Then the gurney was gone.
Under Sgt. Craigie’s watchful eye, Officer Nielson was taking the names and addresses of all the PEZ collectors in the Pine Room and sending them home. When Dr. Fonseca’s turn arrived, Sgt. Craigie asked him to stay behind.
Craigie called Connie Albicocco and Hobart Lindsey over. “I want to get to the bottom of this before we close up shop and go home.”
“Bottom of what?” Fonseca’s accent seemed to come and go like a cloud on a summer’s afternoon.
“The death of Mr. Zipf.”
“He suffered a cerebral embolism. What you laymen call a stroke.”
“That’s your diagnosis, Doctor?”
“I examined the man. There’s no question.”
“Well, we’ll see what the coroner has to say. Now suppose you folks tell me what was going on here. Looks like a collectors’ swap-meet.” She pointed
