Chapter Twenty

"Michael..." Marcie said, following after him. "Michael, this isn't right. Michael..." They stood at the front of Llanfair. "Your brother is going to kill us."

"What John doesn't know won't hurt us at all" Al said.

"Michael... do you honestly think that John won't figure out we followed him here?"

"Not if we don't tell him he won't."

Marcie sighed. "So what are we looking for?

Al walked forward a little. "Here, simple... he came here, he said he might know who the killer is."

"Yeah..."

"So..." Al walked in front of her. "We look for footprints, we look for finger prints We look for..."

"Michael..." Marcie said, trying to stop him. "Michael. You don't work for the police department. You don't know how to do this stuff."

"But you do, Marcie," Al took hold of her arms, looking directly at her. "You're around police all the time. You know how to figure this stuff out."

Marcie laughed. "You're not serious."

"Here," Al said leading her closer. "All you have to do is go around and ask some questions. They won't suspect anything. We're working for the Commissioner..."

"She's the Commissioner's niece!" Marcie shook her head. "This is crazy, Michael. This is crazy. I'm going home."

"Come on, Marcie..."

"I'm going to get new keys. Thank you for everything last night..." she paused. "I can't stay here."

"Marcie" Al called after her. "Marc..."

"What are ya doin' darlin'?" Luna said standing before him. "Here ya were doin' so good and then ya go and drag the poor girl to a crime scene."

"I'm on a roll here, Luna." Al said. "John's on my side, I'm getting through to Marcie..."

"Then you brought her here, baby?" Luna said. "Al... you shouldn't have brought her here."

"I loved Jessica, She was my best friend. John might know who did this. The guy who killed her... who killed the other girls... I'd like to string him up myself."

"That ain't gonna get you anywhere," Luna pointed out. Al folded his arms across his chest. "And neither is bringing Marcie down here to play Jessica Fletcher. This ain't Murder, She Wrote' darlin."

OK, so what?" Al threw his hands up. "What do I do now, Luna?"

"You let this run it's course, baby. And you go follow Marcie before Johnny does,"

"John?" Al asked. "What's John want with Marcie?"

"Not with Marcie, baby" Luna sighed. "I can't say anymore. Just follow her, Al."

Al sighed as Luna disappeared. "Marcie!" he called. He hurried after her. "Wait!" Marcie came to a sudden halt. "I'm sorry."

"You don't have to be..." Marcie began. "I just can't... be here."

"Then where do you want to go?" Al asked soothingly. "I'll take you anywhere you need to go, just name it."



Roxy sat forward in a chair at the salon as Ron and Bobby made their way downstairs.

"Good morning, Roxy" Ron yawned.

"I thought you'd be sleepin' all day the way you were in and out last night." Roxy said.

"What are you spying on me, Rox?" Ron laughed but was obviously not amused.

"Well... I couldn't help it. With Nattie not here and the killer out walkin' around... I wanted to make sure he wasn't coming to strangulize me."

"And you saw Ron." Bobby laughed. "You sure you can trust this guy?" he teased.

"What are you talking about?" Ron said.

"This guy... was the kid who used to bring frogs in to school to scare the girls."

Ron laughed. "Only after you chased them down with a handful of worms."

"And no matter how many warnings you got, you still kept doing it," Marcie laughed, standing in the doorway. "Never once learned your lesson."

"Marcie?" Bobby smiled. "Little Marcie Walsh?"

"Not so little anymore." Marcie said. She frowned inwardly. "Bobby Warren, I could pick you out in a crowd of a thousand. How are you?"

Bobby smiled, giving Marcie a nod. "Well I'm finally working again thanks to your brother."

"Yeah, well I figured I owed you the work." Ron said.

Marcie smiled. "Oh!" she said "Bobby... this is Michael McBain." Al shook his hand. She looked at AL. "Bobby and Ron grew up together. He's like the fourth Walsh son."

Al smiled as the door to Foxy Roxy's opened and John entered, followed by two uniformed officers. Roxy swooned. "We're getting a real hunkfest goin' here. You guys'd be good for business. Pull up a chair Johnny."

John shook his head. "Sorry, Rox." he said. "I'm actually here on business." He looked at Ron. "Can you tell me where you were last night?

"I was here... then I took a walk." Ron said.

"Alone?"

"Yeah, why?"

John looked back at the two officers who proceeded towards Ron, cuffing him.

"What are you doing?" Marcie said. "What are you doing, John?"

"I'm sorry Marcie" John said. "Ron Walsh... you're under arrest for the murders of Susan Gelman, Noralyn Atkins, Marissa Kensington, Madison Kensington, and Jessica Buchanan."

"What?!" Ron exclaimed. "This is...this is crazy. You're making a mistake. I didn't kill... I didn't kill anyone."

"You can't do this." Marcie said. "Ron didn't do this." The officers began to lead him away. "Ronnie!"

"It's OK," Ron said as Al held her back. "It's a misunderstanding. I'll be out before lunch."

"Ron..."

"Stay here, Marcie." Ron said.

Marcie stood back as John had Ron led away. "Let me go" Marcie cried. "Let me go, Michael." She fell into his arms sobbing. "Please... let me go."