The Candy Cane Cupcake Killer Read Online Free PDF Page A

her shoulders and drew her against him.
    â€œYou can talk to the funeral-home people in the morning,” Whitmire told them. “There’ll be plenty of time.”
    He is right about that, Phyllis thought. It would probably be at least several days before McCrory’s body was released, since it would take that long for the autopsy and the other parts of the forensics investigation to be carried out.
    The police officer ushered them away from the carriage. Whitmire turned back to the vehicle and said to its visibly shaken passenger, “I’ll need to get a statement from you, too, Mr. Loomis.”
    Even under these circumstances, the politician’s natural arrogance asserted itself. Loomis said, “You know who I am, don’t you, Chief?”
    â€œYes, sir, I do. I still need a statement from you.”
    â€œThis has been very upsetting—”
    â€œWe won’t keep you any longer than we have to.” Whitmire motioned another officer over to them and spoke briefly to him, telling him to escort Loomis to the station.
    â€œBut . . . but I’m dressed like Santa Claus!” Loomis objected. “This is humiliating.”
    That protest didn’t do any good. He went off with the second officer.
    Phyllis asked Whitmire, “Are you going to put us in the back of a patrol car, too, Chief?”
    â€œNo, I don’t think that’s necessary.” He pointed with his thumb at Sam’s pickup. “This is your vehicle, Mr. Fletcher?”
    â€œYep.”
    â€œYou can take it down to the station as soon as my officers get the street cleared enough to turn it around. Just let whoever’s working the reception counter know when you get there, and they’ll pass the word to me.”
    Carolyn said, “It sounds to me like a gathering of the suspects.”
    â€œHardly,” Whitmire said. “Oh, and one more thing.”
    â€œAnd now he sounds like Columbo,” Carolyn muttered.
    Whitmire pretended not to hear her. He said, “Where are those cupcakes you were talking about?”
    â€œThey’re in the pickup,” Phyllis said. “I suppose you want me to bring them in so they can be analyzed.”
    â€œNo, actually. I was thinking that maybe you might not mind if we ate some of them,” Whitmire said. “I don’t think I’ve heard of candy cane cupcakes before, but they sound really good.”
    â€¢Â Â Â â€¢Â Â Â â€¢
    The police department was on Santa Fe Drive, which ran parallel to and several blocks east of South Main Street, where the Christmas parade had been scheduled to take place. Once Sam was able to move his pickup, it wouldn’t take long for him and Phyllis to get there.
    As Sam drove, Phyllis said, “I’m sorry about your friend. Mr. McCrory seemed like a nice man.”
    â€œHe was. Barney McCrory was a real charmer . . . when he wanted to be.”
    That comment made Phyllis cock an eyebrow. She said, “I take that to mean there were times when he wasn’t that way.”
    â€œYou should’ve heard some of the cussin’-outs I got when Barney didn’t agree with the way I was playin’ his little girl on the basketball team. After some games, it felt like he spent an hour in my face, tellin’ me what a lousy coach I was.” Sam shrugged. “Maybe he was right.”
    â€œI highly doubt that,” Phyllis said.
    â€œI never really held it against him, though,” Sam went on. “Shoot, if you’re a good parent, you can’t help but get involved with your kid’s life at school, whether it’s academics or athletics.”
    â€œYes, but some of them get a little
too
involved,” Phyllis pointed out.
    â€œYeah, no doubt about that. Barney never crossed the line about Allyson and the team, though. Not
too
much, anyway. And that was just his way. He was like that about plenty of other things. Hard