Part 24 (1/2)

SEVENTEEN.

BETH, WHO WAS nibbling on a piece of toast, stared at me. I must have looked shocked. I certainly felt that way. For her benefit-and to make sure I'd heard Milo correctly-I repeated what he'd told me.

”You arrested Wayne for killing Tim?”

Beth dropped the toast and collapsed.

”Gotta go,” Milo shouted.

”Wait! Send an ambulance to the diner!”

”What?”

”Beth just pa.s.sed out.”

”You need-” The connection was lost.

The Starrs, who had just been seated in the I Love Lucy booth across the aisle, were already at Beth's side. Clare came up behind them, followed by Terri Bourgette. Beth was lying at an awkward angle, half on the vinyl seat, half under the table.

”What happened?” Terri demanded, looking apprehensive.

”I think she fainted,” I said.

Dr. Starr was bending over Beth, trying to see if she was conscious.

”Pour water on her,” Carrie Starr said.

”No!” cried Deputy Mayor Richie Magruder, who had suddenly appeared in the aisle. ”Pinch her!”

”You're crazy, Richie,” said his wife, Stella. ”Put her head between her knees.”

”I think she's coming around,” Dr. Starr murmured.

”Should I call 911?” Terri asked, her hands trembling.

”I think I already did,” I said, sounding stupid. ”I mean . . .”

Terri, however, was now engaged in trying to keep some of the other customers away from the area. ”It's fine, it's nothing serious. Please, go back to your places. Everything's under control.”

Dr. Starr had Beth sitting up. Her eyelids were fluttering and her lips were moving, although she made no sound. Clare offered a gla.s.s of water, but Beth shook her head.

”I'm . . . okay,” she murmured. ”I don't think I even blacked out.”

The gawkers were reluctantly returning to their seats. Terri stood guard in the middle of the aisle. She had stopped shaking and seemed in control of herself as well as the situation. I still felt stunned, but pulled myself together. My appet.i.te had fled, however. I glanced at my half-eaten breakfast with a tinge of regret. Beth hadn't eaten anything except a bite or two of toast. The two eggs had been broken in a lost cause. Poor Beth didn't seem able to share a meal with me.

The ambulance siren announced its approach. Beth heard it and went rigid. ”Is that for me?” she asked with a stricken expression.

I nodded. ”Let the medics tend to you. Frankly, you're a nervous wreck. You may be suffering from exhaustion-not to mention this d.a.m.ned heat.”

Beth looked as if she wanted to argue, but maybe she lacked the strength. She merely pressed her lips together and hung her head.

”I'll get out of the way,” I said, scooting across the seat. ”I'll check in with you later, okay?”

Beth nodded once. The familiar medics were already headed toward our booth. I turned tail and took the longer route out of the dining area. Terri met me at the front.

”What made Beth collapse?” she asked. ”It couldn't have been anything she ate.”

”No. It's nerves,” I said. ”Here.” I handed her my overworked Visa card. ”Run it through, I'll sign it, and you can figure out the total later. Add a tip for Clare. She looked sort of pale, too.”

”Forget the bill,” Terri said. ”Besides, I have to go back to the kitchen and bring my brothers up to speed. They can't leave the food cooking. The poor guys must wonder what's going on.”

I didn't argue. I was in too much of a hurry to get to the sheriff's office. Before I started the car, I called Vida to tell her what had happened. But Vida wasn't home. Maybe she'd stayed for the fellows.h.i.+p hour at the Presbyterian church. It was a good place to pick up gossip.

I spotted Milo's Grand Cherokee in front of the sheriff's office, but saw no sign of Spencer Fleetwood's BMW. Maybe my archrival hadn't been contacted. Not that it mattered-Spence would still beat me with the story. Whoever was manning the radio station would pick up the arrest on the police scanner.

The only person in the reception area was Dustin Fong. Whoever else had been called for extra Sunday duty must be in the back, either in the interrogation room or the waiting area for friends and relatives of suspects and witnesses.

”Sheriff Dodge said he called you,” Dustin said, polite and calm as ever. ”He thought you'd want to know.”

”Of course.” I smiled, always amazed that even after several years as a deputy, Dustin never seemed to grow callous or indifferent. ”What happened?”

He also remained discreet. ”I'd better let Dodge tell you,” he said. ”He and Bill Blatt made the actual arrest about an hour ago.”

”Is Cookie with Wayne? What about Tiffany?”

”Cookie's here,” Dustin replied, looking troubled. ”She's pretty distraught. Tiffany's still at the Erikses' house.”

”That's just as well.” But I didn't like the idea of her being alone. ”Do you know if she's okay?”

Dustin's expression changed only slightly. ”I believe Mrs. Runkel is with her.”

”Vida?” I cried. Before Dustin could respond, I waved a hand. ”Of course. Bill, her nephew, was one of the arresting officers.” I had no idea how Vida had found that out, but didn't doubt for a moment that she'd gotten the news before I did.

I leaned on the mahogany counter. ”How soon before I can talk to Milo?”

Dustin shook his head. ”I've no idea. Eriks claims he's innocent.”

”I suppose he would,” I said thoughtfully. ”I'm trying to figure out the motive.”

”Who knows?” Dustin looked as skeptical as I'd ever seen him. ”One thing I've learned in law enforcement is that people can be unpredictable. Sometimes they just go off their heads for no reason, especially when drugs or alcohol are involved.”

”Yes.” I, too, had encountered murderers who didn't fit the popular profile of jealous lovers, blackmail victims, or just plain crooks. Some were people I'd known for years, with reputations above reproach. But they'd snapped. And neither substance abuse nor addictions had influenced their homicidal actions.

”Does Toni Andreas know?” I asked.

Dustin looked surprised. ”No. I mean, I doubt it. There was no reason to call her in on a Sunday. Besides, she hasn't been feeling very good lately.” He frowned slightly. ”Why do you ask?”

I hedged. ”She seemed very upset about Tim's death. I thought she might want to know that an arrest had been made.”