Risky Undertaking by Mark de Castrique

driver’s license in Jimmy Panther’s wallet, I knew he’d been twenty-nine. Sometimes boyfriends and big brothers don’t get along.
    â€œEddie had to work last night?” I asked.
    â€œYes. Second shift.”
    â€œOn a Sunday?”
    â€œHe works at Cherokee Boxes. Every three months they pull apart the corrugating machines for cleaning and maintenance. It happens over the weekend so as not to disrupt production.”
    â€œDid you see him when he got off?”
    â€œOh, God, no. He’s a mess of ink and grease.”
    â€œYou talk to him?”
    Skye stiffened. “Why are you so interested in Eddie?”
    â€œHe was Jimmy’s friend. Maybe he heard from Jimmy before going into work.”
    â€œEddie was with me in the afternoon. We were hanging out at his place. He left for work a little before three.”
    â€œHave you seen him today?”
    â€œYes. He came by as soon as he heard about Jimmy.” She looked at her grandmother. “He wanted to stay but Emmama said there was no sense in him missing work.”
    Emma nodded in agreement. “Nothing he could do.”
    I looked up at Romero. “Would you set up a time for me to talk to him?”
    â€œYeah. Any angle in particular?”
    â€œI want to know why Jimmy was happy.”
    â€œHappy?” Skye asked.
    â€œYour grandmother said he seemed more content than usual. Do you agree?”
    Skye thought about the question. “I don’t know. I guess so. He was no longer upset about the cemetery, if that’s what you mean. He thought he’d made his point, and when that man attacked him, he received a lot of sympathy both inside and outside.”
    I stood. “My thanks to both of you. And I’m very sorry we’re meeting under these conditions.” I helped Emma up from the bench.
    Romero stepped back to clear the way. “I’d like to dust for prints on the shelves. No need for y’all to wait here. I know you’ve got company to tend to. I’ll get my kit from the car.” He took Emma by the arm and started down the trail.
    I stepped in front of Skye, blocking her path. “One word in private, please.” I nodded for Tommy Lee to go on.
    Skye took a step back, startled by my action.
    â€œI want to apologize. I shouldn’t have asked you about your personal relationships in front of your grandmother.”
    â€œShe knows Eddie and I go out.”
    â€œI understand. It’s just when I asked if you went straight home last night, you hesitated. I thought maybe you stopped someplace else. Someplace you didn’t want to mention.”
    Skye’s eyes narrowed. “What I do is my business.”
    â€œWhat I do is everything I can to find who murdered your brother. And when someone’s not being honest with me, I ask why. Nothing is too trivial or too personal.”
    She exhaled slowly and looked over my shoulder. I turned to see Emma, Romero, and Tommy Lee disappear into the woods.
    â€œAll right,” she said. “I swung by Eddie’s first.”
    â€œI thought he was working.”
    â€œSometimes the maintenance weekend finishes early. Eddie’s trailer’s in a dead zone for cell coverage, and he keeps his phone in a locker when he’s on the job. When he didn’t answer, he could have been either place. But he wasn’t home.”
    â€œSo you left?”
    â€œI have a key. I waited about an hour and then went straight to my apartment. When Eddie saw me today, he said they didn’t clock out till midnight.”
    I stepped aside and we started walking together.
    â€œAny particular reason you went by so late?” I asked.
    â€œTo apologize. We had a silly argument yesterday afternoon.”
    â€œAnything to do with Jimmy?”
    â€œEverything to do with Jimmy. Eddie was worried the demonstration at the cemetery had backfired. The man was burying his wife. I said Jimmy wasn’t afraid