Death at a Drop-In: Myrtle Clover #5

Chapter Four

Chapter Four 

Lucas Whitlow seemed intent on leaping across the yard and completely mucking up the crime scene. 

Fortunately, Miles was able to hold his arm and stop him. "Lucas, there's nothing you can do now. I'm so sorry. Let's go inside and call the police right away. We need to find out who did this, and treading into the crime scene won't help." 

The poor man was completely devastated, trembling all over. "Are you sure? There's no doubt.... I didn't even know we owned a croquet set. I never go out into the yard, you see. There's nothing we can do...?" He looked as if he might become ill. 

"I'm afraid not," said Myrtle shaking her head and gently motioning Lucas back toward the screened porch. "Why don't you head inside with Miles while I call Red?" 

Miles carefully led Lucas back into the house while Myrtle drew closer to the body on the ground. She wouldn't disturb the crime scene, but she'd take a couple of pictures of it for future reference. Red and the state police could be stingy with their information.  

Myrtle studied the area. She didn't see any footprints or any obvious clues. It certainly didn't appear that Cosette had put up any kind of a fight against her murderer-there were no cuts or injuries on Cosette besides the fatal blow with the mallet. There was no torn clothing. She must have come outside to speak with someone privately. The party had been so loud that the only quiet place had been the kitchen, and she couldn't count on even that being private-Cosette had seen Miles and Myrtle tramping through to get water.  

Cosette must have known her killer. Of course, in Bradley this wasn't exactly outside the realm of possibility. Everyone in the town knew each other---by sight, anyway. So maybe it was more as if Cosette knew her killer and trusted him.  

Myrtle punched in Red's number on her phone.  

"Mama?" asked Red. "Is everything all right?" 

"Not exactly, no. I'm at Cosette's drop-in...." 

Red groaned. "Oh, Mama. You're not going to ask me to make an appearance there, are you? I'm already settled in for the night with my TV show. You couldn't get me to Cosette and Lucas's party with a cattle prod." 

"Well, I'd better get out my cattle prod. Cosette is dead. She was murdered out in the yard, and Miles, Lucas, and I just discovered her." 

This time instead of a groan, there was a muttered oath. "All right, I'm coming. Let me call the state police to report it and pull my uniform back on. She was definitely murdered?" 

"No question about it. She could hardly have hit herself on the head with a croquet mallet," said Myrtle. 

"Croquet mallet?" She heard Red's heavy sigh on the other end of the phone. "I never cared for Cosette much, but she certainly didn't deserve that. All right, I'm on my way. Keep everybody away from the body-that goes for you too, Mama." 

"I wouldn't dream of interfering with a crime scene," said Myrtle with a sniff. She hung up and waited to fend off the inevitable hoard of curious partygoers. 

And it didn't happen. Myrtle raised her eyebrows. Miles must be corralling the distraught Lucas in the kitchen. He always did have a good head on his shoulders. 

In fact, the party's awareness of their hostess's body in the backyard didn't occur until Red's police car showed up at the front of the house. He didn't bother walking through the house, choosing instead to come straight around the house to the back. That was when several of the guests decided to find out where he was going. 

The next thing Myrtle knew, there was a throng of guests on the back porch, murmuring to each other in horror.  

Red, who was still talking to the state police on his phone, turned and said, "Everyone please stay inside the house. No one should leave until I've had the opportunity to speak to them." He said to Myrtle, "Mama, please back up and get on the back porch or go inside. Take a seat and I'll question you in a little bit." She must have had a look of great consternation on her face, because he said more gently, "Why don't you tell everyone inside what's happened and make sure no one leaves."