “If we hurry, we might be able to catch one a them late-night reruns of Law and Order. Your satellite picks up TNT, right?” she asked Bean.
“Text me,” George called out to Nana as the trio headed toward the front door. Disheartened, he turned worried eyes on me. “Do you think she’ll be all right, Emily? I’m all for staging a sit-in at the jail if you think it would help. We could start an Occupy Wick movement.”
“How many folks would have to show up for an occupy movement in these parts before it became a media sensation?” quipped Osmond.
“In Wick?” Dick Teig guffawed. “One.”
Wally raced into the lobby laden down with more grocery sacks. “Why are Etienne and Mrs. Sippel getting into a police car? What’s happened?”
I hung my head. Oh, God.
While the gang peppered him with disjointed snippets of our latest tragedy, I dumped the grocery sacks on the nearest chair before they dropped to the floor. What the devil was in them? Rocks? I peeked inside.
Nope. Bottled water.
Lucille hurried over to me, dragging Cameron behind her. “Go ahead,” she urged Cameron. “Tell her.”
“We’re not going to be scared into quitting, Emily. Lucille and I are in it for the long haul.”
“So please don’t end the contest,” Lucille begged me.
I sighed deeply, giving vent to all my misgivings. “I don’t know, Lucille. I’m sure tempted. Seems all the contest is doing is stirring up trouble.”
“We’ll show that Gordon fella a thing or two about spunk,” said Lucille. “A two-man team can win just as easily as a five-man team. Right?”
“Right,” Cameron agreed. “We’ll just have to stay focused and watch our backs.”
“You can watch my back while I watch Bill Gordon.” Lucille sidled a glance at him. “I don’t trust that fella, Emily. His wife either.”
I heaved a sigh. “I’m beginning to think this whole contest was the worst idea I’ve ever had. Let me talk things over with Etienne when he gets back from the police station. Maybe he can think of a way to modify the contest without leaving everyone in the lurch. I don’t want to disappoint anyone, but—”
“You