Murder of a Creped Suzette

Skye took a swallow of her mimosa, then told him about Suzette’s mother. When she finished, she narrowed her eyes and said, “Tell me the truth. You probably think I shouldn’t agree to do it.”

“I don’t see any reason not to take the case. If it seemed like a plausible accident, there wouldn’t have been an autopsy or much investigation.” He reached over and squeezed her hand. “And I knew when we started dating that you weren’t the kind of person who could turn down a request for help.”

“You are so sweet.” Skye couldn’t stop herself from comparing Wally to her ex-boyfriend Simon Reid, who would have blown a gasket if she had told him she was going to nose around in something that wasn’t any of her business. “Have I told you lately how much I love and appreciate you?”

“Not today.” Wally gave her a one-armed hug and kiss that promised more when they were alone.

CHAPTER 6

“Harper Valley PTA”

Mmm. Skye sighed contentedly and snuggled between the smooth cotton sheets. Struggling not to wake up, she kept her eyes closed and reveled in the touch of Wally’s strong fingers on her body. She felt a twinge of disappointment when his hands withdrew, then shivered when she felt the warmth of his breath on her ear.

Wally’s lips brushed hers, a teasing promise that finally forced Skye fully awake. His brown eyes sizzled with heat that burned through her core, and she moaned. Immediately his mouth covered hers and he pulled her hard against him.

After they made love, they fell back asleep, and the next thing Skye knew, sunlight was pouring through the gap in the drapes. She checked the clock on the nightstand. Crap! It was ten after seven. She had exactly twenty minutes to get dressed, drive to school, and sign in before she was officially late.

She nudged Wally awake, leaped from the bed, and sprinted into the bathroom, shouting over her shoulder, “I thought you said you set the alarm.”

Her shriek as she stepped into the cold shower drowned out his reply. Five minutes later, when she rushed back into the bedroom, Wally had disappeared. Grateful that she now kept some clothes at Wally’s house, she pulled on an aqua blouse and a black twill pantsuit, then shoved her feet into black loafers. With a quick glance in the mirror, she twisted her damp hair into a knot on the top of her head. There was no time to do her face or have breakfast, and the enticing aroma of brewing coffee nearly made her whimper with frustration.

Dashing through the kitchen, Skye thrust her hand into her tote bag, searching for her keys. Thank goodness they had picked up her car and parked it at Wally’s house after returning from Oak Brook.

Wally tried to hand her a commuter cup as she ran by, but she was moving too fast to grab it. He called after her, “Sorry about the alarm. Maybe I turned it off in my sleep.”

“Whatever,” Skye muttered. She had other things to worry about right now. Like the three principals evaluating her performance. And at the moment, she couldn’t remember if she was supposed to be at the grade school or high school first. Luckily the two buildings were close.

While she drove in their general direction, she flipped through her calendar and discovered she was due at the elementary. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw her first appointment wasn’t until eight.

Skye squealed into the parking lot at seven twenty-seven, took the first available spot, bolted out of the Chevy, and jogged to the entrance. Using her key, she let herself in and made a beeline for the office. As she signed the attendance book, she checked the clock. Seven thirty on the dot.

Phew! That was close. Caroline Greer was the nicest of the three principals Skye worked for, but she would definitely be upset if there was a problem she needed the school psychologist for and Skye wasn’t available.

Though Caroline was the nicest principal, she had provided the worst office space for Skye. It had started out as a storage room for the dairy refrigerator and other cafeteria supplies, and still smelled like sour milk.

After unlocking the door, Skye squeezed past the pair of folding chairs occupying two-thirds of the floor space, edged behind her desk, and settled into her seat. She rummaged in her tote bag until she found her makeup case, then hastily applied a dusting of bronzer, a couple coats of mascara, and pale peach lip gloss.

Checking her watch, she saw she didn’t have time to get a cup of coffee before her consultation with the PE teacher, so she tucked her purse into the drawer and pulled out the teacher’s file. Skye’s body cried out for caffeine. She sighed. The day hadn’t even started and she already felt stressed. Which was exactly why she hated running late.

Considering that the gym teacher didn’t like Skye, and didn’t agree with the educational philosophy she was urging him to follow, the discussion went well. They were just finishing up when there was a knock on the door.