Elaine Viets & Victoria Laurie, Nancy Martin, Denise Swanson - Drop-Dead Blonde (v5.0) (pdf) by Unknown (howl and other poems .TXT) 📕

Skye looked around the bowling alley's bar; once again the room was packed. When they had brought out the equipment, and the horde rushed the stage, she had been afraid they were in for a riot. But Bunny had handed out numbers and assured everyone they would get a turn, which meant that at the rate they were going, some of the people possessing the higher digits might be singing at dawn.

The lady currently in possession of the microphone was droning the longest version of ``Danny Boy'' ever heard outside of Ireland. Skye narrowed her eyes. Was that pink fur beginning to grow on the woman's arm? No, maybe not, but even so, Skye could detect a distinct resemblance to the Energizer Bunny--she just kept singing and singing and singing.

Normally Skye would have slipped out of the bar and hidden somewhere with a good book until the musical may- hem was over. Unfortunately, tonight she was trapped. The bartender hadn't shown up for work, and she'd been forced to fill in for him. Considering her limited knowledge of mixing cocktails, it was a good thing most of the crowd drank beer or some other form of malt beverage from a can, bottle, or keg.

She scanned the room as she filled two mugs from the

212 DEAD BLONDES TELL NO TALES 213 Budweiser tap. Where was Ruby? The blonde hadn't been around since Skye had gotten to the bowling alley that af- ternoon. When asked, Bunny had claimed ignorance of Ruby's whereabouts, and then become busy elsewhere, avoiding further questions.

The final strains of ``Danny Boy'' had barely faded when a man weaing a white jumpsuit, dark glasses, and a wig with long sideburns claimed the stage. Somehow Skye wasn't shocked when he started to sing ``Love Me Tender,'' though she was a bit surprised that he was good.

Skye paused in midpour to inspect the Elvis imperson- ator. He seemed familiar, but with the costume and all it was hard to tell. Was he someone from town?

Her concentration on figuring out Elvis's true identity was broken when Hacker, the missing bartender, material- ized at her side, startling her. She dropped the glass she was holding, and it shattered as it hit the floor.

``Damn!'' Skye immediately knelt to pick up the jagged pieces, bumping into the power-washing gear the cleaning crew had stored behind the bar. She made a mental note to ask Bunny how long that equipment would have to stay there. It was really in the way.

Hacker lowered himself much more slowly. His hands shook as he attempted to help clean up the shards.

``Are you sick?'' Skye asked, keeping her voice low. He looked awful. His eyes were like two poached eggs, and his normally olive skin was yellow. The hula girl he had tat- tooed on his right biceps appeared old and jaundiced.

``I'm fine.'' His normal gravelly voice squeaked as though he were just entering puberty.

``Then where were you?'' Skye checked her watch. ``You're two hours late.''

``I got held up. Sorry.''

Skye frowned. Hacker had appeared in town shortly after the bowling alley opened. He was not originally from Scum- ble River, and it was obvious that he had led a hard life. Skye's best guess was that he was in his fifties, but he could be ten years younger or older. His face had a lived-in qual- ity that made his age hard to estimate. He was going bald on top, but wore what was left of his brown hair in a scrag- gly ponytail.

Bunny had hired him without asking for references, and 214 Denise Swanson Simon had been worried, but up until tonight Hacker had been reliable and an excellent bartender.

Skye wondered if he had been drugging. Soon after he'd begun working at the bar, Bunny had confided to Skye that she had met Hacker at her Narcotics Anonymous meetings.

They finished cleaning up the broken glass and got every- one at the bar served without further conversation. Skye was sitting on a stool, keeping an eye on Hacker and trying to decide what to do, when Simon took the seat beside her.

A woman dressed like Madonna was belting out ``Like a Virgin,'' so he leaned close and asked, ``How are things going around here?''

Skye cut her eyes toward Hacker and whispered in Si- mon's ear, ``He was two hours late and looks like crap, but he claims he's fine.''

Simon examined the bartender. ``Can you cover for him? I want to know what's up.''

``Sure. I want to know too.''

Simon walked over to the older man, spoke to him briefly, and then headed out of the bar toward the bowling alley office. Hacker reluctantly followed him.

From the stage, Bunny watched Hacker and Simon leave with a worried expression.

Skye had served seven beers, a bottle of hard lemonade, and two Zimas by the time the men returned. Hacker took over without comment, and she joined Simon, who was standing by the door.

Simon put his arm around her. ``Let's take a walk.''

She nodded and he led her outside, saying as the doors closed behind them, ``That's better. The off-key singing was getting to me.''

Skye leaned against him. ``You should try listening to it for more than two hours.''

``Poor baby.'' His lips brushed her forehead. ``Seems like they're having fun, though.''

``Yep. So far Bunny's Spring Break Bash has been very good for business.'' Skye twisted a little to look at Simon. ``What's the story with Hacker?''

``He got jumped and was embarrassed to admit that someone got the better of him in a fight.''

``Where? Here in town?'' Skye was amazed. She had never heard of a mugging anywhere in the area. DEAD BLONDES TELL NO TALES 215

``Right here in Scumble River.''

Skye knew she had been listening to karaoke too long, because she half expected Simon