Give First Place to Murder Read Free Page B

gloves. Now he stopped, a glove dangling from his hand, to stare at Susannah.
    “ She couldn’t make it much clearer.” Irma sat up straighter, color once again in her cheeks. “He’s dead, and in my feed room. How did you come to hire him, anyway?”
    It was Bryce’s turn to look gray. “He was available, and besides, you know ---,” he said evasively. He looked down at the glove, finished removing it, and crunched both of them in his hand.
    “ Bryce needed somebody,” the girl said. She once more tried to cling to Bryce’s arm, but he absentmindedly brushed her off. “He hasn’t had anyone to help him since Miguel died. I volunteered, but you wouldn’t let me.” She thrust her chin out, and the expression in her pale blue eyes was sullen.
    “ I’m aware of how much help Bryce has, Stephanie,” Irma said. “That is not the issue.”
    Bryce turned to look down the barn aisle, slapping his gloves against his leg, staring at all the activity. Not only had the coroner’s car arrived, so had half the show grounds. There were people everywhere, staring, gawking, asking questions that went unanswered. A uniformed officer I didn’t recognize dragged out several sawhorses, from where I had no idea, and yellow tape was being strung up across the barn aisle below where we waited. Another one was trying to clear the area, asking people to move along, without much success. A loudspeaker blared, “Class 42, four year old mares, you’re next”. It was a lot more effective than the policeman. People drifted away toward the grandstand, still casting curious glances at the activity behind the yellow tape. A man dressed in show clothes was arguing with the officer, yelling that he had to get past, his horse was down that aisle and he was going to miss his class. The officer looked at him blankly. “This is a crime scene, mister. Your horse will have to wait.” The man uttered a four letter word, actually several of them, and ran off, evidently looking for some higher authority.
    “ That’s Mariah’s class,” Susannah said forlornly.
    Irma looked at her, then down the barn aisle. “Yes,” was all she said.
    “ These horse show people take this stuff seriously,” I murmured to Pat, as I moved my chair closer to hers.
    “ In more ways than one,” she agreed. “I told you going anywhere at eight o’clock on a Saturday morning could be hazardous to our health.”
    “ It’s been hazardous, all right,” I said, “but not to us. Unless you count fright, trauma, and damn near nervous collapse.”
    Pat examined me carefully over the top of her dark glasses. “Not to mention anger igniting a touch of righteous indignation.”
    I knew she was referring to Dan, his peculiar behavior, and my reaction to it.
    “ What are they doing down there?” I said, changing the subject to one less personal. “There’s the ambulance, and that car says ‘coroner.” I wonder how long before they remove the body?”
    “ I’ve no idea. Why is that man brushing the door?”
    I peered down the barn aisle. A man in a light tan suit was squatting in front of the feed room door, doing something with tape and a fine brush. “Fingerprints,” I told Pat. I hadn’t spent the last six months with the Chief of Police for nothing.
    It wasn’t the police activity that held Pat’s attention. It was the girl beside Bryce. “Who is she?” Pat asked me, echoing my low tone.
    “ Never saw her before,” I said.
    “ Sturdy type,” she said thoughtfully. “Do you suppose she’s his girlfriend?”
    I was briefly amused. Neil, Pat’s son, had arranged this summer job for Susannah. They had been like a couple of magnets since the day they met, with our complete approval. Was Pat wondering if Susannah’s exposure to the beautiful Bryce was a good idea? I didn’t think Neil, or Pat, had a thing to worry about, but I took another look at the girl.
    “ She doesn’t exactly seem his type,” I agreed. The baggy tee shirt, somewhat