Page 41 of Killer on the First Page

Chapter Eleven

Deputy Andrew on the Case!

Back in the main room of the bookstore, the captive guests were getting restless. Word had spread of the death of Kane Hamady.

Ned entered, holding up his hands for calm. “I’m going to need everyone to give statements. Where you were, what you saw. I would also ask everyone to provide fingerprints and contact information before they leave. Officer Holly will take care of that.”

This was thrilling for the locals.We went to a boring old reception, and then someone got murdered and we got fingerprinted!Less so for the authors.

“You have no right to do that!” said Wanda Stobol. “Not without a warrant or an arrest.”

Penny Fenland nodded. “She’s correct, I’m afraid.”

It was a room full of mystery authors. They knew how this worked, had written around it numerous times.

Eyes turned to the only lawyer in the room: Atticus Lawson.

“I mainly do real estate and, erm, divorce papers,” he said. “But, um, yeah, from watching my share of Perry Mason reruns, I’d say you’d need some sort of court document to compel anyone to, er, y’know, give you their prints.”

“You are correct,” said Ned. “I cannot compel anyone to have their fingerprints taken. But there is a dead body, and I’m asking everyone here to provide their prints voluntarily to Officer Holly. We won’t keep them on file longer than the investigation takes.”

“Ha! That could take years,” said Wanda.

The studious-looking Ray Valentine, he of the rimless glasses and salt-and-pepper hair, said, “If you aren’t guilty, Wanda, you have nothing to fear.”

“Spoken like a true cop,” Wanda sneered. “A soulless, calculating, cold-hearted—”

“Enough,” said Penny. “I’ll go first.”

Officer Holly went to her patrol car to retrieve the fingerprint kit from the trunk and returned feeling very much like Compendium Cathy, even if the creator of the child sleuth was having none of it.

Wanda crossed her arms over her barrel chest. “Not doin’ it,” she said.

“Entirely your prerogative, ma’am.”

Officer Holly pulled up a pair of chairs and made space at one of the tables.“Cathy’s on the case!”she said, blurting out Compendium Cathy’s favorite catchphrase before she could stop herself, then, instantly embarrassed, growled, “Let’s go, people! We don’t have all night.”

Ned looked at the crowd, took a steadying breath for what was coming next. “Okay,” he said. “While Officer Holly takes care of that, I will need a volunteer, someone I can deputize to help with the—”

“Ooh! Ooh!”Andrew’s hand had already shot up.

Ned pretended not notice. “Edgar? How about you?”

“Pass.”

“Bea?”

She declined as well. “I’m so sorry, Ned. It sounds like fun, and I dolike to help, but it’s already late. And you know how my thoughts get jumbled up as the day goes on. I wouldn’t do a good job.”

A warm smile from Ned. “Fair enough, Bea. How about you, Mabel?”

“I ain’t no snitch.”

Andrew’s hand was now waving frantically, like the keenest kid in kindergarten, with a desperatepick me! pick me!look on his face.

“In that case... how about...” Ned scanned the room, fastened his gaze on the young reporter. “You, Scoop. Up for it? You’re a writer, I figure you’ll be perfect to interview people, record what they have to say.”

Scoop Bannister may have been an earnest young woman, and she may have been relatively new to the biz, but she was nobody’s fool.