Murder on the Ballot, Myrtle Clover #17

Chapter Three

Myrtle, Miles, and Wanda walked out of the town hall and Miles said, "I guess you know what you'll be doing the rest of the day."

"What we'll be doing the rest of the day. After all, I'm with my campaign team."

Miles and Wanda looked glumly at each other.

Myrtle said, "I think we should go to the Bradley Bugle office first. I need to make sure the paper covers my campaign."

Miles said slowly, "But you aren't technically a candidate yet. You have to return the paperwork with the signatures by the deadline."

"Once you, Wanda, and Sloan sign the document, I'll be nearly halfway there," said Myrtle with a sniff.

Miles and Wanda followed Myrtle into the dimly lit newsroom at the local newspaper. Myrtle had a helpful hints column there and sometimes wrote crime stories, and Wanda gave extremely detailed horoscopes for the paper. Sloan was the editor and another former student of Myrtle's. He jumped up from his desk when he spotted her coming in. Every time Myrtle was around, Sloan somehow reverted back to high school, although his high school days were far behind him.

"Miss Myrtle," he said, shoving a pile of paper away from him as if disassociating himself from the clutter that engulfed him. He peered closer and said, "Goodness, and Wanda and Miles, too. Come on in and have a seat."

Myrtle came closer, but didn't take a seat. The seats in the Bradley Bugle office were all very unreliable in a variety of ways. They were swivel chairs that made surprising moves when one was sitting in them and they squeaked horribly. "We're just popping in for a few minutes, but thanks."

"More of a quick visit, then?" Sloan looked nervous. "Well, all right. It's good to see you." He paused. "There hasn't been some sort of murder that you want to write up, has there?"

Myrtle's son wasn't a fan of Myrtle being a crime reporter, a fact Sloan was well-aware of. Somehow, Myrtle seemed to get the scoop whenever a murder had occurred in the small town and managed to write a front-page story. It made Red very unhappy and Sloan always ended up hearing about it.

"Heavens, no," said Myrtle. "Sometimes I have other important articles for you, Sloan. As it happens, I have a tip for you today."

"Well, good, good," said Sloan, reaching back into the teetering pile of papers to find a notebook. "That's very helpful, Miss Myrtle. What have you got?" He poised a stubby pencil over the ratty-looking notebook.

Myrtle drew herself up to her full almost-six-feet height. "I'm running for office."

Sloan's jaw dropped and he quickly snapped it back when he saw Myrtle's eyes narrow. "For president?"

"Certainly not, Sloan! For local office, of course. Town council, as a matter of fact."

Sloan looked worried. "Have you told Red about this?"

"No, but he'll be able to read about it in the newspaper like everyone else. That's what a newspaper is for, you know. To spread news." Myrtle gave him a look as if an editor of a newspaper should be able to grasp that concept.

Miles gave a muffled sound that might very well have been a laugh as Wanda watched the proceedings with a steady gaze.

"Well, okay," said Sloan a bit gravely. "That is news. You're kind of a late contender, then, aren't you?"

Myrtle nodded. "I got fed up only this morning and Miles had the brilliant suggestion that I should run for office myself."

Miles gave Sloan an apologetic look, feeling rather guilty that he'd inflicted Myrtle on the local government and its citizens.