to know that I’m working in adjunct with the police.”
Maybe if she hadn’t been wearing her hair in pigtails, with a blue and white gingham pinafore over a white blouse with puffy sleeves and her version of ruby slippers that were red sneakers, he might have taken her more seriously. I quickly explained that she was running the summer kids’ reading group and she was reading them The Wizard of Oz. He glanced around her and said she must have misplaced Toto.
Without missing a beat, Adele pulled out such a lifelike stuffed dog that I jumped.
Stone heard his order number called and made a move toward the counter. I stepped in front of him and apologized for Adele. “She means well,” I said. He seemed a little doubtful and, when I didn’t move out of the way. asked if there was something else.
“I apologize for this under the circumstances, but we were wondering if you’d be willing to do an informal book signing one night.” I explained Mr. Royal had shown me the book, with the photograph and story about him, and was ordering a stack of them.
Stone barely took a moment to consider the request. “Sure. Why not? I can give out some brochures about the coconut water energy drink.”
“You could even give out samples,” I said. It was hard not to keep looking at his face. His blue eyes sparkled and had little crinkles around them when he smiled. And then there were those family dimples. All that and a great body. It was hard not to notice it since he was wearing just swimming shorts and an open shirt.
“Too bad they’re all gone. I don’t even have an empty bottle to show off. No way to get any more, either. The only place you can buy it now is in one store in Wailea, Maui.” I asked him if he’d rather wait until after Kelly’s funeral, but he said he’d be leaving right after. He leaned in close. “I hope I’m here when they finally arrest you know who. I told the cops he had a big insurance policy on my sister. How much evidence do they need?”
I tried to calm him and told him I knew for a fact the cops had zeroed in on Dan, which seemed to make him feel a little better. It was a little bit of a segue, but I went back to the book signing and we agreed on a day and time. Finally, he picked up his breakfast sandwich and latte and headed out.
When Dinah and I finally sat down, I noticed Adele had moved to our table. I knew if I so much as mentioned Barry, she’d launch into her superior relationship with Eric “Cutchykins.” She considered herself an expert now on relationships with cops and I didn’t want her advice or even any comments. So the easiest subject to talk about was Kelly’s murder.
“Ha,” Adele said. “I don’t know why Stone wasn’t including me in what he said. I’m probably already ahead of you two in the figuring-it-out department. The problem here isn’t figuring out who did it, it’s getting some evidence. There have been lots of murder cases around here where everybody knows who did it, but there isn’t enough evidence to convince a jury beyond reasonable doubt.” Adele’s comment surprised me for its rational quality, but then her tone became Miss Know It All. “Eric thinks I can find the evidence they need to nail Dan.”
“He said that?” I said.
“Maybe not in those exact words,” Adele said. “But that’s what my cutchykins meant.” She adjusted a pigtail that was about to be dipped in her drink. “He takes what I say very seriously.”
“You do know that Dan’s gun isn’t the murder weapon.” I said and Adele waved her arm broadly.
“Pink, that’s such old news.”
After breakfast the three of us walked outside. The sun was heating up the air and it promised to be another scorcher. We headed up the street and stopped when we got in front of the bookstore and Dinah said something about having a faculty meeting later in the morning. The new semester now started in August. Whatever happened to waiting until after Labor Day?
“I’ll see you in a while,” I said to Adele motioning toward the door of the bookstore as if I could will her to go inside.
“Where are you going?” Adele said with a whine in her voice. I pointed toward the side street and said I was going