Book 2-Alex Bishop in Follow That Mystery

Alex Bishop in Follow That Mystery

                                                                                      Chapter 12

                                                                     The Interrogations continue

     Everyone else had obviously noticed Bert napping, because they didn't look surprised when Alex mentioned it.  "Don't worry about it,"  Detective Burns said, "We'll make sure we wake him when it's his turn," he said this with a chuckle in his voice.  "Now back to Aaron."  Aaron jumped again at the sound of his name.  Higher this time.

     "Er, how did you get up here that day Aaron?"  Detective Burns asked him.  "And what time did you leave your home?"  "Uh, I came up here with Dave and Sandra.  Dave was driving."  The detective thought it was important to Dave that he made that point clear.  Although Detective Burns couldn't imagine why.

     Aaron gave Dave a nasty look which Dave gave right back to him.  Everyone who was paying attention notice.  "We left Sandra's at around nine like what was said before."  Aaron ended with a scowl on his face.  "And Dave was your best friend, wasn't he?"  "We were," Aaron said crossly and folding his arms tightly across his chest, while throwing Dave another ugly look.  Dave didn't return the look, in fact he didn't even glance at his former friend.

     "You two haven't kept in touch over the years?" the detective asked.  "No," Aaron said.  "That's a shame to let a good friendship end," he mumbled.  "So all of you friends were at the cabin by what?"  Detective Burns asked Connie,  "Nine thirty?"  Detective Burns added, before Connie could answer.  But then she said, "Yeah, that sounds right.

     Then the detective turned to Jo Ann and questioned, "What did you young people do first when you all got up here?"  "We had breakfast," she said with a giggle.  "Sandra fixed pancakes."  Detective Burns smiled.  "Good were they?" he asked with a smirk on his round face.  Jo Ann giggled again.  "Very good."  "Then what?"  "Then we went down to the lake for some swimming."  "How long were you there?"  Detective Burns asked her, still smiling.

     "Well, wait a minute," the detective said, just as Jo Ann started to speak, "Do the rest of you agree that this is what happened so far?" he said, looking around at the others.  Dave and Aaron grunted out a "Yeah" and Connie said a sweet "Yes."  Then he continued, "Did you all have a good time Jo Ann?"

     "For the most part," she answered.  "What do you mean by that?" the detective asked with a raised brow and his blue eyes narrowed in suspicion.  "Well, Dave and Sandra were bickering a lot."  Dave flashed a nasty look at her and began thumping his foot against the base of the sofa.  "Had a fight did they?"  "Oh.  I don't know if you'd call it a fight," Jo Ann said, "The two of them were swimming a ways out, away from the rest of us and I just heard....them arguing, you know."

     Dave was now squirming in his seat, and Mr. Clinton Sr. looked very pale.  "Could you hear anything of what Dave and Sandra were saying?"  Detective Burns said in a serious tone.  "I only got bits and pieces of it.  But I did hear Dave ask Sandra to give him another chance...."  "Yes...." the detective said,  coaxing her to go on.

     "Now, wait just a minute!" Mr. Berger the attorney started, "How can she reme...."  "Mr. Berger,"  the detective said in a mild tone, but still managing to be intimidating, "One more outburst and I'll have our Police Chief escort you out."  Detective Burns looked as if he was hoping it would be necessary to do so.  It took all the restraint that the people sitting at the table could muster, to keep from laughing out loud at the indignant yet comical look on Mr. Berger's face.