“What do you mean?”
“Skyhawk with no drummer.”
“You don’t hang around a lot. They have no lead singer and they’ve managed.”
Sky laughed. “All those guys sing, and they’ve divided the songs well. But being a drummer...hmm, harder call.”
“And the rock world is filled with them.”
“But not drummers who belong with Skyhawk.”
“Hey, let’s focus. Be charming and fun and see what we can learn about people.”
Sky nodded gravely. “Someone fixed that amp. And they knew how to do it. Fray it just enough that the band would be in the middle of something and that would mean my dad would be impatient enough to fix it himself without stopping the show.”
“They’re all fairly tech-savvy when it comes to the shows.”
“No, seriously, think about it. There’s so much going on. The light show, the mic stands, the amplifiers, all usually run by a good DJ until the band’s front man takes over. I think—”
“I think we’re talking about a single wire—one mic.”
She stopped, almost tripping down the stairs. She grabbed his arm to steady herself. Naturally, he was there, catching her. But she looked into his eyes.
“You knew—you knew long before all this came along. You have known that what happened to my dad wasn’t an accident and—”
“I haven’t known anything. I’ve suspected some things, yes. But don’t you understand? We don’t know who to suspect, and even if we did, damn it, Sky, the legal system works on proof. I don’t like that you’re here, because yes, I think something was done on purpose to your dad. And if whoever did it thinks you’re on his trail, there’s going to be another so-called accident!”
She was still holding his arm. His hands were still on her shoulders.
The buzzing sounded again.
He released her and turned and headed on down the stairs, hitting keys on his system that opened the gate and the front door.
He stepped out to the porch.
Their lunch guests were arriving.
Chapter Four
“Skylar of Skyhawk! Wow, kid, it is great to see you!”
Nathan Harrison was the first to arrive. He greeted Skylar with a massive hug, pulling her tightly into an embrace, then setting her at arm’s length to study her. “Honey,” he added, “you are beautiful like your mama, but man...do you have a lot of your dad in you! That dark hair and those blue, blue eyes! I’m thrilled, and I swear,” he added, suddenly serious, “your daddy is going to be smiling up in heaven, knowing his girl is doing his stuff with a voice to challenge the angels!”
Nathan was a solid, strong and good-looking man with red-blond hair, a beard and a mustache that made him look like a Viking roadie. He’d always been nice to her, but she knew he could be wild.
She liked Nathan. His hug was warm. His welcome seemed real.
But then, who? She had always cared about these people, her “uncles” when Skyhawk had performed with all this crew for years and years.
“Hey!” Chase said lightly. “Watch the merchandise.”
“Aw, come on! Jealous of an old man?” Nathan returned. He cast his head at an angle, arching a brow. “Hmm. You young-uns are hosting this luncheon together, I surmise?”
“Well, it’s lunch, and we’re both here,” Sky said lightly. “Nathan, great to see you. How have you been?”
“Up to no good, like usual!”
Stepping from behind Nathan, Joe Garcia was doing the talking. He wasn’t a short man, being about six feet even, but Chase and Nathan were about six three or so, making him appear small in their presence. But Joe was a showman, too. He’d kept in shape and could move like a man thirty years his junior.
He must have also been a mind reader because he quickly said, “Come on, now! The best things come in small packages!”
“There’s nothing small about you,” Sky assured him dryly, giving him a hug, too.
The buzz sounded again.
“That’s going to be Justin and Charlie,” Nathan told them. “You know, both moved out of New Orleans. Justin’s living down in Orlando and Charlie headed up to Baton Rouge. The pandemic years were hard, Skyhawk wasn’t performing and...”
“Hey!” Joe protested. “We kept you guys on payroll all the way through it.” He looked at Sky and gave her an encouraging smile. “That was something your dad insisted on—none of the usual bonuses and perks, but a paycheck at the very least.”
“And were we grateful! But in Orlando, Justin could have his family near the theme parks, and there wound up being some work down there. But you know Justin—he’d never let anything interfere with Skyhawk.” He laughed suddenly. “He liked being a three-to four-hour drive to the Fort Lauderdale and Miami areas, too. ’Cause, you know, Skyhawk isn’t the only group heading out there! He took the kids down to see Cheap Trick last year, and he worked some old-timers, too. Anyway, he’s super excited. Says that age doesn’t dull a rocker—like Cheap Trick commanded that state. But this show has you, Sky! The Sky of Skyhawk. Sold out, you know, and resales... People are asking like crazy—in the thousands—to get in. This is going to...”
“Rock?” Chase suggested.
“We will rock it,” Joe promised. “Hey, it’s Itch and Scratch, Mr. Mom Justin and Wild Man, Crazy Charlie. Now, there’s a pairing for you!”
Justin and Charlie came in, making faces at Joe. “Hey, Mr. Mom?” Justin demanded.
“Said with love and all good things,” Joe promised him. “You managed this all being a great husband and dad.”
