A Carnival of Killing by Glenn Ickler

about the Vulcan factor before the fun is over.”
    “You really are up a creek without a paddle.”
    “Paddle, hell. I’m up a creek without even a canoe,” I said.
    “Why don’t you talk to the dead woman’s two best buddies again?” Jayne said “Maybe they know more about the boyfriend than they’re telling the police.”
    “You think they’re protecting the guy, even though he could be the killer?”
    “Stranger things have happened. People sometimes do irrational things in times of crisis.”
    “Wouldn’t it be even more irrational for them to tell me something they didn’t tell the cops?”
    “They might perceive you as less threatening than Detective Brown.”
    “Well, they could be fun to talk to. Especially the dark and dynamic Esperanza.”
    “You’d better not have too much fun with Esperanza or Martha will come down on me for suggesting that you talk to those women.”
    “It’s always strictly business,” I said. “You know me.”
    “I do know you,” Jayne said. “That’s why I’m flying the caution flag.”
     
     
    Martha met me at the apartment door with a rib-crunching hug and a long, long, long kiss. “Did any of your friends at AA give you any suggestions about solving the Klondike Kate mystery?” she asked when we finally came up for air.
    “Jayne suggested I talk to Lee-Ann’s two best buddies again to see if they’ll tell me anything about the father of the baby that they wouldn’t tell the cops,” I said. “Other than that, I’m up against a stone wall and Don is going to be hollering for a fresh lead before I get to my desk tomorrow morning.”
    “Hard to believe that none of her close friends know who she was sleeping with.”
    “That’s what Jayne said. But if those two do know anything, I can’t imagine why they wouldn’t tell Brownie.”
    “You never know what goes on in people’s minds. Want to watch the ten o’clock news and see what your favorite roving blonde is reporting live?”
    “Why not?” We sat snuggled together on the sofa and were joined by Sherlock Holmes, who tried unsuccessfully to squeeze between us, as we watched the news on Channel 4. Sherlock wound up stretched across both our thighs, which was truly the feline lap of luxury. As expected, we saw a clip of Trish Valentine reporting from the autopsy press conference. We even heard my voice asking about the possibility of Lee-Ann being killed inside O’Halloran’s and carried out dead, but the editor had excised Trish’s “gross” between my question and the police chief’s answer.
    “Ready to try position Number 60?” Martha asked when I turned off the TV. We had successfully negotiated Numbers 58 and 59 of the 101 positions over the weekend, and I was feeling proud of my recuperative powers.
    “Of course, I’m ready,” I said. “There’s nothing like having new worlds to conquer.”
    “Think you can make my world move?”
    “My down to earth answer is yes.”
    “Good,” said Martha. “You get the book while I get naked.”
     
     
    True to form, City Editor Don O’Rourke stopped me before I reached my desk Tuesday morning and ordered me to produce something fresh on the killing of Klondike Kate. I told him what I had in mind, and he said if I came up with the name of the possible father he’d send Al out to get the guy’s picture.
    “What if the guy gets nasty?” I asked.
    “That’s why I’m sending your twin,” Don said. “He’s the fastest runner on the photo staff.”
    When Kitty Catalano answered at the Klondike Kate Hotline, I asked if I could talk to Esperanza and/or Toni. Kitty said Toni was with Lee-Ann’s family and Esperanza had been obliged to spend some time at her day job in the loan office of a downtown bank. I called the number that Kitty gave me, and Esperanza said she could meet me for a few minutes at a coffee shop in the skyway during her mid-morning break. This meant I had two hours to search other avenues.
    The first avenue I chose