A Baked Ham Read Free

figured that there was no way
either one of them could have gone backstage without a dozen people recognizing
them, so I thought that they’d both be safe.”
    “Don’t worry about it, Greg,” I
said.   “Neither one of them did it, so
you’re right.   The quicker they talk to
the sheriff, the better off everyone will be.”   I pointed to the mass of people jamming up the rear of the
auditorium.   “Sheriff, we helped
you.   Can you return the favor and let us
out a side door so we don’t have to go through that?”
    “I don’t see why not,” he
said.   “Follow me.” After a few steps, he
hesitated, and then the sheriff turned to look back at us.   “One thing, though.   I don’t want either one of you calling them
to warn them that I’m coming.”
    “We promise not to do that, but
you can’t keep us from tagging along with you,” Greg said.   “I owe them at least that after I told you
where they might be.”
    The sheriff just shook his head,
but he didn’t say no, so I was going to take that as a strong yes.   Once we were outside and in our car following
the police cruiser to the diner, Greg asked, “Are you sure that you’re not
upset with me for giving the sheriff an idea where he might look for your
grandparents?”
    “Don’t beat yourself up about it,
Greg.   He would have thought of it
himself in another five minutes,” I said as I patted his hand.   “No one’s going to be upset.”
    Greg laughed.   “Have you even met your grandfather, Victoria?”
    I smiled slightly.   “Well, he won’t be upset about just that,” I said.   “I figure tonight he’s going to have enough
mad to go around for everyone.”
    “True,” my husband said.  
    We pulled into the diner’s
parking lot just as the sheriff got out of his cruiser.   The place was supposed to be dark and closed
down at that time of night, but instead, we found that the lights were all on.   Inside, Martha was on a barstool, and Moose was
standing on the other side of the counter, sipping a cup of coffee.   They looked for all the world like a pair
without a trouble between them, but I knew better.   Things were about to happen pretty quickly,
and I hated that we were about to interrupt the last moment of peace either one
of them was going to have for awhile.
    “Let me handle this,” the sheriff
said as we approached the door together.
    “Hang on one second.   I’ll unlock the door for you,” I said as I
reached for my keys.
    “There’s no need to do that,”
Greg said.   “Moose is coming.”
    My grandfather opened the door,
and there was a quizzical expression on his face.   “What’s going on?   Is the play over already?”
    “Somebody killed Benny in his
dressing room at the theater,” I said, not meaning to just blurt out the news
like that.
    “What happened to letting me
handle it?” the sheriff asked softly.   It
was pretty clear that he was angry about my outburst, but I couldn’t just let
Moose and Martha be ambushed like that without at least knowing what had
happened.   “You need to leave, Victoria.”
    “She’s not going anywhere,” Greg
said, “and neither am I.”   He then turned
to my grandfather and said, “Moose, I told the sheriff that you’d probably be
here.   I figured the sooner we got this
foolishness over with, the better.   I’m
sorry if I let you down.”
    My grandfather put a friendly
hand on Greg’s shoulders.   “Nothing to
apologize for, Son.   You did the right
thing.”
    I could see the relief flood
through Greg.   Moose’s opinion meant a
great deal to him.
    My grandfather pulled his hand
away, and then he turned to Sheriff.   “Now, what’s this about Benny, Sheriff?   Surely you don’t think that I killed the man.”
    “I’m just gathering information
right now.   Do either one of you happen
to have an alibi for the past forty-five minutes?” Sheriff Croft asked.
    Moose laughed, which was not the
reaction I’d been expecting.