No Accounting for Murder

Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Carly sighed. Weariness was overtaking her body and mind, threatening to send her spiraling down into a dark place. That was the last thing she needed. She didn't have the time to work through that again. She had no reason to succumb to depression again. Everything in her life was good.

Everything, that is, except the death threats, the missing money, and the dead mayor.

No, she would push through this. She smiled at Denise. "I feel better already." She stood, leaning on the back of the chair for support. "My knees have stopped shaking."

"Good." Denise tugged at the hem of her shirt. "You are more fun than a concert."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Denise waggled her fingers at Carly, waving off any offense taken. "Nothing. Just means that there is never a boring moment when you're around."

"Your dad says the same thing." Carly sat again. Maybe she wasn't quite as strong as she thought. But Mike was on his way. She would be fine by the time he got here. She quirked her chin toward Mr. Daniels, who sat in a chair opposite her. "But I think we scared him to death."

The principal looked up. "I called the Sheriff. He's on his way out here." He wrung his hands together until the fingers were tangled like knots in a fishing line. "I don't want any trouble."

Carly paced the room, clapping her hands against her arms. "This all feels so much like a bad Three Stooges movie."

Denise moved to the desk, absently rearranging piles of paper. "Weren't they all pretty bad?"

Carly surprised herself when she laughed. "I guess they were. Always getting themselves into situations they should have been able to see from a mile away. And never being able to figure out how to get out of them."

Denise joined her in laughter. "They always had a convoluted plan how to fix everything."

"I wish I had any plan, convoluted or not, right now."

Denise raised her hand in a fist. "Come here, I can hit you on the head a few times. Always seemed to work for them."

The thought of Denise hitting her on the head was too funny to resist and Carly burst out laughing. And then she couldn't stop. The tension of the past two days needed to be released. Her ribs ached and her head pounded, but she allowed the emotion to drain until she leaned against the desk, physically and emotionally spent, the note gripped in her hand.

Denise patted Carly's shoulder . "I know you're worried, and you think you can handle this by yourself."

"I don't know where else to turn for help." Carly flattened the rumpled note. "He said he knows who my family is."

"Doesn't mean he does. He could be saying that to scare you."

Carly fished in her pocket and pulled out a tissue. "Well, it worked." She blew noisily into the tissue. "I hate to admit it, but I am scared."

"Bert will be here in a few minutes."

Carly shook her head. "What can he do about it? We don't know who the man is, or where to find him."

The door burst open and a frowning man, his shoulders hunched and a briefcase in one hand filled the doorway.

* * *

Mike took in the scene before him. Denise had her back to him and Carly's eyes were closed, her face stained with tears, while Denise sniffed.

He wanted answers, and he wanted them now. "Carly, what is going on here?"