put.
'Your sheriff took Kevin Williams in for questioning.'
My sheriff. I didn't bother to correct her or, for that matter, rein in my growing anger at Pavlik. Mad, I could still function. Sad, I'd curl up in the fetal position under a table.
'So they're sure JoLynne's death wasn't an accident?' I knew the answer unofficially, but I wanted to hear it from Kate.
'An accident?'
I'd never seen anybody physically project the word 'dumbfounded' before. It seemed a little over the top.
But, then, so was Kate. 'You're the one who had that inflated monstrosity built. The sides were like four-feet tall.'
'Five, if you count the saucer,' I corrected.
Kate was trying to look patient. 'So five feet, even better. It's not like she just "oopsied" and fell in.'
'Told you.' This from Sarah passing behind me as she went to empty the dishwasher.
I said, 'Maybe JoLynne first climbed up so she could see into the cup and . . . slipped?'
'Funny. The sheriff doesn't think a five-foot two-inch woman in a pencil skirt and strappy high heels could have climbed a five-foot high –' Kate checked her notes – '"convex surface" – that means a curved out one.' She showed me a supercilious smile.
'I know what it means, Kate.'
'Splendid. And here I thought your former partner was the wordsmith.'
At this rate, in a minute, Ms McNamara was going to be 'former' – as in formerly able to stand erect. 'OK, so JoLynne didn't clamber in on her own. Could she have had help?'
'Or a ladder.' Sarah again, now moving the other way.
'Good guess,' Kate said. 'But there was no ladder in reach.' The smile had gone from supercilious to deprecating.
Had Kate been practicing in the mirror? What was next? Envy? Lust? Despair?
Life is short, and it was time for me to cut through the crap. 'Then what do the authorities think happened?'
'Murder, plain and simple. Someone smothered her and hid her body in your screwy cup.'
'Why?'
'Apparently JoLynne was having an affair with someone in county government. Her husband probably found out.'
Sarah dropped the handful of clean spoons she'd been using to restock the condiment cart. To her credit, she picked them up and kept her mouth shut.
'Who?' My question came out more like a croak.
I got 'contempt' from Kate on this one. 'Kevin Williams, of course.'
'Thanks, but I meant who was JoLynne having an affair with?'
I didn't want to ask the question and I sure as hell didn't want the answer. My hands were sweating and the top of my head tingling.
'With whom .'
I vowed never to correct Pavlik's English again. Assuming I ever talked to him.
'Fine,' I said through clenched teeth. 'With whom was JoLynne having an affair?'
'Oh, that.' Kate flapped her hand, like it was inconsequential. 'No one knows. Or maybe they're just not talking. If the person is important enough, there could even be a cover-up.'
From her tone, I could tell Kate hoped so, just as I did. My reason was that whatever was going on between Pavlik and me, I didn't like to think of him publicly embarrassed. Or run out of town on a rail. Tarred and feathered . . .
I had a hunch, though, that Kate McNamara actually, genuinely, wanted the opportunity to dig out the truth.
Jerome, who had been quiet so far, wiped whipped cream off his lip. 'Kate's a great investigative reporter. She'll find out what really happened.'
That's what I was afraid of. I needed to hear what the woman already knew.
Maybe throw out some alternative scenarios, keep her busy. 'Could JoLynne's body have been in the cup before it was inflated?'
Jerome's brow furrowed.
'Still wouldn't clear Williams,' Kate said. 'He inflated the thing. Who knows what – or who – was in it?'
'I do.' Jerome turned to face Kate. 'You told me to get there early and film background stuff. I taped Kevin and one of his guys filling the cup.'
Which, presumably, didn't contain JoLynne's body or Jerome would have seen it.
'So where's that leave us?' I asked.
Impatience was now Kate's emotion of
'Your sheriff took Kevin Williams in for questioning.'
My sheriff. I didn't bother to correct her or, for that matter, rein in my growing anger at Pavlik. Mad, I could still function. Sad, I'd curl up in the fetal position under a table.
'So they're sure JoLynne's death wasn't an accident?' I knew the answer unofficially, but I wanted to hear it from Kate.
'An accident?'
I'd never seen anybody physically project the word 'dumbfounded' before. It seemed a little over the top.
But, then, so was Kate. 'You're the one who had that inflated monstrosity built. The sides were like four-feet tall.'
'Five, if you count the saucer,' I corrected.
Kate was trying to look patient. 'So five feet, even better. It's not like she just "oopsied" and fell in.'
'Told you.' This from Sarah passing behind me as she went to empty the dishwasher.
I said, 'Maybe JoLynne first climbed up so she could see into the cup and . . . slipped?'
'Funny. The sheriff doesn't think a five-foot two-inch woman in a pencil skirt and strappy high heels could have climbed a five-foot high –' Kate checked her notes – '"convex surface" – that means a curved out one.' She showed me a supercilious smile.
'I know what it means, Kate.'
'Splendid. And here I thought your former partner was the wordsmith.'
At this rate, in a minute, Ms McNamara was going to be 'former' – as in formerly able to stand erect. 'OK, so JoLynne didn't clamber in on her own. Could she have had help?'
'Or a ladder.' Sarah again, now moving the other way.
'Good guess,' Kate said. 'But there was no ladder in reach.' The smile had gone from supercilious to deprecating.
Had Kate been practicing in the mirror? What was next? Envy? Lust? Despair?
Life is short, and it was time for me to cut through the crap. 'Then what do the authorities think happened?'
'Murder, plain and simple. Someone smothered her and hid her body in your screwy cup.'
'Why?'
'Apparently JoLynne was having an affair with someone in county government. Her husband probably found out.'
Sarah dropped the handful of clean spoons she'd been using to restock the condiment cart. To her credit, she picked them up and kept her mouth shut.
'Who?' My question came out more like a croak.
I got 'contempt' from Kate on this one. 'Kevin Williams, of course.'
'Thanks, but I meant who was JoLynne having an affair with?'
I didn't want to ask the question and I sure as hell didn't want the answer. My hands were sweating and the top of my head tingling.
'With whom .'
I vowed never to correct Pavlik's English again. Assuming I ever talked to him.
'Fine,' I said through clenched teeth. 'With whom was JoLynne having an affair?'
'Oh, that.' Kate flapped her hand, like it was inconsequential. 'No one knows. Or maybe they're just not talking. If the person is important enough, there could even be a cover-up.'
From her tone, I could tell Kate hoped so, just as I did. My reason was that whatever was going on between Pavlik and me, I didn't like to think of him publicly embarrassed. Or run out of town on a rail. Tarred and feathered . . .
I had a hunch, though, that Kate McNamara actually, genuinely, wanted the opportunity to dig out the truth.
Jerome, who had been quiet so far, wiped whipped cream off his lip. 'Kate's a great investigative reporter. She'll find out what really happened.'
That's what I was afraid of. I needed to hear what the woman already knew.
Maybe throw out some alternative scenarios, keep her busy. 'Could JoLynne's body have been in the cup before it was inflated?'
Jerome's brow furrowed.
'Still wouldn't clear Williams,' Kate said. 'He inflated the thing. Who knows what – or who – was in it?'
'I do.' Jerome turned to face Kate. 'You told me to get there early and film background stuff. I taped Kevin and one of his guys filling the cup.'
Which, presumably, didn't contain JoLynne's body or Jerome would have seen it.
'So where's that leave us?' I asked.
Impatience was now Kate's emotion of
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