Trial by Fury (9780061754715) by Judith A. Jance

that.”
    Peters’ memory never fails to impress me. He impressed Joanna Ridley, too.
    She gave him a bittersweet smile. “That’s true, but people said it was only a holdover from the previous year, the previous coach. Darwin wanted to do it again this year so he could prove…” She stopped abruptly, unable to continue.
    â€œI know this is painful for you,” Peters sympathized. “But it’s important that we put all the pieces together. You told Detective Beaumont here that you last saw your husband Friday morning at breakfast?”
    She nodded. “That’s right.”
    â€œYou didn’t go to the game?”
    â€œI don’t like basketball.”
    â€œYou didn’t attend his games?”
    â€œOur work lives were separate. I stayed away from his career, and he stayed away from mine.”
    â€œWhat do you do?”
    â€œI’m a flight attendant for United. On maternity leave.”
    â€œJoanna,” I cut in, “something you said last night has been bothering me, something about crossing a line. What did you mean?”
    Joanna Ridley was not a practiced liar. She hesitated for only the briefest moment, but caution and wariness were evident in her answer. “Blacks go only so far before they hit the wall. It was okay to come from Rainier Valleyand go to Mercer Island as assistant coach, but not head coach.”
    â€œThere were problems, racial problems?”
    â€œSome.”
    â€œAnd you think your husband’s death may be racially motivated.”
    â€œDon’t you?” she asked in return.
    I could tell she was concealing something, hiding what she really meant behind her curt answers, her troubled gaze. Finally, biting her lip, she dropped her eyes and sat looking down at the bulge of baby in her lap.
    At last she looked back up at us. “Is that all?” she asked. “My guests are waiting.”
    It wasn’t all. It was a hell of a long way from being all, but we had reached an impasse, a place beyond which progress was impossible until Peters and I had more to go on.
    â€œFor the time being,” I said, rising. Peters followed. I handed her my card. “Here’s my name and numbers. Call if you remember something else you think we need to know.”
    She took it from my hand and dropped it onto the desk without looking at it. Her expression said that I shouldn’t hold my breath.
    When she made no offer to get up, I said, “We can find our way out.”
    She nodded, and we left.
    â€œWe said something that pissed her off,” Peters mused as we climbed into the car. “I don’t know exactly what it was.”
    â€œShe lied,” I told him.
    â€œI know, but why?”
    â€œThere must have been phone calls, or at least, one call. And then later, when I asked her about what she said last night. That was all a smoke screen.”
    Peters nodded. “I thought as much.”
    There was a brief silence in the car. In my mind’s eye I played back the entire conversation, trying to recall each nuance, every inflection. Peters was doing the same thing.
    â€œSomething else bothered me,” Peters said.
    â€œWhat’s that?”
    â€œThe part about her not going to the games, not liking basketball.”
    â€œKaren wasn’t wild about homicide,” I said. “Wives aren’t required to adore whatever it is their husbands do.”
    â€œPoint taken. So what now? Run a routine check on her?”
    â€œSounds reasonable.”
    â€œBy the way,” Peters added, “how come you didn’t mention she was pregnant last night?”
    â€œDidn’t I?”
    â€œNo.”
    â€œI must be getting old. The mind’s going.”
    Peters chuckled, and there was another short silence. “I hope she’s not the one,” he said at last. “She seems like such a nice lady.”
    â€œAppearances can be deceiving,” I said.
    I felt