Case of Imagination (7 page)

“Who has a key to the building, Percy?”

“Evan, of course. I don’t think anyone else does.”

“How late was the building open last night?”

“Well, I finally got the girls to walk in a straight line, and then Evan sent them home to practice their talent. I don’t know how he expects me to have the opening number ready by showtime. I left around nine, I think.”

I set the weight aside. “Who’s got it in for you?”

He clasped his large hand to his heart. “Me?”

“Well, this is your show. Somebody might be jealous.”

“The world is jealous of my talents, but there’s no one in this provincial little hick town with enough brain power to mastermind my downfall.”

This guy and Gregory Prill needed to get together. “Does Evan have any enemies?”

“No one I can think of. No one wants his job. They’re very happy he wants to do it every year.”

“How do you know Evan? Are you originally from Celosia?”

“Good lord, no. I live in Parkland. But everyone in the pageant world knows Evan. He’s been at this for years. I’m surprised you’ve never heard of him.”

I’d forgotten what an insulated little world Pageantland could be. “So you’re doing this job as a favor?”

Percy looked insulted. “I don’t do favors. I wanted to show Celosia what a real pageant looks like.” He frowned at the mangled gondolas. “Apparently, my efforts are not appreciated.”

“How about the contestants? Did you turn down some young woman who had her heart set on becoming Miss Celosia?”

He shook his head. “Evan said he had twelve girls audition, and he and the pageant committee took all twelve. They can’t afford to be choosy for such a small pageant. If the girls met the age requirement and paid the entry fee, they were in. Of course, one would think that at least half of them would have some sense of rhythm. I really don’t know if I care to keep beating my head against that particular wall.” He looked down at the piles of curled cardboard. “Not that there’s much wall left in this dismal place. Ah, here’s our lovely Miss Celosia High now.”

Juliet Lovelace came down the aisle, smiling and posing as if the auditorium were full of adoring fans. When she saw the remains of Venice, she stopped. “Wow, Evan said it was a mess. What happened?”

Percy gestured, the folds of his caftan flapping. “Venice is no more.”

She came up to the edge of the stage. “Did somebody do that on purpose?”

“I’m afraid so.”

“Can it be fixed?”

“I have no idea. It’s not my problem, is it? I’m not a stagehand.”

She smiled up at Percy and batted her long eyelashes. “Did you want to talk to me?”

“Me? No.” He gestured toward me. “But I believe Ms. Maclin would like to have a few words with you.”

Juliet frowned as Percy sailed up the aisle. Then she turned and looked me up and down. “So you were Miss Parkland? That must have been some time ago.”

“Forty years. I age well.”

She blinked. Then she got the joke. “What I meant was, I hadn’t heard of you.”

“Miss Parkland was my farewell appearance.”

“You weren’t interested in going on?”

“I’d had enough fun.”

This went by her, too. “It really isn’t fun. It’s work. You have to stay in shape. You have to practice your song. You have to learn stupid dance routines. What did you do for talent?”

“I played the kazoo.”

Whiz. Right over her head. “I’m singing this old song from the Forties. It suits my voice.”

“Juliet,” I said, “do you have any idea who’d want to sabotage the pageant?”

She glanced at the stage. “You mean, do this?”

“And try to burn the curtains.”

“Lots of people. Everyone’s jealous of me—Donna and Randi, especially. Then there’s Ted Stacy and his protesters. They think anybody who participates in a pageant is some kind of traitor to all women.”

“Who stands to gain the most if the pageant’s cancelled?”

“I guess that would be Donna. She’s always coming in second to me. She hates it.”

“Where were you last night?”

“At home, practicing my song.” She gave the stage another long look. “Do you think the pageant will be cancelled?”

“I don’t know.”

“This could’ve been just an accident.”

If someone accidentally moved all the weights and pushed the flats over.

I thanked Juliet. She started to go and then paused as if she wanted to say something else. Then she shrugged and went up the aisle.

Donna Sanchez was the next to enter. Her reaction to Venice’s demise was much more vocal. She flew down the aisle to inspect the damage.

“Oh, my God! Who did this? This is horrible!” She turned to me, hands on hips. She was a dark-eyed brunette with a smooth olive complexion burning red with indignation. “Who’s responsible for this? It’s Juliet, isn’t it?”

“Why do you say that?”

“Oh, she’d do anything to keep me from winning.”

“Or coming in second?”

Donna smiled a grim smile. “Juliet told you that, didn’t she? She’s forgetting cheerleading squad and debate team. I totally blew her away on both, plus I’ve got a full scholarship to Wake Forest, and I think she’s going to study Nail Polishing 101 at Parkland Community College.”

“If you’ve got a full scholarship, why bother with the pageant?”

“Well, to spite Juliet, mostly. She thinks she’s got it sewn up, but I’m going to blow her silky lace panties off.”

An interesting visual. “If the pageant is cancelled, who benefits?”

“Nobody. Well, maybe Mr. Stacy and his friends could gloat a little.”

“Do you really think Juliet is responsible for these incidents?”

“I wouldn’t put it past her. But she’s not running me off. I’ll come put this scenery back together myself if I have to.”

“What did you do after rehearsal last night?”

“Evan suggested everyone go home and practice their talent.”

“And that’s what you did?”

“Yes. Juliet thinks her singing is so wonderful, but everyone says my character ballet is the best they’ve ever seen.”

Donna didn’t look like a ballerina, but that never stops the character ballets. “How about this afternoon when you came in? Who was here?”

“Juliet, Randi, and I had to be here by one o’clock for our interviews.”

“What about the other contestants?”

“Six had interviews yesterday. The remaining three come later this afternoon.”

Randi Peterson was also shocked by the sight of dead Venice. After commenting sadly on the Venetian disaster, she gave me a determined stare. “There’s no way anyone’s scaring me away with these silly pranks. I’m here to compete and to keep Juliet from winning. She doesn’t deserve the crown or the good name of Miss Celosia.”

“Why not?”

Randi had brown curls and hazel eyes under high, perfectly plucked brows. The brows went up even further. “Because she’s a bitch. Can’t you tell?”

“There’s at least one in every pageant.”

“Whoever wins Miss Celosia is supposed to represent our town. She ought to be someone good, don’t you think?”

“Good like sweet and kind?”

“Well, yes. Isn’t that the whole idea? Who wants a Miss Celosia who’s bragging about her special designer gown with the one-of-a-kind sequins and looking down her nose at everyone and chasing after every good-looking man in town?”

“Is that what Juliet’s doing?”

Up went those brows. “You’ve met her. What do you think?”

I thought Juliet Lovelace looked capable of anything, but that didn’t mean she’d actually do anything. “It’s possible.”

She gave an unqueenly snort of laughter. “You got that right.”

“What’s your talent, Randi?”

“I’ve written an original poem I plan to recite.”

“Were you practicing your poem at home last night?”

“Yes, I had my whole family pretend to be the audience so I could practice in front of a crowd. Would you like to hear it?”

Lord, how many of these awful recitations had I heard? “I’d love to, Randi, but I need to speak to the judges.”

“That’s okay. You’ll hear it Saturday night.”

After she’d gone, I sat down for a moment in the front row. Randi and Donna had been genuinely shocked by the ruined set, but I couldn’t read Juliet’s reaction. Maybe she was so confident she’d win the pageant, a collapsed Venice didn’t worry her. Unlike Randi and Donna, who were determined that the pageant go on as scheduled, Juliet seemed unconcerned about the future of Miss Celosia.

Evan came down the aisle, wiping his brow. “Are you ready for the judges now, Madeline? I told them you were officially investigating these disturbing incidents, and everyone’s agreed to help you as much as they can.”

“Thanks, Evan.”

He took a deep breath and blew it out. “They’re waiting for you in my office. I’ve got to find Percy. He’s being very difficult.”

Chuck Hofsteder, Kimberly Dawn Williams, and Benjy Goins were sitting in Evan’s office. Chuck offered me a chair.

“You’re not seeing the Miss Celosia Pageant at its best, Madeline. I apologize.”

Kimberly Dawn Williams got out her compact and added another layer. Whoever supplied her with eye shadow was making a fortune. “I still can’t believe you gave up the pageant circuit, Madeline. It’s opened so many doors for me.”

“I had other interests,” I said.

“But isn’t the detective business dangerous?”

“So far, I’ve managed to stay out of any gun battles.”

She finished larding on the blue eye shadow. “I don’t imagine Celosia would have any sort of battles.”

“You’re not concerned about this latest break-in?”

She shook her head. Not a strand of hair moved. “Just some kids playing pranks. We’ve had some trouble with vandalism at the high school, too. Evan’s making sure the building is locked.”

“Did he call the police?”

“I don’t think we want any more negative publicity.”

“I’ve noticed how quickly news gets around in Celosia. He can’t keep this kind of thing a secret for long.”

Kimberly Dawn turned to Chuck. “How is Evan handling that, Chuck?”

“He had Chief Brenner come by,” Hofsteder said. “He advised Evan to keep the door locked.”

She rolled her eyes. “How helpful.”

“Well, nothing was stolen. Amps, microphones, CD player, all sitting here. All that video equipment Benjy brought from the TV station, untouched. Brenner’s thinking some kids got in, got to horsing around, and knocked down the set.”

Kimberly Dawn looked satisfied. “That’s it, then. The show will go on.”

“Let me ask you about this show,” I said. “Who stands the best chance of winning?”

Chuck was so eager to answer, he almost raised his hand. “We all know Juliet can be a little difficult, but strictly off the record, she’s our best chance at winning Miss Parkland this year. Seriously, I think that girl could go all the way.”

“And we’ve got a little score to settle with Dixley,” Benjy Goins said.

Dixley’s a town about the size of Celosia, located a few miles south of Parkland.

“You have a rivalry with the Miss Dixley Pageant?”

“It was an absolute scandal the way their girl took second place at Miss Parkland last year,” Chuck said. “She didn’t have a tenth of the talent our girl did. Those judges were blind and tone deaf.”

“So, unofficially, you feel Juliet is the best choice.”

Kimberly Dawn didn’t look as pleased as the men. “We’re not just going to give her the crown. She’ll have to prove she’s worthy.”

“I think her talent is the best,” Benjy Goins said.

“Did anyone stay here last night to practice her talent?”

“No, Evan sent them home. He doesn’t like to wear everyone out.”

“Did any of you stay?”

“We weren’t needed last night, so no, we weren’t here.”

“Do any of the contestants smoke?”

Kimberly Dawn looked appalled. “They’d better not!”

Chuck pointed to Evan’s desk. “Evan’s the only one who smokes, and he’s trying to cut down. He keeps a pack in his desk for emergencies.”

At that moment, Evan, with Cindy in tow, came in, wringing his handkerchief and mopping his brow. “I can’t decide if I’m upset or not,” he said. “Percy has quit. He says the girls are impossible to teach. He says it can’t be done. Now, I’m really quite glad to be rid of him, but he was also our accompanist.”

“Don’t worry,” Benjy Goins said. “I know someone who plays piano for the Sunday morning gospel hour radio show. He’ll be happy to do it.”

“Thank you, Benjy.” Evan James looked at me entreatingly. “Tell me you have some idea who is behind all this.”

I had to admit it looked like minor vandalism. “Just keep everything locked, like the police said.”

I could tell he was disappointed I didn’t have the criminal in hand. He sighed. “Very well. Benjy, please have your friend come over right away so I can show him what needs to be done.”