No Accounting for Murder

Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Carly stared at the receiver, hearing the syllables, understanding the words, but not comprehending what the woman just told her. Surely this was some sick practical joke. At the very least, a case of mistaken identity.

Finally, she found her voice again. "What do you mean? You can't be serious. I talked to him yesterday. And when I saw him in Riverdale earlier today, he looked well enough to me."

Carly remembered her last sighting of the mayor as he hurried to his car and drove away, right before she nearly ended up in the river. He was definitely alive and well this morning. Alive, at any rate.

Miss Cook's voice was low. "Carly, the Sheriff is investigating. They're here now, going through his appointment book, asking about his personal life. I mean-" Another sniffle. "What do I know about his personal life? I thought he was happy. Didn't you?"

"What are you talking about? How did he die?"

Carly pressed the receiver to her ear. Miss Cook was practically whispering. She turned at a touch on her shoulder. Denise tilted her head to one side in puzzlement. Carly lifted one eyebrow to acknowledge the unspoken question then turned her attention back to the phone and Miss Cook's response.

"They think the mayor killed himself. I can't believe it myself." Miss Cook's voice broke again as she sniffled into the phone. "Why would he kill himself? He wasn't worried about anything. At least I don't think he was."

Carly had no ready response. She recalled the past few days, remembering her brief meetings with the mayor. She didn't have any specific reason to think he might have been worried. Except, of course, he didn't want to answer her questions. He succeeded in avoiding her for the last couple of days. But surely a few questions about what was going on out at the MacQuarrie estate wouldn't be enough to kill himself over.

While she waited for Miss Cook to continue, the door to the office opened quietly and Mr. Daniels stuck his head in. Carly motioned with her free hand for him to come in.

Miss Cook's voice broke into her thoughts. "Then again, he did seem a mite concerned about you dogging him all over town."

"I didn't 'dog' him. I wanted to ask him a few questions, that's all."

"I suppose a person could feel harassed about that."

Broken up one minute, laying the blame on me the next. Time to change the subject. "Why does the Sheriff think it was a suicide?"

At the word 'suicide', Denise and Mr. Daniels looked at her, alarm apparent in their expressions. She smiled, trying to let them know everything was under control. When it really wasn't.

"They found a note, that's why. He wrote a note and then he drove his car over the cliff up near the Bear Cove Pass. I've always said that stretch of highway was too close to the ravine and should have been built further back, but nobody would listen to me. That pass always gave me the heebie-jeebies."

"Miss Cook, it wouldn't have mattered where the pass was built. If someone wants to drive over a cliff they will." Hearing Miss Cook's sharp intake of air, Carly regretted her harsh words. She tried to inject a note of contriteness into her voice. "I'm sorry, Miss Cook. I shouldn't have said that. Is there anything I can do to help?"

"I think you've done enough, thank you." The sharp bang indicated Miss Cook had hung up the receiver.

A little harder than was really necessary, in Carly's estimation.

She turned to face Denise and Mr. Daniels, who both stood beside her listening to Carly's end of the conversation.

Denise spoke first. "Who is dead?"