name, like something in the Bible.”
“More useless information,” he said.
“Well, at least you know the killer isn’t named Cliff or Bruce.”
“Is that a joke?” Detective Gray asked.
“Not a very good one,” Josie said in a small voice. “That’s all I know.”
“Well, it isn’t a whole hell of a lot,” he said.
“Edna started to tell me more, but then Jennifer came out of the store. She’s another saleswoman. Edna said Jennifer was Dave’s spy. She got scared and ran away and—” Josie couldn’t say the rest. It was too horrible.
“Looks like we’d better have a talk with this Jennifer,” Detective Gray said. “In the meantime, let’s go over your statement again, from the top.”
They went over the details twice more. Then Josie signed a statement. “I’m really tired,” she said. “It’s been a terrible night.”
“It wasn’t a whole lot of fun for Edna, either,” Detective Gray said.
Josie fought back the tears.
“Officer Richards will follow you home,” Detective Gray said. “You will give him your boss’s after-hours phone number. If you don’t cooperate, I’ll throw you in jail as a material witness.”
It was nearly two in the morning when Josie pulled in front of her flat. Officer Richards parked behind her. Josie saw the lights on in her flat. She parked the car and sleep-walked past the couch out by the curb. Officer Richards walked next to her. He stank of menthol and made crunching sounds. Josie guessed he was chewing cough drops.
Jane was waiting for her at the door.
“Mom, I have to get some information for this officer, and then he’s going home.”
“You look tired,” Jane said to the officer. “May I get you some coffee or a brownie?”
“Thank you, ma’am, but if I don’t get back, I’ll be skinned alive.”
Josie found Harry’s emergency number in her bedroom office. As she passed Amelia’s room, her daughter called softly, “Mom, are we still getting the cat tomorrow?”
“After school, sweetie. That’s a promise.”
“Good,” Amelia said.
Josie handed the information to Officer Richards and walked him to the door. She noticed Mrs. Mueller peering out the slats in her blinds. The old snoop was on duty even in the middle of the night.
Josie closed and locked the front door. She expected her mother to be angry. Instead, Jane was sympathetic. “You look tired,” she said softly. “How are you, sweetheart?”
“I’m fine, Mom,” Josie said. “But Edna’s not. She’s dead.”
The tears that Josie had held back all night suddenly burst forth. Jane folded Josie into her arms and Josie cried on her mother’s shoulder for the first time in years.
“It will be okay. It will be okay.” Jane patted her daughter and held her like a child. “Sit down and I’ll bring you some hot tea.”
Josie didn’t even realize she was sitting on her new couch.
Chapter 6
Josie spent the night drifting in and out of an uneasy sleep. She remembered tiny, terrible details from Edna’s murder: The broken glass glittering in her dark hair like stardust. The sad, inhuman angle of her neck. The dark pool of blood under her back.
And the deep suspicion in homicide Detective Gray’s intelligent eyes.
After several restless hours, she staggered out to the kitchen for coffee. Then Josie sat on her new couch, reveling in its soft cushions and unstained upholstery.
Josie wrote her report and e-mailed it to Harry, along with a note explaining what happened last night. Maybe she should call and warn him. It was six thirty in the morning. She dialed the emergency number, but there was no answer. She didn’t leave a message.
She assumed that was his home number and wondered when he would come into the Suttin office, read her report, and erupt.
Her phone practically jumped off the kitchen wall ten minutes later. Josie took a quick gulp of coffee before she answered.
“Josie Marcus, why did you tell the cops about that purse cam video?” Harry
“More useless information,” he said.
“Well, at least you know the killer isn’t named Cliff or Bruce.”
“Is that a joke?” Detective Gray asked.
“Not a very good one,” Josie said in a small voice. “That’s all I know.”
“Well, it isn’t a whole hell of a lot,” he said.
“Edna started to tell me more, but then Jennifer came out of the store. She’s another saleswoman. Edna said Jennifer was Dave’s spy. She got scared and ran away and—” Josie couldn’t say the rest. It was too horrible.
“Looks like we’d better have a talk with this Jennifer,” Detective Gray said. “In the meantime, let’s go over your statement again, from the top.”
They went over the details twice more. Then Josie signed a statement. “I’m really tired,” she said. “It’s been a terrible night.”
“It wasn’t a whole lot of fun for Edna, either,” Detective Gray said.
Josie fought back the tears.
“Officer Richards will follow you home,” Detective Gray said. “You will give him your boss’s after-hours phone number. If you don’t cooperate, I’ll throw you in jail as a material witness.”
It was nearly two in the morning when Josie pulled in front of her flat. Officer Richards parked behind her. Josie saw the lights on in her flat. She parked the car and sleep-walked past the couch out by the curb. Officer Richards walked next to her. He stank of menthol and made crunching sounds. Josie guessed he was chewing cough drops.
Jane was waiting for her at the door.
“Mom, I have to get some information for this officer, and then he’s going home.”
“You look tired,” Jane said to the officer. “May I get you some coffee or a brownie?”
“Thank you, ma’am, but if I don’t get back, I’ll be skinned alive.”
Josie found Harry’s emergency number in her bedroom office. As she passed Amelia’s room, her daughter called softly, “Mom, are we still getting the cat tomorrow?”
“After school, sweetie. That’s a promise.”
“Good,” Amelia said.
Josie handed the information to Officer Richards and walked him to the door. She noticed Mrs. Mueller peering out the slats in her blinds. The old snoop was on duty even in the middle of the night.
Josie closed and locked the front door. She expected her mother to be angry. Instead, Jane was sympathetic. “You look tired,” she said softly. “How are you, sweetheart?”
“I’m fine, Mom,” Josie said. “But Edna’s not. She’s dead.”
The tears that Josie had held back all night suddenly burst forth. Jane folded Josie into her arms and Josie cried on her mother’s shoulder for the first time in years.
“It will be okay. It will be okay.” Jane patted her daughter and held her like a child. “Sit down and I’ll bring you some hot tea.”
Josie didn’t even realize she was sitting on her new couch.
Chapter 6
Josie spent the night drifting in and out of an uneasy sleep. She remembered tiny, terrible details from Edna’s murder: The broken glass glittering in her dark hair like stardust. The sad, inhuman angle of her neck. The dark pool of blood under her back.
And the deep suspicion in homicide Detective Gray’s intelligent eyes.
After several restless hours, she staggered out to the kitchen for coffee. Then Josie sat on her new couch, reveling in its soft cushions and unstained upholstery.
Josie wrote her report and e-mailed it to Harry, along with a note explaining what happened last night. Maybe she should call and warn him. It was six thirty in the morning. She dialed the emergency number, but there was no answer. She didn’t leave a message.
She assumed that was his home number and wondered when he would come into the Suttin office, read her report, and erupt.
Her phone practically jumped off the kitchen wall ten minutes later. Josie took a quick gulp of coffee before she answered.
“Josie Marcus, why did you tell the cops about that purse cam video?” Harry
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