A Sticky Situation by Jessie Crockett Page A

cloth.”
    â€œMaybe.” It was a good point. I would be sure to ask Lowell if they had any way to analyze the body or the soil around it for decomposed currency. The paper for printing money was sure to be unique and it wouldn’t surprise me if there were lab tests that could shed some light on Karen’s question.
    â€œOr, he could have taken the money and stashed it somewhere before he wound up dead. The guy had to be afraid for his life what with all his goings-on.”
    â€œWhat do you mean?” I pricked up my ears. Tansey, my family, and the doc had indicated Spooner was well liked. This didn’t fit with what Cliff and Karen were saying about him.
    â€œI mean he had an eye for the ladies. He didn’t keephis hands strictly on those spoons of his, if you know what I mean.” Karen gazed off into space and crossed her arms over her chest.
    â€œDoc MacIntyre did mention he was popular with the ladies.”
    â€œHe was. But not so much with their husbands.”
    â€œAnyone in particular?”
    â€œI guess you could start with my ex.” Karen shrugged.
    â€œI didn’t know you were divorced.”
    â€œThe marriage didn’t last long. Being married to a policeman is never easy.”
    â€œWhich policeman?”
    â€œThe old chief, Preston Byrnes.”
    â€œSounds like a royal mess.”
    â€œOh, it was. Jim Parnell came by the town office first thing to pick up the bank bag full of the festival earnings. The plan was for him to have left it locked in my office drawer the night before for safekeeping. He said that’s what he did. When we got to my desk, it wasn’t locked and the bag was gone.”
    â€œSo who called the police?”
    â€œI did. I rang up Preston at the station and Myra put me right through. Preston got to the town hall in under three minutes. My marriage was over almost that fast, too.”
    â€œWhy’s that?”
    â€œBecause as soon as Preston got there Jim said he knew it was Spooner who stole the money. When Preston asked him why, he said that I probably had mentionedto him that the cash was going to be in my drawer during some passionate pillow talk. Preston hit the roof and as far as I know never looked at another suspect.”
    â€œWow. That must have been a bad day all around.”
    â€œIt was. But you know what I never could understand? Why did Jim have to do that to me? He could have pointed the finger at Spooner without bringing me into it. After all, everyone knew Spooner had a key to the town hall.”
    â€œHow did he even know about the affair to be able to tell your husband?”
    â€œHe saw us canoodling in the town hall when he came to pick up the key to my desk drawer. I guess I should have known better than to bring my private life into the office.” That was probably what cost Karen the election. No one wants the town spaces being used for things that are best done at home. It probably put people off their suppers just imagining the goings-on.
    â€œAnd you’re sure the police never investigated anyone else for the theft?” Perhaps there was more hope for poor Spooner and for Tansey’s image of him than I had thought at first.
    â€œPreston and I didn’t talk all that much about his work or anything else after that day so I can’t swear to it. But, as far as I could tell, the entire investigation was focused on Spooner. Preston was obsessed.”
    â€œDid you two try to reconcile?”
    â€œPreston wanted to after he had calmed down but I wasn’t willing.”
    â€œWhy not?”
    â€œThe way he acted when he found out about my affair really scared me. He got pretty violent.”
    â€œDid he hurt you?”
    â€œNo, but he did a number on the house. You know, throwing dishes, punching holes in the walls. I worried it wouldn’t stop there so I left him.”
    â€œIt sounds like you made the right decision,” I said. As I drove away