tried to force myself to look at it objectively, to not put my personal experience into play. After all, plenty of women had affairs. For every cheating man, there was a cheating woman, right?
Right. Dirtballs, all.
I peeked out the etched glass sidelight of the door. As I’d feared, there was a county sheriff’s car in the driveway and a Pavlik at the door.
I took a deep breath, released it and opened the door. “Sheriff, how nice to see you.” Too late, I realized it was an unlikely way to greet someone who suspected you of murder.
To his credit, Pavlik didn’t remark on the welcome. “Thank you, Ms. Thorsen.” He stepped in, wearing a well-tailored gray cashmere topcoat. “Am I interrupting a business meeting?”
“Oh, no...well, yes. I came over to talk to Caron about re-opening the store. I understand we can get back in later today?”
Pavlik nodded. “We’ll be done by one or two this afternoon, but I’m afraid you’ll have a bit of a mess. Fingerprint powder, body fluids. We try to clean up the best we can, but...”He shrugged, smiling pleasantly.
My stomach was churning. “I know it seems heartless,” I explained, “but we just can’t afford to stay closed long. There are loans and rent that have to be paid, no matter what.”
“Of course, business is business. Your partner dying couldn’t come at a more inopportune time.” He moved in just close enough to make me feel uncomfortable, his eyes dark and watching me. “You know, Mrs. Harper was electrocuted.”
I nodded.
“The whole espresso machine was live. Somebody had rewired it. But I don’t have to tell you that, do I? You were there.”
“There?” The word caught in my throat.
“At the store, when Kevin took apart the machine. You were there.” He was watching me closely.
I nodded again.
He wasn’t done. “You shouldn’t have left so soon. You didn’t see the most interesting part.”
He pulled a thick black electrical wire from his coat pocket. It was in another plastic bag. He pointed to a small green wire. “See that? It’s the ground wire.” He put it up to my face. “If you look real closely, you can see it’s been cut. Between that, the rubber mat being moved, and the skim milk we found on the floor...”
He shrugged and put the bag back into his coat pocket, his eyes never leaving mine. “She was able to start making her drink because the handles on those portafilters of yours are plastic. And so are the buttons she had to push to brew the espresso. She probably didn’t even realize anything was wrong. Not until the moment she pulled out that frothing wand with her left hand, while picking up the metal pitcher from the stainless steel counter with her right.”
His eyes were so dark now I couldn’t see the pupils, his body so close I could feel him breathe. “You see, the electricity entered her left hand, shot right across her body through the heart and then exited her right hand.”
He traced the path up my left arm, across my shoulders and down my right, matching his words. His hand lingered on mine. “It probably blew the pitcher right off the counter.”
His face was no farther than three inches from mine now. He turned and his cheek, rough with stubble, brushed me. His mouth was close to my ear. His voice, low.
“Just how long do you suppose she hung there, Ms. Thorsen, before her heart finally stopped? Before she finally died, and her muscles released so she could fall? What do you think? A minute? Five minutes? Ten?” His breath was hot against my ear.
I jerked back, nearly knocking the silk flower arrangement off the hall table.
Just then, Caron breezed into the foyer. She looked like a different woman. Hair brushed, makeup repaired. “I’m sorry, I was on the phone. I’m Caron Egan.” She offered Pavlik her hand.
He smiled and took it as if we had been making polite small talk while we waited for her. “Mrs. Egan, I’m Jake Pavlik, the county sheriff. Might I have a moment of
Right. Dirtballs, all.
I peeked out the etched glass sidelight of the door. As I’d feared, there was a county sheriff’s car in the driveway and a Pavlik at the door.
I took a deep breath, released it and opened the door. “Sheriff, how nice to see you.” Too late, I realized it was an unlikely way to greet someone who suspected you of murder.
To his credit, Pavlik didn’t remark on the welcome. “Thank you, Ms. Thorsen.” He stepped in, wearing a well-tailored gray cashmere topcoat. “Am I interrupting a business meeting?”
“Oh, no...well, yes. I came over to talk to Caron about re-opening the store. I understand we can get back in later today?”
Pavlik nodded. “We’ll be done by one or two this afternoon, but I’m afraid you’ll have a bit of a mess. Fingerprint powder, body fluids. We try to clean up the best we can, but...”He shrugged, smiling pleasantly.
My stomach was churning. “I know it seems heartless,” I explained, “but we just can’t afford to stay closed long. There are loans and rent that have to be paid, no matter what.”
“Of course, business is business. Your partner dying couldn’t come at a more inopportune time.” He moved in just close enough to make me feel uncomfortable, his eyes dark and watching me. “You know, Mrs. Harper was electrocuted.”
I nodded.
“The whole espresso machine was live. Somebody had rewired it. But I don’t have to tell you that, do I? You were there.”
“There?” The word caught in my throat.
“At the store, when Kevin took apart the machine. You were there.” He was watching me closely.
I nodded again.
He wasn’t done. “You shouldn’t have left so soon. You didn’t see the most interesting part.”
He pulled a thick black electrical wire from his coat pocket. It was in another plastic bag. He pointed to a small green wire. “See that? It’s the ground wire.” He put it up to my face. “If you look real closely, you can see it’s been cut. Between that, the rubber mat being moved, and the skim milk we found on the floor...”
He shrugged and put the bag back into his coat pocket, his eyes never leaving mine. “She was able to start making her drink because the handles on those portafilters of yours are plastic. And so are the buttons she had to push to brew the espresso. She probably didn’t even realize anything was wrong. Not until the moment she pulled out that frothing wand with her left hand, while picking up the metal pitcher from the stainless steel counter with her right.”
His eyes were so dark now I couldn’t see the pupils, his body so close I could feel him breathe. “You see, the electricity entered her left hand, shot right across her body through the heart and then exited her right hand.”
He traced the path up my left arm, across my shoulders and down my right, matching his words. His hand lingered on mine. “It probably blew the pitcher right off the counter.”
His face was no farther than three inches from mine now. He turned and his cheek, rough with stubble, brushed me. His mouth was close to my ear. His voice, low.
“Just how long do you suppose she hung there, Ms. Thorsen, before her heart finally stopped? Before she finally died, and her muscles released so she could fall? What do you think? A minute? Five minutes? Ten?” His breath was hot against my ear.
I jerked back, nearly knocking the silk flower arrangement off the hall table.
Just then, Caron breezed into the foyer. She looked like a different woman. Hair brushed, makeup repaired. “I’m sorry, I was on the phone. I’m Caron Egan.” She offered Pavlik her hand.
He smiled and took it as if we had been making polite small talk while we waited for her. “Mrs. Egan, I’m Jake Pavlik, the county sheriff. Might I have a moment of
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