Ray Elkins mystery - 02 - Color Tour Read Online Free PDF Page B

unnoticed.
    “I’m afraid I have some very bad news,” Warrington started, his voice breaking, “some very bad news, indeed.” All eyes were fixed on him. “This morning the bodies of Ashleigh Allen and David Dowd were found on the beach at… ”
    A sorrowful moan reverberated through the room and hung for several long moments.
    “Drowned?” came a voice from the group.
    “No. They were… they… were,” Warrington struggled to say the word and couldn’t. “This is Sheriff Elkins, many of you know him, and Deputy Lawrence. They will tell you more about… about the… deaths. He is asking for your help. Sheriff.” Warrington moved to the side of the lectern.
    Elkins looked out at the stunned, lamenting faces. “The bodies of Ms. Ashleigh Allen and Mr. David Dowd were found this morning at a Lake Michigan beach. They had been murdered,” he paused to allow his words to sink in. “We are in the early stages of a homicide investigation, and we need your help. Mr. Warrington has given us the use of the staff conference room. We’re interested in talking with anyone who saw Ms. Allen or Mr. Dowd yesterday or in the last few days, especially Saturday. Do you know anyone who might want to hurt either one of these individuals? If you have any information, please see us immediately.”
    “Certainly it must have been a stranger who did this,” a frail woman with thin gray hair offered.
    “It’s too early in the investigation to know,” Ray answered. “We will be checking all leads. But again, if you can, help us establish where Allen and Dowd were on Saturday. We’re attempting to track their movements, trying to determine who they were with, and who they might have encountered. And we would appreciate hearing anything else you think might be helpful to the investigation.”
    A tall, sixtyish man in a red cardigan said, “Bob Kamm, sheriff. I’m one of the house parents. You don’t think there’s any danger to the students, do you?”
    “We have no reason to believe they are in danger; but obviously, until we get to the bottom of this, every precaution should be taken.”
    “How did they die?” asked a solid woman, whose youthful face contrasted with her steel gray hair.
    “We should probably follow Bob’s example and identify ourselves,” said Warrington. “This is Ms. McAndless, an English teacher.”
    “We’re not ready to discuss that yet.”
    “And there’s no possibility that… ” McAndless stopped.
    “Possibility?” Ray prompted her.
    “… that this was an accident?”
    “I’m sorry. There is no possibility. Are there other questions?” Ray waited, looking at the stunned gathering.
    The teachers and staff members were quiet. Finally McAndless asked, “Could you tell us again where they were found?”
    “At South Dune, north of the park.”
    “That was one of Ashleigh’s favorite places,” McAndless responded in a soft voice. “She liked to take her students there. She liked to picnic there. Who would have imagined that… ” Her voice trailed off as she struggled with the information.
    “Do any of you remember seeing her yesterday?” Ray asked the crowd.
    “Yesterday was a free day,” Warrington answered. “We usually have classes on Saturday morning. But because of the home soccer game and other activities, the students were given the morning off. We announced it at dinner on Friday.” He looked at Ray as he continued his explanation. “We do this occasionally. It takes the pressure off the kids, I think most of them sleep till noon.”
    “I warned you,” a small man from the back of the room cried out suddenly, his face crimson. All heads turned in his direction. “This tragedy was waiting to happen and none of you knee-jerk liberals could deal with it. We all knew something like this would take place. It’s time to face the music.”
    There was a long silence and an uneasy stirring in the room after the outburst. Finally Warrington addressed the group.