Yolks on You Box Set

Chapter 17-1

Chapter 17

Kiko mingled as best he could outside, retrieving Mother’s harness from the truck and hooking him up. The goose was in a foul mood from being handled so much, and the children weren’t always the kindest to the poor bird, but Kiko planned to drop him off home the rest of the day. With a little calm Mother would make a full recovery from his irritation.

“Hey, Kiko?”

He turned at the voice to see Buddy Miller standing there, beer in hand. Kiko noticed it was a Muddy Angus; Buddy Miller must have brought his own. The only thing being served in the barn currently was mimosas.

“Hey, Buddy. You want to pet the goose, too?” asked Kiko, smiling. The man shook his head. At the sight of him several parents directed their children away from Kiko. “What is it, then?” He couldn’t imagine anyone had asked him into the barn to look at the cows, or anything that would set him any gloomier than he already was. Perhaps the entire Eggstravaganza reminded him.

Buddy seemed to notice him looking at the bottle.

“It’s my first,” he said. “Crazy flatlanders, most of ‘em. They’ll suck down mimosas with breakfast but heaven forbid a man have a beer.”

“Well, it isn’t yet nine…” began Kiko, then thought the better of it. “I wonder how many kids drink their parents’ orange juice.”

Buddy smiled a little at that; Kiko grinned at him. Buddy took a drink from his bottle and abruptly got serious.

“Heard you were curious about the explosions,” he said. “You and the other guy. I don’t want you suspecting me or anything.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” said Kiko immediately, disappointed this had come. So all of Mount Angus knew he and Dom were asking questions and discussing the explosion. He wondered briefly just how many people weren’t gossiping about recent events, then reminded himself it was different for them; Dom was an outsider, and they were serious about figuring it out.

“I know you’re really looking,” said Buddy, more forcefully now. “That kid Chad’s parents said you’d been drilling him, and there’s talk you’ve got some sort of list.”

“That’s not what I meant. I meant about suspecting you. That’s ridiculous. You’d never do that to…” Kiko trailed off. Buddy blinked hard, took a large drink from his bottle, looked away.

“You’re damn right I’d never do anything to Buddy Angus. But if you suspect, I’m here to tell you it’s not like that. I’m helping the cops, Kiko. I want them to catch the filthy murderer more than anyone.”

Kiko didn’t want to debate that with him, though he suspected that if any of the deceased woman’s family were to hear him, they’d want to murder him themselves. Kiko simply nodded.

“We all want this over with.”

“I want him held accountable,” said Buddy. “It’s not enough for it just to be over. There has to be a price to pay. That’s why I’m working with the cops to offer a reward.”

“A reward?”

“Yeah, more than that stupid golden egg. Hope it’ll be motivation to anyone who knows anything. I’m going to announce it at nine-thirty. Someone’s got to know something. What say you?”

Buddy Miller looked up at him and Kiko felt very awkward. The man wasn’t asking him about his opinions on the reward; he wanted to know what Kiko knew. Dom would not be happy to know Kiko had told one of his favorite suspects, but Kiko truly did not believe Buddy Miller had done anything. Even so, there was the unfortunate problem that whatever he told the brewmeister now would likely get all around Mount Angus by ten and then the killer would know.

But maybe that wasn’t a bad thing. With what he and Dom knew common knowledge, maybe the murderer would have a harder time in their schemes. Everyone would be on the lookout. The police may even announce the rumors as false, which would just lead to confusion. If the culprit was discovered quickly enough, this might not be a problem at all.

“I don’t think it’s much,” he said, and Buddy Miller pulled the beer away from his lips.

“I’m listening.”

“It’s surprisingly difficult to gather any kind of information on something like this,” said Kiko. “So I’m not even sure how reliable it is. Most of what we know is just pieced together. The, uh, unknown person—”

“Murderer, villain, pile of s**t,” said Buddy Miller, taking a swig. “They’re good words. Use them.”

Kiko selected the one he felt was the most accurate without being overly dramatic, and continued.

“The murderer, then, planted bombs—”

“Everyone knows that already,” said Buddy Miller, looking angry. Kiko sighed.

“Just let me talk, Buddy. The bombs were inside plastic eggs. All of them, it looks like, and someone had to set them after they were already where they were supposed to be. Someone sneaked into my side building and completely rearranged all the Grand Hunt boxes when they were setting the one that sent Chad to the hospital.”

“So?” Buddy Miller was getting impatient. Kiko glanced around, glad Dom was otherwise occupied.

“So that means it’s probably not you, or me, or either Joy or Briana. Whoever’s doing this is likely after the award money, and take into account that plus the way the explosions happened, and we’re eliminated.”

Buddy eyed him suspiciously. Kiko could tell he didn’t really follow; he prepared himself to launch into the explanation he and Dom had just had about the matter.

“Not sure how much to trust you,” said Buddy. “You said you weren’t a suspect. But you know what happened on your ground.”

Kiko winced. Here it was. Buddy Miller obviously suspected him to some extent, as Buddy Angus had expired at the Yolks on You parking lot. And he very much doubted there was anything he could say that would assuage that suspicion. So he didn’t bother.

“You wanted to know what we’re working on. That’s what we’ve discovered. We could be way off—we’re not the cops, after all. But I know it’s not you. And the list? It’s just everyone who’s able to win the Chamber of Commerce award. It’s nothing all that deep.” He paused. “I am curious—what amount are you offering for information?”

“Ten grand,” said Buddy Miller, finishing his beer. He gestured at Kiko with the empty bottle. “And you can tell whoever you want about it.”