Room for Murder - Tim Myers [44]
“Did any of it change your mind at all?” Alex asked.
“No, but I doubt anything will. These two were preaching to their own choirs all night long. Conner’s pushing for expansion, and Tracy wants things to stay the way they are. It should make for an interesting election on Tuesday.”
“It should,” Alex agreed.
He and Mor were still standing there chatting when they both heard the scream behind them.
Someone at the back of the auditorium was in trouble.
Chapter 13
Mor and Alex rushed backstage just in time to see Tracy faint. Conner, obviously uncomfortable with his ex-wife in his arms, said, “Somebody get a doctor.”
“What happened?” Alex asked as Mor left to find Doc Drake.
“That did,” Conner said, gesturing with his head toward the back door.
There, hanging from the rafters, was a female mannequin dressed in something just like Tracy would wear with a sign around its neck.
drop out or die.
At that moment, a flash went off behind Alex, then another.
He looked toward the light and saw Max Logan from the Elkton Falls Journal running back up the aisle, his camera in his hand.
“Great,” Conner said. “It’s not exactly how I wanted to get in the papers.”
Tracy started to come around. Her eyelids fluttered, then she looked startled to find herself in Conner’s arms.
“Let go of me,” she said angrily.
Conner released her and said, “If you want to break your tailbone, that’s fine with me.”
Alex reached out and gave Tracy a hand, and she wobbled slightly as she stood, leaning into Alex so she wouldn’t fall.
Evidently when the photographer saw that no one was chasing him, he decided to come back for more shots.
Alex said, “Come on, Max, it’s not fair taking advantage of Tracy like this.”
Logan said, “Are you kidding me? This is Page One stuff. I’ve got a shot of the hanging body and Tracy passed out under it.”
“It’s a mannequin, somebody’s idea of a dirty trick. You’ve got more class than that,” he said.
Max said, “It’s not a question of class, this is real news.”
Alex turned to Conner. “Aren’t you going to try to stop him?”
Conner said halfheartedly, “What can I do about it? Logan’s right; we can’t keep the newspaper from publishing something just because we don’t like the subject matter.”
As Max raced out of the auditorium, Tracy snapped, “You think this is something positive? How are your old buddies and new girlfriends going to feel when you’re seen holding me on the front page tomorrow?”
Conner smiled. “Go with the flow, Trace. Remember, any press is good press.”
Tracy pointed to the dummy. “Is this your idea of a joke, Conner?”
He frowned. “Come on, you know me better than that, I’m going to whip your tail fair and square. You don’t actually think I want you to drop out, do you?”
After Conner was gone, Alex asked her, “Do you believe him?”
“I hate to admit it, but this isn’t Conner’s style. Now if he’d come after me with a knife or tried to run me over with his car, maybe. He doesn’t have the aptitude for psychological warfare.”
Alex inadvertently brushed against the dummy, and the legs swung eerily back and forth. “I think you’d better take this threat seriously.”
“And give Conner the satisfaction of a walkover election? I’d rather die first.”
There was no doubt about the sincerity in her voice. Alex was about to say something else when Mor rushed back. “Doc’s delivering a baby over in Viewmont. Do you want me to call 911?”
Tracy said, “That’s all I need to sink my chances, a ride in the ambulance because the ‘poor little woman’ couldn’t take a prank. I’m fine. Excuse me, guys, but I’d better head over to Shantara’s and see what we can do about this mess.”
“You aren’t even going to call the sheriff?” Alex asked.
“What’s he going to do, follow me around between now and the election? I don’t need a bodyguard, Alex. I’ll be fine.”
That left Alex and Mor standing in the wings, studying the dummy.
“Should we at least cut it down?” Mor asked.
“I don’t know,