My Spy 3: Murder Mayhem

Tumble

"Lucy!" I say with my hand flying up to my chest, "You startled me!"

She takes a step back and from her wide eyes, I can tell I startled her too.

"I could say the same. No one ever comes up these stairs, I thought I heard a ghost," she says with a light laugh. I glance down to her side and see the antique golf clubs nestled inside an old leather golf bag. Her eyes flit to them too and she says, "Thought I'd just toss these."

I suddenly see her face glow pink and her hand on the clubs is starting to shake. She is avoiding eye contact and everything is falling into place. My eyes run over each of the clubs and then back to her.

"Yeah, it isn't even a full set. Looks like a nine iron is missing." She still has a polite smile but her sudden frantic demeanor is giving her away. I can't believe sweet Lucy Breeland is involved in all of this. She swats her hand out and says, "Exactly. Now if you'll excuse me, I'll just take these down to the garbage and then meet y'all out back."

I have a split second to make a decision. I can pretend everything is fine and let her trot on down the steps or I can stop her from attempting to destroy evidence.

I don't move away from the door and my choice is made. Her smile falters as I stare at her and reply, "I can't let you do that, Mrs. Lucy. I'm sorry."

She shakes her head in confusion.

"Why not?"

She is still looking to me with her eyebrows furrowed on her pink face. I slowly reply, "I think you know why. I think you know that the police are interested in those clubs."

"These clubs? What for?" She shrieks. I can tell she's not genuinely confused. I can tell that she is flustered and panicking that I won't let her by me. I'm not going to let her play dumb when I know Lucy Breeland is anything but dumb.

"Lucy, Poppy was hit in the head with a golf club. My guess is it came from that set. But I am thinking you already knew that," I tell her and I watch as her eyes bulge from her head. She frantically shakes her head against my accusation.

"What are you implying, Sawyer? I had no idea that that's how Poppy died."

I know she's lying. She's shrill and I can see the sweat at her dark hairline.

"Why are you helping him, Mrs. Lucy? Let Arthur take the fall," I tell her and she stops shaking her head and looks to me. I watch another flicker of confusion cross her face before she asks, "Take the fall for what, Sawyer?"

"I know he was embezzling from the society; I know Poppy found out and I know he killed her to keep quiet. What I don't know, is why you are helping him?" I ask her and she purses her thin red lips together. She seems to have aged ten years just standing here in front of me. I can see the stress written all over her face. She doesn't answer me, she just says, "I need to get these downstairs Sawyer, please move out of my way."

"I'm not moving Lucy. Those clubs need to be handed over to the police. They already know they are here; they already saw you move them upstairs it's over. I caught you red-handed."

I watch as something dark washes over her face and suddenly her kind eyes are evil. She grins a wicked grin and then says, "The cameras may have seen me move them upstairs. But they didn't see who stole them."

"I did, I saw you," I snap at her and the way she is looking at me now makes me feel sick. Her panic has subsided and she's figured out something. I put my hand on the door frame to block her but I don't have a solid grip. I go to push past her when she says, "No you didn't."

Suddenly she shoves me hard with all of her weight. I wasn't prepared to be thrown backward so I don't have anything to grip on to. My feet stumble behind the threshold and I wait for the impact of the stairs. I watch my feet go up and into the air as my arms flail out trying to grab onto something.