A Body in the Trunk : Myrtle Clover Book 12

Chapter Nine

At three o'clock, Myrtle called Miles on the phone.

Miles said in a resigned voice, "I suppose you're ready to head over to the high school for the basketball game, right? I have the feeling that we're going to be scouting out Holt Kelly as well as Adelaide."

"That's right. But what's more, I think I need to escape my house," said Myrtle. "Elaine has been over here working in my yard. She has very strange landscaping ideas. Jack has a lot more talent at planting than Elaine does, and a lot more sense about where to plant things. She has one perennial smack-dab in the middle of the front yard next to a shrub she stuck there. It's not a bed, it's not a border—it's just this lone plant sitting sadly by itself. She said something about 'visual interest.'"

"Maybe it's her idea of art? Some sort of artistic yard statement?" asked Miles in a doubtful tone.

"Who knows? I think she just wanted to plant something right in the middle of my gnomes. They're so many of them in the yard right now that Elaine must have shoved two or three aside to make room."

"It's sort of sad, isn't it? Elaine always tries so hard," said Miles. "There must be something that she's good at."

"Must there be? I think she's run the gamut of hobbies. But enough of this. We need to head over to the high school," said Myrtle.

"But the game is at four o'clock. I'd rather not be there a minute early," said Miles. "I've been obsessing over the fact that we'll be on bleachers. My back will probably go into shock at sitting on something without a back to it for that long."

Myrtle said, "Then you'll be happy to know that the one good thing that came out of Elaine's visit, besides the opportunity to be with my darling, brilliant grandson, was the fact that she brought over two stadium seats. She and Red like to see games sometimes."

"I suppose that will make it bearable," said Miles.

"And if we go there early, maybe we'll have a chance to speak with Adelaide or Holt, or both of them."

Miles's voice was resigned. "If that's what we need to do."

They arrived at the high school a little too early. There was no one manning the ticket booth yet. Miles made grumbling noises and they resumed sitting in the car.

Finally, there were signs of life over in the ticket booth. They bought their tickets and walked inside where there was a school security guard with a wand to check them for weapons. When the guard spotted Myrtle and Miles, he simply waved them through without putting them through security or even checking Myrtle's bag.

Myrtle said—huffily—as she and Miles walked away, "I feel rather insulted. I could be a very dangerous person."

"You are a very dangerous person," agreed Miles. "You just happen to look very innocuous. Apparently, I do, too."

"It's ageism," said Myrtle. "I've a mind to go back there and demand that my purse be checked for weapons."

"For heaven's sake, Myrtle. Let's just get through this game without any problems, all right?" said Miles.

They walked into the gym. It was like every high school gym in America: shiny wood floor, scoreboards on either end, rows and rows of uncomfortable bleachers. The junior varsity basketball team was practicing on the floor and the cheerleaders were filing in and taking their places in the stands since there was no room on the floor for them.

They carefully made their way up the steps into the stands and set up their stadium seats. Once they were finally settled, Myrtle said, "I feel like I've stepped back in time to my teaching days. Of course, they've renovated the gymnasium since then, but I still feel like I'm here for a pep rally."