War and Peas

Caspar Snellen?“ Jane asked. “Vague. Looking around the fair,“ Mel replied. “Could be true.“
    “And Whitney Abbot?“ Shelley asked sharply.
    Mel smiled. “Your personal favorite, I take it?”
    Shelley shrugged.
    “Says he arrived a few minutes before the reenactment, but had misunderstood the time it was to happen and sat in his car doing some paperwork. Had the engine running, windows up, and air-conditioning on full blast. Says he didn’t even hear the battle. Claims the first he knew there was something wrong was when the ambulance and police cars arrived. And that, too, could be true.“
    “I must say I’m surprised at how well you’re taking all this,“ Jane commented.
    “I’m only second in command,“ Mel said. “It’s nice for a change.“
    “The guy with the food poisoning’s back on the job?“ Jane asked.
    “Home. Sticking close to his bathroom. Trying to run a murder investigation by phone. I wouldn’t trade places with him for anything.“
    “What about the incident today, with Regina’s office?“ Shelley asked.
    “Don’t know much of anything yet. Babs and Sharlene are trying to put everything back together and figure out if anything’s missing. I’ve got to go back there in a little while. But Sharlene said there wasn’t anything obviously gone. Regina’s most important papers were accounted for before I left.“
    “What could someone have been searching for?“ Jane mused. “Or was it a search rather than plain old vandalism?“
    “Looked to me like a search. There were lots of things that could easily have been broken or torn up, but weren’t.“
    “It must be connected to her murder,“ Shelley said.
    Mel shook his head. “Not necessarily. Maybe someone saw the fact that the office was unoccupied as an opportunity to grab something they didn’t want anyone else to know about.“
    “Like what?“ Shelley asked.
    “Oh, suppose someone had written a letter of complaint about one of the employees or volunteers. Regina might have called the accused person on the carpet and said, ‘Straighten up or I show this to the board.’ “
    Shelley nodded. “I guess that’s possible. So who could have been in there, unnoticed?“
    “Nearly anyone,“ Mel said. “The last time anyone admits to being in that office was Sharlene, first thing in the morning. She says nothing was disturbed then and she’s fairly certain she locked it back up, but not positive. And even if she did, the keys were hanging on that board all day. Makes you wonder why they bother with keys.“
    “Still, it must have taken nerves of steel to go in there during the day with people roaming around,“ Jane said. “If somebody had walked in on the search, how could it have been explained?“
    “At least one person involved with the museum has already proved to have pretty good nerves,“ Mel reminded her. “Committing murder in front of an audience.”

Twelve

    Jane and Shelley arrived at the museum early the next morning, determined to accomplish a lot of work. Sharlene was the only one there. Today she wore a hot-pink floral dress that turned her hair to glorious flame. “Wow!“ Jane said. “You’re gorgeous. I’d give anything to have your coloring!”
    Sharlene blushed. “I don’t feel gorgeous. I’m exhausted.“
    “You were here late last night?“
    “Until eleven. I got Regina’s office straightened up. The policewoman with me helped a lot.“
    “What was missing?“ Shelley asked.
    “Nothing that I could tell. The police dusted for fingerprints, which made more of a mess to clean up.“
    “Did they say whose prints they found?“ Jane asked.
    “Oh, everyone’s. Regina’s office was always open to the staff. She didn’t consider it all that private and everybody was in and out all the time.“
    “That board meeting yesterday—what happened?“ Shelley asked.
    “They appointed Derek acting director. Babs made it clear that it wasn’t a permanent appointment,“ Sharlene answered. “He wasn’t at all happy about that. I guess Babs is going to work on finding someone from outside to interview. I wouldn’t be surprised if Derek isn’t already sending out résumés. I hope he is. I don’t know what I’d do if he stayed.“
    “You couldn’t work with him?“ Jane asked.
    “Oh, I could, I guess. Rather than starve. But I wouldn’t like it. He’s so—so creepy. I always feel like he can see my underwear. Or is wishing he could. And he’s so egotistical.