just sitting there, unsecured? Seems like a hazard to me.'
I told you Doc was grumpy. The other five dwarfs had yet to put in an appearance.
I held up my hands. 'Williams Props and Staging did the work, both here and at the Milwaukee celebration. They're the experts. Bonded and everything. The thing was connected to an air hose and weighted at its bottom.'
'Evidently.' Pavlik was nodding toward JoLynne's body. Then he looked across the stage and waved to someone. 'Gotta go see the county exec. I'll talk with both of you later.'
Doc motioned for me to move back. As I did so, Sarah joined us. I didn't bother to introduce them.
'Is Pavlik in charge?' she asked.
'Yup. Guess I should have known: ruined Brookhills County event, dead Brookhills County event planner.' I was watching JoLynne's remains being lifted on to the gurney. 'So the Brookhills County Sheriff is talking to the Brookhills County Exec.' All Brookhills, all the time.
'No, he's not. He's with Wynona Counsel.'
I turned to see Pavlik, not with Brewster, as I'd assumed, but with the Milwaukee county executive. This wouldn't have bothered me if Wynona was old and squat, but she was pretty. Not to mention younger than yours truly, noticeably taller and, probably, smarter.
I mean, who was the one running the county and who was the one running the coffee shop?
Bet I slept better, though.
Pavlik laid his hand on Wynona's arm.
Except maybe tonight. Damn Sarah for bringing up Ted's cheating.
'Pretty friendly,' my business partner observed.
The woman could read my mind. Not that I would ever admit to any of the unsavory things she might find there. 'Hey, men and women can be friends.'
'Thank you, Meg Ryan.'
The actress who played opposite Billy Crystal in When Harry Met Sally . The whole gist of the film was that Sally believed men and women could be friends without involving sex. Harry, of course, disagreed. And he . . . well, go rent the movie.
But Sarah was right. I was being stupid and I was reminded of it when I looked at Rebecca, now in Michael's arms as they watched her sister being wheeled away.
When the gurney reached Pavlik, he waved the tenders to a halt and lifted a corner of the opaque plastic sheet that covered JoLynne's body. He squinted down at her face for a count of five before dropping the cover so the coroner's people could proceed.
Wynona Counsel said something in his ear. The sheriff nodded and they moved to join Anita and Brewster Hampton. The four spoke and seemed to reach consensus on something. Anita jotted some notes, handed them to her husband and all but Wynona stepped to the podium.
Brewster looked down at his wife's notes, Pavlik and Anita standing slightly behind him and to the right.
'As you may know, I'm Brewster Hampton, Brookhills County Executive. We came here this morning, along with Milwaukee County's Wynona Counsel, to dedicate the new commuter-train serving our two counties.
'As many of you sadly witnessed, one of our ranks, event coordinator JoLynne Penn-Williams, has died in an accident. If Kevin Williams, is within the sound of my voice, please see the officer at the bottom of the stairs.
'I should stress that we don't know how JoLynne, uh . . . came to be . . . where she was, but, uh, I expect, that is . . .'
Sarah said, 'Aw, and Brew-boy was doing so well 'til now.'
I could see Anita Hampton's lips forming, 'Oh, for God's sake,' before she laid her hand on Pavlik's arm and whispered earnestly into his ear.
'Can you tell us the cause of death?' someone called out from the audience.
'No, uh . . .' Brewster continued to stammer. 'I . . . umm, thought I just said that?'
'Not exactly light – nor enlightening – on his feet, is he?' said Sarah.
'Don't worry –' me still watching his wife – 'Anita'll have him whipped into shape in no time.'
'Brewster already looks pretty whipped to me.'
I laughed, probably too loudly, given the circumstances.
Pavlik's head jerked toward me. Then he nodded to Anita,
I told you Doc was grumpy. The other five dwarfs had yet to put in an appearance.
I held up my hands. 'Williams Props and Staging did the work, both here and at the Milwaukee celebration. They're the experts. Bonded and everything. The thing was connected to an air hose and weighted at its bottom.'
'Evidently.' Pavlik was nodding toward JoLynne's body. Then he looked across the stage and waved to someone. 'Gotta go see the county exec. I'll talk with both of you later.'
Doc motioned for me to move back. As I did so, Sarah joined us. I didn't bother to introduce them.
'Is Pavlik in charge?' she asked.
'Yup. Guess I should have known: ruined Brookhills County event, dead Brookhills County event planner.' I was watching JoLynne's remains being lifted on to the gurney. 'So the Brookhills County Sheriff is talking to the Brookhills County Exec.' All Brookhills, all the time.
'No, he's not. He's with Wynona Counsel.'
I turned to see Pavlik, not with Brewster, as I'd assumed, but with the Milwaukee county executive. This wouldn't have bothered me if Wynona was old and squat, but she was pretty. Not to mention younger than yours truly, noticeably taller and, probably, smarter.
I mean, who was the one running the county and who was the one running the coffee shop?
Bet I slept better, though.
Pavlik laid his hand on Wynona's arm.
Except maybe tonight. Damn Sarah for bringing up Ted's cheating.
'Pretty friendly,' my business partner observed.
The woman could read my mind. Not that I would ever admit to any of the unsavory things she might find there. 'Hey, men and women can be friends.'
'Thank you, Meg Ryan.'
The actress who played opposite Billy Crystal in When Harry Met Sally . The whole gist of the film was that Sally believed men and women could be friends without involving sex. Harry, of course, disagreed. And he . . . well, go rent the movie.
But Sarah was right. I was being stupid and I was reminded of it when I looked at Rebecca, now in Michael's arms as they watched her sister being wheeled away.
When the gurney reached Pavlik, he waved the tenders to a halt and lifted a corner of the opaque plastic sheet that covered JoLynne's body. He squinted down at her face for a count of five before dropping the cover so the coroner's people could proceed.
Wynona Counsel said something in his ear. The sheriff nodded and they moved to join Anita and Brewster Hampton. The four spoke and seemed to reach consensus on something. Anita jotted some notes, handed them to her husband and all but Wynona stepped to the podium.
Brewster looked down at his wife's notes, Pavlik and Anita standing slightly behind him and to the right.
'As you may know, I'm Brewster Hampton, Brookhills County Executive. We came here this morning, along with Milwaukee County's Wynona Counsel, to dedicate the new commuter-train serving our two counties.
'As many of you sadly witnessed, one of our ranks, event coordinator JoLynne Penn-Williams, has died in an accident. If Kevin Williams, is within the sound of my voice, please see the officer at the bottom of the stairs.
'I should stress that we don't know how JoLynne, uh . . . came to be . . . where she was, but, uh, I expect, that is . . .'
Sarah said, 'Aw, and Brew-boy was doing so well 'til now.'
I could see Anita Hampton's lips forming, 'Oh, for God's sake,' before she laid her hand on Pavlik's arm and whispered earnestly into his ear.
'Can you tell us the cause of death?' someone called out from the audience.
'No, uh . . .' Brewster continued to stammer. 'I . . . umm, thought I just said that?'
'Not exactly light – nor enlightening – on his feet, is he?' said Sarah.
'Don't worry –' me still watching his wife – 'Anita'll have him whipped into shape in no time.'
'Brewster already looks pretty whipped to me.'
I laughed, probably too loudly, given the circumstances.
Pavlik's head jerked toward me. Then he nodded to Anita,
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