A Dash of Murder by Teresa Trent Page A

the po dium so everyone can hear you.”
    Fitzpatrick strode to the front of the meeting room. “My name is Leo Fitzpatrick, and I just wanted to ask what kind of plans the town has for the old hospital.”
    Don Schuller leaned back in his well-padded chair. “Can’t say we have much of a pla n at present, Mr. Fitzpatrick.”
    Dr. MacPhee added, “That old place has been there for so long, most of us have forgotten about it.”
    “So there was n o plan in place to develop it?”
    “Not that I know of. Nothing has come through the Chamber of Commerce,” Don said.
    “Thank you .” Fitzpatrick left the podium.
    “Well you’ve certainly all given us something to think about,” said Tom Schuller. “The investigation is scheduled to go off on Saturday, Halloween, and it is now Thursday night. We will take about 24 hours to discuss, research and come to our decision. I would like to schedule another meeting tomorrow afternoon, if that is okay with the other members of the council?” He looked at his brother and Dr. MacPhee.
    Both of the other men nodded in agreement.
    “See you all tomorrow, then.” The crowd rose from their chairs and started exiting the room. Leo Fitzpatrick stood with his son and glanced back at our little group. Fitzpatrick smiled and raised his hand with an awkward wave. As I waved back caught his son sneering at mine. I turned to Zach and blocked his view of Tyler.
    “Mom?” Zach said. “Were they talking about the place wher e you found Da – Mr. Canfield?”
    “Yes,” I said.
    “Very sad,” bemoaned Danny as he folded his han ds in front and shook his head.
    “Could I go with you on Halloween and see w here you found him?” Zach said.
    Here’s an issue you don’t find in the parenting magazines – do you take your child to the crime scene or not? I looked down at Zach, who was putting his schoolwork back into his bag, his eyes pleading with mine, a li ttle smile playing on his lips.
    “Come on Mom, I would stay out of your way.”
    “No,” I told him.
    “You wouldn’t even know I was there. Besides, I could help carry in equipment. Right, Aunt Maggie?”
    Maggie just shook her head no. Zach had hit a tough crowd.
    “I’m going,” said Danny.
    Zach’s eyes grew wider in disbelief. “You’re letting Danny g o but not me? That’s not fair.”
    We walked out the door to the parking lot. “Danny’s going because I can’t leave him alone overnight, and all of us are over there. I need him with me. He’s going to be up for a while and then sleep on a cot next to the NUTV van.”
    “You cou ld put up two cots!” Zach said.
    “Cool,” said Danny. “It’ll be a sleepover!”
    “Did you forget you already have an obligation that evening?” I said. “You will only be across the field in the woods camping with the Scouts. If anything big happens, I’ll let you know, okay?” Zach looked at the grou nd sulking. I repeated, “Okay?”
    “Okay,” he muttered.

CHAPTER TEN
     
    Zach continued to sulk as we walked. I glanced at my watch. It was nearly eight o’clock, and it was getting close to Zach’s bedtime. Thinking of my schedule for the next few days, I figured we would need to make one more stop before going home. We walked on the sidewalk to the back of the courth ouse where the parking lot was.
    “So Zach,” I said, changing the subject. “How about you and I go down to SuperWally and look for a co stume for you for the campout?”
    He uncrossed his arms and smiled slowly. “That would be cool,” he said, his voice rising a note with each word. He loved going to the local superstore, and he loved Halloween shopping, so the argument over t he abandoned hospital vanished.
    “I know just what I want to be – an axe murderer.”
    “No.”
    “Mo-om,” Zach intoned as if a dying tea kettle, “why not?”
    “First of all, it’s too violent. You will be out there with little kids, an d you could scare one of them.”
    Aunt Maggie, who had been following