Lola dropped me off at my apartment. Even though it was late, I opened the window that faced the Kings River. I was lucky to live at the Riverside Apartments. It wasn’t a new complex but the view made up for its age.
I asked Kevin when Jim would be working again. He said Jim wouldn’t be back until tomorrow night’s graveyard shift. I intended to come back and talk with him, though I didn’t seriously consider him a suspect…
By the time we finished lunch, it was nearly dinnertime and the park was beginning to hum with activity. Ready to take on the task of the food booths, it hit me that I hadn’t told anyone about the arguments I’d overheard.
Paul took the Martinez’s home while I returned to the park. It took some time to convince them to leave. They insisted that they would be back this evening when the booths were reopened. By now, the park was nearly deserted.
Police and reserve officers cleared the scene and enclosed the area with police tape. Detective Reagan knelt beside the body, his large frame shadowing Toews. The parade, to my surprise, seemed to be continuing.
The bikers were gathering at the far side of the park, so I pushed my bike over to join them. The ages of the bikers appeared to range from teenagers to senior citizens. It was good to see young people involved in something positive…
Lola had called to let me know she'd managed to work it out so she didn’t have to watch the quilt booth until after the parade. I was glad; this meant we could see to the parade together. It sounded like quite the small-town experience.
Lola detoured me to the food with very little effort. We took our tacos back to her booth and she continued to work in between bites. My mind kept wandering back to the Martinez family and their problems…
I stopped by the Happy Mouth to see Eddie on my way to the park later that afternoon. Anytime school was out, the Happy Mouth was filled with teenagers. It had quickly become the most popular hangout.
It was a perfect October day. The sky was a light blue and a slight breeze rustled any leaves that hadn’t yet fallen. The Fiesta committee would be pleased. I headed for the radio station…
