She’s been chewing them, I thought. She was either nervous or very worried about something.
Luigi, Cedar, and I stood near the last row of tables, as far away from the stage was we could get so that Cedar could keep an eye on Chigger, who wasn’t allowed in the fair. So he was tied up to a maple sapling on the lawn with a chew toy and a full water bowl I had fashioned out of duct tape using Luigi’s head as a mold.
“Next,” Dr. K said into her wireless mic, “we move to the senior division of Science Olympiad, which includes undergraduate research project with a ten thousand dollar scholarship for the winner. Before we announce the awards, however, I would like to commend all of the students in this year’s competition. I must say that the quality of the work is nothing short of astonishing. Our judges were impressed, as well. It is a tad cliché, but truly, you are all winners today.”
“Just get on with it,” Cedar said, tapping a foot as she crossed her arms.
I nudged her. “Patience, young Skywalker.”
“It’s easy to relax when your keeping score in a match. But judging, that kills me.”
“And you thought ice skaters had it easy.” I turned my attention to Luigi. “How’re the breathing exercises, Zen master?”
“Americans talk too much,” Luigi said. “I do not understand why she must apologize for the competitive nature of the fair when this is a competition.”
“Good point,” I said.
Dr. K read the name of the third place winner, a girl from ACC for an experiment in using light waves to kill salmonella on vegetables.
“Second place goes to Gretchen Nunzi for—”
The applause drowned out the topic of her experiment.
“Gretchen?” I said.
“You sound surprised,” Luigi replied. “Ah, you are good at human remains, Boone-san. At human beings, not so much.”
I had to admit he was right. “That’s because bones never lie.”
“Our first place winner,” Dr. K began before she had to pause for a sip of water.
“It’s going to be some guy,” Cedar said. “A girl has never won first place.”
“Girls just won third and second place,” I said. “There’s first time for everything.”
“Finally, our first place winner is,” Dr. K said, “By A N.O.S.E: Using Synthetic Devices for Detecting Compounds, by Cedar Galloway!”
Luigi and I started clapping and whistling.
Then I realized that Cedar was clapping merrily away but not moving.
“Cedar?” I said. “They called your name.”
Slowly, she stopped clapping. “Really? Oh. Yeah. Really?”
“Really,” Luigi gave her two thumbs up. “Good job.”
I spun her around and walked her a few feet toward the stage before letting her go. She seemed to be floating. And when she bent her head to accept the gold medal, her face beamed.
“Sorry you didn’t win a medal, Luigi,” I said as he finished applauding. “I don’t understand why. Your invention is amazing.”
“Thank you, but I could not medal. I was only allowed to enter as an exhibitor.”
“What?”
“Because I am an exchange student. Olympiad is only for North Carolina residents.”
“So if you couldn’t win, why did you enter?”
“To meet hot girls.” Luigi pointed to Gretchen across the patio. “See you later, homely.”
“That’s homey.”
“That, too,” he said as he made a straight line for Gretchen.
After the announcements, parents and guests mingled around the entries to take pictures and try out some of the projects, which had been hands off before the judging.
Luigi’s wi-fi PA system was the hit of the fair, but I got to it first and quickly hijacked the signal to Dr. K’s mic.
“Attention shoppers,” I said into the Bluetooth mic, “would the owner of a pink Cadillac please move your vehicle?”
My voice filled the courtyard. On the other side near the podium, Dr. K was speaking to a group of reports. She patted her chest to check the mic. I saw her pull the mic closer to her mouth and speak, but nothing came through the system.
“This is so cool!” My voice reverberated loudly. “Sorry, Dr. K! Just testing.”
“You are like a little kid, Boone. Quit playing around and come on." Cedar untied Chigger from the tree. She walked away, expecting him to follow, but once again, he refused to budge. “That’s weird."
“He did that once before,” I said. “At Red Fox Java. Right before we left the patio. Is he okay?”
“He’s fine.” Cedar stood up slowly. “That’s just his signal. He was trained to sit until the release command.”
“Try it,” I said.
“Fish sticks,” she said, and the dog popped to his feet, ready to go.
“Holy shit!” I remembered who had been standing beside Chigger when he squatted before. “Deputy Mercer? No freaking way!”
“What about him?” Cedar said.
“Let's find Luigi,” I said. “We have an arsonist to catch.”
12
Proving that Mercer was the arsonist might be difficult, but catching the deputy would be the easy part.
Or so we thought.
Hoyt had instructed Mercer to meet back at the bandstand after he finished at the Red Fox Java. We could hear Hoyt’s gravely voice twanging over the PA system as we walked to the courthouse green.
“He has to be in the crowd somewhere,” I told Luigi and Cedar, who had left Chigger with my mom. “Let’s split up. Luigi, get close to the bandstand. Cedar, take the south side of the courthouse. I’ll go north. If you see Mercer, send a group text, but don’t do anything to alert him.”
We spread out.
Cedar headed toward the rear of the courthouse, which was also the rear of the stage. She would be close to the girls in the pageant, as well as the sound system. It was a logical place for Hoyt to post a deputy to provide security.
Luigi’s job was more difficult.
The area around the bandstand was packed tight with folding chairs. It was almost impossible for a Japanese teen dressed in tight sliver pants, a sleeveless black shirt, and a hairdo that looked like it had be sculpted by a blender to look inconspicuous.
I was counting on him drawing attention instead.
The north end of the green was the least populated area. It was on a slight rise, with magnolia trees whose thick leaves gave good cover. I could see the whole area.
All I had to do was wait.
Up on the bandstand, Sheriff Hoyt took a cordless microphone from the emcee, who had seconds earlier finished introducing the candidates for Little Miss Allegheny.
My phone buzzed: A text message.
Doc: Y R U HIDING IN TREES?
Me: ON STAKEOUT
Doc: FOR WHO?
Me: TOP SECRET
“Top Secret?” Abner said.
I jerked like a fire ant had stung my ass. Abner was standing six feet away, hidden by the same leaves that hid me.
“Doc. Geez. How did you sneak up on me?”
“Been here the whole time, getting out of the sun and hiding from your mama. The woman’s meaner than a prison bull. What’re you up to?”
“Nothing.”
“Don’t lie to me. Not after you slunk up here like a dog hiding a bone. You’re watching for somebody. Who is it?”
“Deputy Mercer.”
“That’s the one that writes all the tickets?”
I explained about Chigger’s sniffing ability. “We turned the dog loose on Eugene Loach, and nothing happened. But then later, he signaled on Mercer.”
“You sure about this?”
“It’s the only lead we’ve got, Doc.”
“Guess we best follow it, then.”
“We?” I protested. “You’re out on bail. Technically, you’re still charged with interfering with an investigation.”
“You want to find the man who killed that woman, don’t you?”
“More than I want to breathe.”