Killer Bay

Dead Girl Rolling

"Hello, Adalet! Hi, Amy!" Hannah waved her flag as the pair took the two seats she'd been saving for them, "you're just in time for the competition to begin! Have you seen a roller derby game before? It's so much fun!"

"I don't know about you, Capt. Adalet, but I'm still not sure how it's played," Amy admits, "teams of girls on roller skates score points by pushing each other off the track?"

"Pretty much," Adalet nods.

"You need to be fast, fierce, and show some skin! It's all about girl power! You'll love it!" Hannah clapped the rookie on the back.

The announcer's voice came over the speakers, ". . . the Helter Skaters are leading by five points, but there's still plenty of time for the Pacific Pixies to fight back! This competition is the battle of roller derby's finest . . ."

"Go, kick some butt, girls! Helter Skaters foreveeeeer . . .!" Hannah hollers waving her flags.

"Susie the Slayer is leading the jam, but there's Mona Middlefinger trying to block her, and . . . uh-ohh! Did you see that!" the announcer asked the crowd, "Mona pushed Susie hard enough to send her flying! Penalty, I hear you say?"

"Don't worry," Hannah says seeing Amy covering her eyes, "these girls know how to roll with the punches . . . Although it's strange she's not getting up . . ."

"Susie the Slayer is down, ladies and gentlemen," the announcer sounded worried, "Susie is down, and the game is suspended while the medics find out how serious her injuries are."

"The poor girl must have gotten knocked unconscious!" Amy guessed, "Capt. Adalet, please, let's go down to the rink and see if we can be of help!"

With a flash of Adalet's badge, the three women jumped the guard rail and rushed over to the fallen skater. The paramedics on-site were surrounding the body, and one stood up and shook his head. Adalet nodded in understanding and ordered the tournament security to clear the stands.

"I can't believe it, Susie Pickley's dead!" Hannah sucked in a sharp breath, "I know derby girls play it rough, but how could she have died just from being pushed?"

"It's not the push that killed her," Adalet says kneeling beside Susie's head, "look at Susie's face! It's all swollen and . . . blue! She must have been poisoned!"

"So we're dealing with another murder! Time to get my notebook out!" Amy says drawing out the black book from her utility belt, "Capt. Adalet, I'm sure you already spotted some suspicious elements around the crime scene!"

"Well, I think Dean and Hunter found the victim's sports bag," she replied as the dogs trotted over each holding a strap bag in their mouths.

"Good call! I bet we'll learn a lot by rooting through it!" she nodded, "and this fan card you picked up is so tattered, you can't even read the owner's name! I hope you can retrieve it, Capt. Adalet! It might be a lead!"

"And we need to talk to the skater who pushed her," Adalet added.

"Oh, you're right, we should also talk to the woman who pushed Susie!" Amy agrees, "I think her name was Mona something . . . I'll go find her for you."

"Well, I'll leave you guys to it," Hannah says, "I'm heading back to the lab, too much sunshine can be lethal. I'll make sure Roxie gets the victim's body, Adalet!"

"Thanks, Hannah!" Adalet replied.

They left the clues with the body and went to talk to Mona before she could leave the track. The skater was cooling off at the sidelines near the lockers, when asked if she was the one who hit Susie, Mona laughed.