Death on a Deadline

hand to my mouth. “His wallet.”
    Carly sobbed. “He’s been murdered. They want to question Zac.”
    My mind raced as we flew down the road to our parents’ house. My sixteen-year-old nephew couldn’t hurt someone if his life depended on it. But surely no one in Lake View was capable of murder. Some vagrant must have stumbled into our safe little town, decided to lift Hank’s wallet, and gotten carried away. We all knew the editor and owner of the Lake View Monitor walked home from the newspaper office every night through the park. Maybe he’d surprised some bum on a bench. Knowing Hank, he probably shook him awake and demanded he stop loitering. But still my heart ached that the grouchy old man was dead.
    Had the dog gotten the wallet from the murderer? Or from Hank’s body in the park? The park. The mystery of the park’s yellow tape was solved, but why question Zac? A paperboy. “Wait a minute, Carly. If Hank’s been murdered, it’s only natural they’d want to talk to his employees, right?”
    She looked at me as if I had two heads. “You think that’s it? That they’re talking to all the people who work at the newspaper?”
    “I’m sure of it.”
    She sank back against the seat and covered her face with her hands. “I was afraid that they’d found out about Atlanta.”
    I eased the car into the Stafford Cabins entryway and gasped. A black-and-white patrol car sat in the driveway. Flashing blue lights imprinted the surreal scene in my mind as two police officers started toward us. Ed and Seth, just a couple of locals with badges. Seth I knew especially well since he was the cop who’d gone out with me, hoping to get a free membership to the health club. Still, we hadn’t ended on bad terms. Surely they didn’t need blue lights to ask Zac some questions.
    Daddy stood with his arm around Mama, and the twins huddled against them.
    I squeezed Carly’s arm. “Don’t think the worst. Let’s just pray.”
    Carly peeked between her fingers. “Oh Lord, please help us. Hasn’t Zac been through enough? Haven’t we all?”
    I breathed a prayer of my own as Zac pulled in right behind us.
    The policemen marched past us to Zac’s jeep. Carly and I erupted out of her car in time to hear Ed ask Zac to step out of the vehicle.
    “We need to ask you some questions about your relationship with Hank Templeton.”
    “Like what?” Zac’s voice shook, but he stepped out onto the gravel. My heart thudded against my ribcage as we followed the officers up to the porch.
    “Hank’s been murdered,” Carly blurted, then gasped as Ed gave her a hard glare.
    “Son, where were you this morning around four thirty?” he asked.
    “He was at work.” Carly’s voice cracked.
    Ed glared at her again and an ashen-faced Zac looked at the ground. Flashback to an adorable four-year-old ducking his head when his mom asked if he’d put crayons in the VCR. This was so not good. I knew Zac didn’t kill Hank, but he looked so guilty.
    “Is that true?” Ed kept his gaze on Zac.
    Zac slowly shook his head. “I was just drivin’ around town.”
    Carly dug her fingernails into my arm. “Zac?” She sounded like she’d been sucking helium. “What about your paper route?”
    “Hank fired me three days ago, Mom. I’m sorry.” My nephew, who hadn’t even cried when he broke his collarbone, swiped tears from his cheeks.
    Carly put her hand over her mouth, but her eyes screamed.
    Ed frowned. “So, let me get this straight. You didn’t have a job anymore, but you still left home before daylight?”
    Like we were all attached at the neck by a wire, our heads swiveled toward Zac. Please let him have a good explanation.
    “I figured Mr. Templeton might get over it in a few days and let me come back to work, then I wouldn’t hafta tell my mom.” As dumb as that sounded, I’m sure it made perfect sense to a sixteen-year-old. He’d probably thought Carly would make him quit his golf lessons.
    “Witnesses say you had a loud argument with Mr. Templeton when he fired you. Is that true?” Seth shot me an apologetic glance. In spite of our one disastrous date, he practically lived at t he club. And paid his own way.
    Zac nodded.
    “I’m afraid you’re going to have to go downtown with us to answer some more questions.” Officer Ed Arnett looked like he’d rather be in the dentist chair than on Mama and Daddy’s front porch. He turned to Carly. “You’ll have to come, too, since he’s a minor.”
    Carly