Death Knocks on Halloween - Ch 1 pt 2

         "As I was saying before we were so rudely interrupted," grinned DiAngelo, "I found a couple of kids who were trick or treating last night.  They think they saw something."
         DiAngelo filled them in on the details while they walked to a house three blocks away.  As Wheeler turned up his overcoat collar against the biting wind, he wished they'd taken the car.
         "Mrs. Allman," said DiAngelo to the attractive woman who answered the door, "this is Detective Wheeler and Detective Dunne."
         "Hello, Mrs. Allman," said Wheeler, wiping away some of the drizzle that had slithered into his collar.  "I understand your boys saw something that might help with the case we're following."
         "Yes, come in,” she said.  Dakota!  Steele!  You have some visitors."
         Two tow-headed boys rattled down the stairs.  Their mother introduced them.  Wheeler nodded to Dunne.
         "Hi, guys," said Dunne.  "Officer DiAngelo told us you saw something last night."
         "There's no sense standing here," said Mrs. Allman.  "Let's go into the living room."
         When they were all seated, Dunne continued.  "How old are you, Dakota?"
         "Ten," he said.
         "And I'm seven," added Steele.  "And I want to be a policeman when I grow up."
         "Well, we'll look forward to working with you."
         "Cool," the boy enthused.
         Wheeler didn't envy the well-behaved kids their names.  He could never imagine a bank president called Dakota.
         "So," began Dunne, "there was a little trouble last night at Mrs. Fleming's at 280 Clarence Street.  We just want to know if you'd seen anything when you were trick or treating.  Was your mom with you?"
         "No," said Dakota, obviously the shyer of the two. 
         “Then was your dad?”
"Um, no.  This was the first year we could go out alone."
         "But your friends Jimmy and Kyle were with us," Steele reminded him.
         "I thought it would be a good chance to teach Dakota responsibility," said Mrs. Allman, nervously justifying herself.
         "And did he do well?
         She smiled.  "Yes, as a matter of fact, he did."
         "So you were with Jimmy and Kyle.  And how do you remember Mrs. Fleming so well?"
         "Because the lady gives out chocolate," said Steele.
         "Not many people do," added his brother.
         "What time did you get to her house?"
         "I don't know exactly," said Dakota.
         “You can give me your best estimate,” said Dunne.
"Um, we went out at seven and we had to be back by eight-thirty.  We went around in a circle and she was on our way back.  It was probably around eight maybe."
         "Tell me about your trick or treating there."
         "We knocked on the door and heard voices behind it and when the lady answered -"
         "What did she look like?"
         "She was old - like Grandma," replied Steele.
         "Yeah," agreed Dakota.  "So when the lady answered, she wasn't looking at us first, she was still talking."
         "Did you hear what she said?"
         "No.  We were yelling 'Trick or treat.'  But then a man came into the hallway and he said something like 'What business is it of yours, Mom?'”
         “Naw,” said Steele.  “He said, 'It's none of your business, Mom.'”
         “Okay.  But when he saw us, he was kind of embarrassed or something, so he backed out.  And then she gave us our chocolate bars that she had in a bowl.  She let us pick what we wanted."
         "She was nice," said Steele.
         "Can you tell us what the man looked like?"
         "Sure, it was the guy in the TV commercials.  You know, 'Fleming's is the place to go.'"  He gave an off-key rendition of the jingle.  "Jimmy and Kyle'll tell you, too."
         "Was there a car in the driveway?"
         "Maybe," Dakota said.  "I don't know."
         "Steele, did you see a car?"
         The boy shrugged his shoulders.
         "Have you talked to Kyle and Jimmy since Officer DiAngelo was here?"
         "No, he told us not to," said Steele.
         Dunne turned to Mrs. Allman.  "I think he'll make a good detective some day.”
         Steele giggled.
         Dunne turned to DiAngelo.  "Has anyone spoken to Jimmy and Kyle?"
         "McGee's there now, getting a statement."
         "Jimmy and Kyle are brothers?"
         "Sort of," said Dakota.  "Jimmy's dad married Kyle's mom."
         "I see.  Well, thanks, boys.  Mrs. Allman."  They stood up.  "Now, we might have to send someone back to get a statement, if that's okay."
         "Sure!" exclaimed Steele.
         Wheeler had to hand it to Dunne:  he had an incredible rapport with kids.  Before Jenny Groskopf had joined the force, he'd been a success as "Officer Steve."
         The three policemen conferred on the sidewalk outside.
         "The other lead I had was the party house along Clarence Street," said DiAngelo.
         "Go ahead," said Wheeler, spading his hands into his overcoat pockets to keep them warm.
         "It's not much, really.  Just extra footwork that could lead to something.  The hosts were the Robinsons - a couple in their early 20s.  Anyway, they were still pretty hungover at one o'clock when I called.  The house was a mess and it took a couple of cups of coffee to pull the two of them together.  They coughed up a list of the guests they knew - it seems there were some gate-crashers.  They couldn't say who might have arrived when, but I've got a list of forty-six people."
         "Once you're done around here," said Wheeler, "you'd better follow it up."
         Enthusiasm drained from DiAngelo's voice.  "Yes, sir."