Daniels B.J. - The Lovebirds стр 4.

Mrs. Sanders found her.

He shot a look at the deputy and realized the only Mrs. Sanders he knew would be hugging eighty by nowif she was still alive. He hadnt thought about which Sanders lived in the hotel penthouse. Ellie Sanders, old man Sanderss wife?

Deputy Reed, whom Jack had just met that morning, shook his head, his expression suspiciously closed. Mrs. Oliver Sanders. Old manMr. Otto Sanders is deceased. His wife, Ellie, resides in Hawaii now.

Good for Ellie. Jack hoped she was having a great time, spending the old mans money.

Whod Oliver marry? he had to ask. Keeping track of the comings and goings in Rivers Edge had been the last thing on his mind. Hed left pretty soon after high school, taking the best of Rivers Edge with him, and had

never looked back, never planned to come back. As he rode up the elevator, he was starting to remember why.

Oliver married Mitzy Baxter, Reed said and had to clear his throat.

Jack let out a low whistle. Mitzy Baxter Sanders. Mitzy. Oh, boy.

The elevator door opened onto a slab of white marble floor complete with a dead body and a hysterical woman. He recognized the loud high-pitched complaining voice in the background as Mitzys. Some things did not change.

A second deputy stood next to the elevator door, protecting the possible crime scene just as Jack had asked. But the poor man looked as if hed rather be anywhere than here. Jack understood perfectly.

Mrs. Sanders is a little upset, Deputy Dodson said. As would be expected, he added quickly.

Jack had to smile. Yes, as would be expected. He looked from the deputy to the foyer table covered in gifts and the body of a woman lying on the floor beside it. A box of spilled chocolates dotted the marble floor around the body like thrown dirt clods.

Under the table was a womans large black leather purse with a shopping bag next to it. Against the opposite foyer wall were two more shopping bags and another purse, this one pink and dainty.

Jack bent down, and without touching anything, took a look at the murder victim.

Shes Mr. Sanderss secretary, Dodson informed him. Her name is Peggy Kane.

That news startled him. Both seemed implausible. Hed gone to school with Peggy Kane. Knew her relationship with not only Oliver, but Mitzy. At least he thought he did. It seemed a number of things had changed since hed been goneand Peggy Kane had changed the most.

This woman looked nothing like the one he remembered even if her face hadnt been blue. Peggy Kane had lost a lot of weight, but it was more than that, he realized. It was the way she was dressed, the expensive jewelry, the hair, the whole look. It made him wonder what Oliver paid her.

In Rivers Edge, there were two classes of families. The ones with money who owned the condos, huge seasonal homes and the businesses that thrived because of them. And the ones who worked for the businesses. The Kane family fell into the latter group, just as the McAllisters had.

Peggy had a piece of chocolate gripped in her right hand. It had melted down to just the nut. On closer inspection, in her other hand was what appeared to be a crumpled piece of white paper. He didnt touch it and wondered if anyone else had noticed it.

I took down everyones statement, just as you instructed, Dobson said. Im also the crime photographer. I shot the elevator, all of the rooms in the penthouse and the possible crime scene. Standard procedure in a sudden death of this nature. Ive sent the photos to the lab. You should have them within the hour.

Good work, Jack said, pushing himself to his feet again. He asked both deputies to remain at the elevator door and protect the scene until the coroner arrived to tell them whether or not a crime had actually been committed. Then bracing himself, he followed the irritating sound of Mitzys voice into the living room.

Mitzy actually stopped talking when she saw him. Her mouth remained open, but thankfully nothing came out. Her husband, Oliver Sanders, was at the bar making drinks, his back to Jack. Jack caught his own reflection in the mirror over the bar, seeing himself the way Mitzy must. Older. His dark blond hair still thick although graying at the temples. His blue eyes faded like old denim and lined from the sun. Just seeing how life had weathered and aged him, he remembered with a jolt his real reason for coming back here.

Oliver turned at the sudden quiet, his eyes narrowing at the sight of the new sheriff.

Well, Ill be damned, was all Oliver said, but he seemed to tense as if expecting a blow.

Jack knew that one of the town councilmen had voted against hiring him as sheriff and figured it had been Oliver Sanders. He told himself that Olivers obvious anxiety at seeing him could be nothing more than having a dead woman in his foyer. Or it could be the past. Considering his and Jacks past, it could easily have been that alone.

Jack? Mitzy cried, finding her voice too soon. Jack McAllister?

Shed remembered his name. But hed have hoped as much considering how...intimate theyd been for a short period of time during his junior year in high schoola time he would have just as soon forgotten.