“Hush, Fred. I need to hear the engine turn over.” He quit barking, and I tried again. The distinctive click of the solenoid told me it was the battery. There wasn’t enough juice to engage the starter.

Fred jumped out when I opened my door to check under the hood. “Stay!” I told him. “Don’t you even think about chasing after that car.” He actually obeyed, and got back into the Jeep. I’m sure if he thought there was any chance of catching the SUV, he would have ignored me.

The problem was simply a corroded battery cable. Luckily, my soda hadn’t spilled in all the excitement, so I poured some on the corrosion that resembled green mold. The reaction reminded me of my boyhood days when I’d add baking soda to vinegar. After the fizzing died down, I wiped everything clean and tried starting the Jeep again. I’d like to say it purred like a kitten, but it really sounded more like a tomcat courting a female in heat.

It was time to put Plan A in motion and go commit another felony, but before I could get back out to close the hood, a sheriff’s truck came down the road and stopped at my Jeep.

The deputy lowered his window. “Need a tow, sir?”

“Thanks, Officer,” I said, and slammed the hood closed. “Just a loose cable, but I appreciate the offer.”

He shut off his truck and picked up a microphone before I could get back in my Jeep. I froze. Could I be arrested for thinking about breaking and entering? “Negative on that ten-thirty-seven,” he said.

I had no idea what a ten-thirty-seven was and didn’t want to find out. “Well, take care of that beautiful dog,” he said, before closing his window and driving off.

Plan A went south along with Plan B. I couldn’t get away from Appleton’s fast enough.

***

“This is really good,” Bonnie said between bites of pizza. At least that’s what I thought she said. Her mandibles were still working on the thick crust as she tried to talk.

“Glad you like it, but are you sure you wouldn’t prefer a little dirt and gravel with it?”

She laughed then poured more honey on the crust.

The three of us were sitting at her kitchen table eating the pizza I finally got around to after the little side trip to Appleton’s cabin. Half the pizza was gone by the time I had told her about our adventure and the run-in with the Sherriff’s deputy who saved me and Fred from breaking into Appleton’s cabin.

“So what do you think, Bon? Is it the same SUV you saw?”

She seemed to be deciding on whether to answer my question or take another bite of the pizza crust. “I can’t tell from that picture, Jake. It’s too small, but I can tell you what a ten-thirty-seven is. Wait here while I get my scanner codes.” who saved me and Fred from breaking into Appleton’s cabin.

I knew she kept the codes by her scanner, and wasn’t surprised when she came back in less than a minute. Fred hardly had time to eat the crust of my pizza.

“Here it is,” she said, positioning her glasses on her nose and holding the paper at arm’s length. “Ten-thirty-seven, investigating suspicious vehicle. Someone must have reported you casing the joint.”

“I wasn’t there long enough. It must have been the SUV they reported, and the cop assumed it was me.”

Bonnie put the scanner codes on the table and helped herself to another slice of pizza. “That explains why he didn’t report us,” she said.

“You mean when he drove by while we were trying to erase our fingerprints?”

“Of course, silly. What did you think I meant?”

She didn’t wait for my answer, and went on talking. “He must have been waiting for us to leave, so he could break in.”

“Which also means he doesn’t live around there, or the neighbors wouldn’t have called in a suspicious vehicle,” I said, before being interrupted by Fred’s ‘feed me bark’. I tore off a piece of crust and threw it to him.

Bonnie looked a little hurt as she watched Fred devour his treat. “That’s the best part, Jake.”

She didn’t have to explain. Julie had loved the crust too. It’s why I always ordered thick-crust pizzas, for though I only cared for the center, Julie loved the taste of honey-coated pizza crust. “Sorry, Bon. I should have asked you first.”

“Not for me, silly. You’re missing the best part, and besides, that much people food can’t be good for him.”

I turned back to Fred who was watching my pizza like it was a cat. “What do you think, boy? Would you rather have dog food?”

He answered with another short bark, but this time I didn’t feed him. “Speaking of people food, does Patty drive a Mercedes?”

Bonnie stared at me blankly.

“The food she brought you Wednesday night to celebrate not being a suspect anymore,” I said, trying to explain how Patty had popped into my mind. “How well do you know her?”

A smile replaced the blank expression making her wrinkles less visible. “Like my own sister. I met her when I was going to CU and now I see her every Sunday at church. Why do you ask?”

“Watching Fred devour that pizza reminded me of turning down her home cooking. How come she knows so much about Mark Twain?”

“She worked at her daddy’s bookstore in Boulder for years. He specialized in old and rare books so I guess she picked it up from him. That’s where we first met. I would spend a lot of time browsing the old books after classes. Something you can’t do much now that eBooks have put most of those stores out of business.”

“Sorry, Bon, but if not for those eBooks, Fred and I would be eating squirrel.”

Bonnie smiled at my remark then went back to her story. She had the faraway look in her eyes I used to see in my parents when they talked about the good old days. “She inherited the store when her father passed but had to close it several years ago. Surely you don’t think she had anything to do with all this?”

“No, of course not. It was that thing about her telling Shelia she had one of the pirate copies. I guess she must have seen a chance to sell one of her father’s old books. I’m really grasping at straws, Bon. I’m pretty sure Craig Renfield had something to do with Shelia’s demise and probably killed Appleton too.”

Bonnie looked horrified. “Are you saying Appleton didn’t kill Shelia? I thought you gave up on that theory when he confessed. I hope you don’t tell anyone else that. I’ll be their prime suspect again.”

“Mum’s the word, Bon. Unless Fred tells someone, this won’t leave the room; not that the cops would take me seriously.”

She seemed to consider what I’d said for a moment before speaking again. “But some smart cop might come to the same conclusion. What if they do one of those tests on the suicide note like you see on TV all the time? If you’re right, and someone forged the note after killing Appleton, they’ll be back to looking for who really killed Shelia.”

“I assume you’re referring to a handwriting analysis. They don’t have a reason to think otherwise, so I doubt they would bother. But we know better. There’s no way he killed himself, and whoever killed Appleton wasn’t working alone.”

She didn’t have to ask what I meant, her blank stare said it for her. The conversation had obviously taken a turn in the wrong direction. I could see she was getting upset. It was time to leave.

“The blood on his deck, Bon,” I said, before wiping my mouth with a napkin, and standing. “I think Appleton was killed at his cabin then taken to Three Sisters where the murderer forged a suicide note.”

Fred had been waiting patiently for more table scraps and must have sensed I was leaving. He left my side of the table and went over to beg from Bonnie.

Bonnie unconsciously fed him some of her crust before closing the pizza box. “And why do you think he had an accomplice?” she asked.

“Someone had to give the murderer a ride after parking Appleton’s truck at the park,” I said, waiting for Fred to join me.

She finally seemed to follow my reasoning. “So Craig killed Appleton at his cabin, then drove his truck to Three Sisters, wrote the note, and was picked up by someone. Have you figured out who that was, too?”