Aretha Moon and the Dead Hairdresser: Aretha Moon Book 2 (Aretha Moon Mysteries) by Linda Ross (reading books for 7 year olds .TXT) 📗

“Moon, you’re the truffle pig of dead bodies!”

Well, I suppose that was high praise from someone like Lorenzo.

“We don’t have time to get another story in Monday’s paper, but plan on something for the week after.”

“Listen, Lorenzo,” I said.  “Kara and Rose both lived in a little town south of St. Louis for a while, and Thelma and I were going to go down there and see what we could find, if that’s okay.  We were planning on being out of the office all day Monday.”

“Sure,” Lorenzo said.  Another dead body was making him magnanimous.  “Dig up anything you can. This is going to be a great story.”

“So, you want to leave for Arnold on Monday morning?” I asked Thelma after I clicked off.

“Sounds good.  I just hope you don’t trip over any more dead bodies.”

“Yeah, according to Lorenzo, I’m the truffle pig of dead bodies.”

“I’m sure it was a compliment,” Thelma said.  “Should I drop you off at your house?”

“Thanks.  I wish I could avoid home since Dad and Momo are coming in tomorrow, but Eileen is probably pulling out her hair by now.”

And when I tapped on Eileen’s door and walked in, she did indeed have her hands in her hair.  She also had whipped cream in her hair, on her face and on the front of her T-shirt.

“What happened to you?” I asked.

She turned her glazed eyes on me.  “Dad called.  They’re only two hours away.  I’m trying to make a salad, but Tiffany asked me a question while I was whipping the cream, and I guess I was distracted.  I pulled the beater out while it was still running.  And now I think I’m getting a headache.”

“Okay, you go lie down, and I’ll finish making the salad.  What kind is it?”

“That lime gelatin one with pineapple and cottage cheese.”

“Oh, my favorite!  I know how to finish it.”

Eileen went upstairs to lie down, and I folded the whipped cream into the whipped gelatin.  The walnuts were already chopped and the pineapple and cottage cheese had been folded in.  I added the walnuts and a teaspoon of horseradish, then poured the concoction into a glass dish and put it in the fridge.  Well, that was one thing done.  I wiped down the kitchen, knowing it would have to pass Momo’s cleanliness test.  I would have to keep her away from my home.  There were times it wouldn’t pass any kind of test.  I called up the stairs to Eileen that I was going to go home, and I left.

I was halfway across the yard to my place when I saw a convoy coming up the drive, led by Jimmy’s truck.  The middle vehicle was a red Kia with a dealer plate.  And bringing up the rear was a cop car.  Jimmy got out of his truck, then Leonard got out of the Kia, which I saw had seen better days by the looks of the bumper.  It had apparently been in a wreck at one time and now looked like it was permanently frowning.

“So what’s this?” I asked when I got close.  “A parade?”

“This is your rental car,” Jimmy said indicating the Kia.  “I stopped by the body shop to take another look at your car, and they had this one ready for you.”

“Thank you,” I said.  “I appreciate it.”  I directed that at Leonard, who backed up as if afraid to get within striking distance of me.  I guess he still remembered that buggy whip.

“Do you guys want to come in for a beer?” I offered.

“They have to head back,” Jimmy said, “but I need to talk to you.”

Leonard hustled to the cop car and they took off, and Jimmy came inside with me.  I got him a beer and myself the usual Diet Coke.  I was hungry and rummaged in my pantry until I came up with a box of Little Debbie cakes, some graham crackers and a jar of peanut butter.  Nancy sat by my side, hoping for a bite.  I fixed one of the graham crackers with peanut butter and broke off a piece for her.  That kept her busy licking peanut butter off the roof of her mouth.

Jimmy still had his leather jacket on, and I was wearing a denim jacket.  It was one of those fall days that promises winter.  I realized I really liked sitting at my table with Jimmy, drinking Diet Coke and thinking about the Little Debbie cakes.

But I knew he had other things on his mind.  “Did you identify the body?” I asked.

He nodded.  “It’s Stephanie Riley.”

I was pretty sure it was when I found it, but I still felt a chill knife through me.

“Do you know how she died?”

“We think she was hit by a car.  We’re working with county on this one since the body was found so close to Kara’s house.”

“Do you know when it happened?”

“I think your timeline is right.  Probably a day or two before Kara was killed.  Stephanie’s husband was out of town in Las Vegas for a convention, and she was supposed to go to a spa in St. Louis for the week.  She never showed up, but I guess she’d done that before and the spa didn’t think anything was unusual.  Her husband is coming in today.  We had police out there notify him.  He told them he’d tried to call her a couple of times, but apparently they’d had a fight before he left and he figured she didn’t answer because she was still mad at him.”

“Do you know what the fight was about?”

“He was reluctant to say much, but police got the impression there was a third party involved.”

“He was seeing someone?”

“Or she was.  We don’t know at this point.”

“Is he a suspect then?”

“His alibi