Dead Wrong

The first of those was a professionally shot pose of Lisa Marie and Bradley Evans, a picture that might well have been used for a wedding a

In the back of the wallet she found twenty-three dollars, and in the snap-closing change compartment, she found another dollar’s worth of change.

“Whatever the motive for Lisa Marie’s murder,” Joa

Thoughtfully she picked up all the items and returned them to the box, lingering for a long moment over the evidence log before she put that away as well.

“You’ll make sure Ernie and Jaime see all this?”

“You bet.”

“Speaking of which,” Joa

“They called in and said they were working,” Frank replied. “Something about getting a search warrant so they can go through Bradley Evans’s apartment down in Douglas.”

“What about San Simon?” Joa

“I’ve got three cars scheduled to go there late this afternoon to hang out and sort of get the lay of the land.”

“Good,” Joa

Frank had been revising the schedule sheet. Now he put down his pen and studied Joa

“Yup,” Joa

“We can’t afford to have an armed confrontation with those guys.”

“Don’t I know it,” Joa

“Got it,” Frank said.

His phone rang just then, and Frank reached to answer it. “Sure,” he said after a moment. “She’s right here. Hold on.” Frank covered the mouth and turned to Joa

“My office,” Joa

Butch’s greeting was something less than cordial. “What are you doing at work? I thought you promised to take it easy this weekend.”

“I am taking it easy,” she countered. “I came here to wait for Je

“Oh,” Butch said, sounding somewhat mollified. “I forgot all about the car wash. So you’re not working.”

“Not really,” Joa

“I’ve met a bunch of interesting people,” he said. “And I’ve gone to several panels. Even though they all write murder mysteries, the authors seem to have all different kinds of ideas about how to do that job. And the woman I told you about yesterday, the one who was so upset because I had review copies of my book here and she didn’t?”

“What was her name again?” Joa

“Christina Hanson. It turns out she’s a pretty decent person after all. We had breakfast together this morning. It’s like we’re all in the freshman class of the writing business.”

“So you’re having a good time?”

“Yes, and I’m very glad to be here,” Butch answered. “Thanks for encouraging me to come. Sometimes, when I’m working away all by myself, I feel like some kind of freak. The good thing about being here at the conference is that I’m finding out there are a whole lot of other freaks just like me, and they are going to like my book. Now tell me about you. How are you feeling?”

“Pregnant,” Joa

“Do you want me to come home tonight?” Butch asked. “There are a couple of panels I wanted to see tomorrow, but if you’d rather I came home…”

“No, Butch,” she said. “You signed up for the conference and I want you to stay for the whole thing.”

“Maybe you and Je

“I’m not all by myself,” Joa

“No,” Butch said. “I don’t suppose you could.”

“I’m a big girl,” Joa

“Right,” Butch said. “And I didn’t mean that you weren’t.”

But it is what you said, Joa

They talked a while longer, but Joa

“I’m ready to go home,” Je

“How was it?”

“Great,” Je

It was nearing four when they turned off High Lonesome Road and onto the rough dirt track that led to the house. As usual, the three dogs came out to the road to greet them and race them into the yard. The only problem was, when Joa

The door opened and Joa

“Oh, no!” Je

Joa

“No,” Joa

“What do you think?” Margaret returned. “You don’t think Donald and I would miss the arrival of our very first grandchild, do you? I mean, better late than never.”

“Did Butch know you were coming?” Joa

“Of course not. It’s a surprise.”

It’s a surprise, all right, Joa

“Where is he, by the way?” Margaret Dixon continued. “Him being a house husband and all, I thought for sure he’d be here.”

“He’s in El Paso at a conference,” Joa

And I’ll be damned if I’ll call him and ask him to come home early!