The Alpine Uproar Read Online Free Page A

Springs in September. Even Vida couldn’t find out why, so instead of doing a short newcomer feature, we decided to put it in the ‘Scene Around Town’ box on the front page. ‘Liz Kirby, an Idaho transplant, is a new face at the Burger Barn.’ Or something like that. Liz should know that a small town is no place to remain anonymous.”
    Milo stopped fiddling with the salt and pepper. “Vida couldn’t get her to open up? Liz must be in the witness protection program.”
    “Vida’ll find out eventually,” I assured him and kicked his shin, hoping he’d catch on as Liz approached with the coffee carafe and a clean mug. She poured my coffee first. “Thanks,” I said cheerfully.
    Liz didn’t say anything; neither did Milo. I kept expecting her to remind him he was in the No Smoking area.
    “What’s with you and the fruit cup?” I asked after Liz had left us.
    “Doc Dewey. He said I should eat more fruit and fewer spuds.”
    “You ordered fries.”
    “So? I was compromising.”
    I shook my head. “You’re hopeless. Tell me why Delphine is sucking up to you.”
    Milo’s long face looked pained. “I went out with her a few times,” he said, speaking quietly and more rapidly than usual. “Long time ago.”
    “I recall your brief and apparently unsatisfactory … courtship. Leo Walsh dated her, too, but that never went anywhere, either.”
    “That’s the trouble,” Milo said. “Delphine’s always in a rush to get married again. I don’t know why—she and Randyweren’t exactly an ideal couple. That marriage was rocky from the start. But after three dates with a guy, she starts talking long-term commitment. Who needs that kind of pressure?”
    I nodded. “She did get engaged to Spike Canby. Then he got hurt in that construction accident on the bridge into town. They broke up not long afterward.”
    “Right.” Milo paused as Liz brought our food, all but dumping it on the table.
    The sheriff peered at his burger. “Where’s the bacon?”
    “We’re out of that, too,” Liz replied, looking as if she had to force herself from smiling in triumph. “No delivery. We ran out after breakfast.”
    “You can’t find another driver for Berentsen’s truck?” Milo snapped. “This town’s got plenty of them, with all the ex-loggers.”
    Liz pressed her thin lips together before responding. “The truck needs new brakes. The guy who got killed was supposed to fix them over the weekend.”
    “Oh, for …” Milo made an angry gesture, narrowly missing knocking over his coffee mug. “Forget it.”
    “I’d like to,” Liz snapped. “This town’s a real cesspool.” She stomped off toward the serving area.
    “I still don’t know why Delphine’s so anxious to talk to you,” I said after a brief pause. “Is she lusting after your body?”
    “Don’t be a smart-ass.” Milo took a vicious bite of his burger. I waited for his response. “Spike couldn’t work construction anymore with his bum back,” he said at last, “so he had to find a job. I guess he’d managed to save some money and when Virgil Post’s family put the Icicle Creek Tavern up for sale, Spike bought it. Right after that, he married Julie Whatever-Her-Name-Was.”
    “Blair,” I said. “She was married before to a guy from Maltby.”
    “That sounds right.” Milo ate two fat french fries. “Anyway, Delphine was at the ICT Saturday night when De Muth got killed. She never goes there, but she’s been seeing Gus Swanson since he and his wife split a couple of months ago. Gus worked late because the new models had arrived and he was going over his inventory. He asked Delphine to meet him at the ICT for a drink.”
    I nodded. Gus owned the local Toyota dealership, which was located off the Icicle Creek Road a couple of blocks from the tavern. “What happened? Did Delphine get into it with Spike and somehow start the brawl that led to the murder?”
    Milo shook his head. “Not as far as I know. That is, according to her,