Page 41 of Lethal Danger

A small smile, more natural than Aunt Joan’s usual smiles, curved her closed mouth. “It seems like only a week ago when you and Nevaeh were getting underfoot in here.” Her gaze traveled over the office. “You’d usually come in to ask about lunch, though your faces were already covered with the purple and pink cotton candy you’d convinced one of the vendors to give you.” Was that fondness that lifted her tone?

Couldn’t be. Aunt Joan had been thoroughly annoyed every time Jazz had bothered her at the fair. Which was why Jazz and Nev had spent ninety-five percent of their time on their own elsewhere on the grounds, not in the office.

But the gaze Aunt Joan settled on Jazz held something Jazz had never seen aimed at her before. For a second, Jazz thought it was approval. But it couldn’t be that.

It was probably nostalgia that had nothing to do with Jazz. Memories of the fair’s happiest times. Jazz was happy to share those. “Well, we were very content with cotton candy for lunch every day.” She smiled.

And Aunt Joan smiled back. A large, real expression of happiness. But it only lasted a second. “If only everyone understood the importance of the fair the way you do.” A frown tipped her mouth as she glanced at the computer screen again. “I’ve spent all morning answering worried emails, some even from our board members.”

She looked up at Jazz. “They thought I might cancel the board’s annual tour of the grounds today. Can you believe that?”

Jazz shook her head, for once glad Aunt Joan had a backbone carved out of steel and never let anyone get in her way.

“I’ve explained to everyone that Butch has increased overnight security, and we’ve added an explosives detection K-9 to ensure there are no more surprises.”

“Good. I saw Bristol and Toby before they left an hour ago. She said everything was clear.”

Aunt Joan gave Jazz a blank stare.

“The explosives detection team.”

“Oh.” Aunt Joan nodded briskly. “Good.”

“I’d like to help.” Jazz stepped closer to the desk and waited for Aunt Joan to look up again.

She did only briefly. “You’re already on the security team.”

“I mean, I’d like to help find who’s doing this so we can catch the culprit and stop it.”

That got her aunt’s attention. “How would you do that?” Aunt Joan’s brown eyes fastened on Jazz’s face.

“Well, we can start with motive. Do you know who would want the fair to shut down?”

Aunt Joan looked past Jazz in the direction of the open office door. Checking for eavesdroppers? When she spoke again, her voice was lowered. “Two years ago, a seventeen-year-old died on our grounds.”

Surprise flittered through Jazz’s torso. Didn’t remember hearing anything about that. Though she would’ve been far too busy being her dad’s caretaker at the time to read any news.

“It was an accident. He fell on one of the rides.”

“Which ride?”

Annoyance flashed in Aunt Joan’s eyes. “Does it matter? The Logboat Adventure ride.”

How would a fall on the Logboat Adventure ride kill someone? There weren’t any significant heights to fall from.

“My point is that although his death was clearly an accident, and the police ruled it as such, we were blamed for it by the naysayers in our community.”

“There are people in the community who don’t like the fair?” The only people Jazz knew of who fit that bill were the ones Hawthorne had told her about yesterday. The Best Life cult.

“Yes. Predominantly the Best Life Community.”

So that was who Aunt Joan meant.

“The boy was apparently one of their members.”

Whoa. That was weird. Hadn’t Hawthorne said the members weren’t allowed to attend the fair?

“Desmond Patch made a public statement that the press ran, of course.”

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