A Killer Stitch by Maggie Sefton Page B

“Yeah, he was. Gary something or other. I don’t know.”
    Jennifer sent Kelly a sharp look. Gary, Gary…Kelly mulled the name. Gary was the guy that Derek burned in a business deal. The guy who threatened that “one of these days Derek Cooper will get payback.”
    â€œDid you go up to Derek’s place alone?” Kelly continued.
    â€œYeah, I was still okay to drive,” Diane said with a nonchalant nod. “But as I drove up the canyon, I got angrier and angrier every mile. I was finished with that bastard for good. He’d used me for the last time, and I was going to let him know.” She glanced to Kelly with an apologetic smile. “Don’t worry, I didn’t run anyone off the road. Believe me, every drop of alcohol was burned out of my system by the time I reached his ranch.”
    Not sure whether she should believe that description or not, Kelly continued. “Was he alone?”
    â€œOh, yeah. He was in the barn, and I let him have it.” Diane’s eyes sparked with fire this time.
    â€œUhhh, you mean you told him off, right?” Jennifer prodded.
    â€œYou bet!” Diane’s eyes narrowed. “I told him exactly what I thought of him and how he’d treated me. I told him he could find some other girl to jerk around, because I was through with him.”
    â€œI bet that felt good, didn’t it? To finally tell Derek off, I mean,” Kelly said.
    â€œBoy, did it ever.” Diane’s face was flushed with color, revealing the good looks that depression had cloaked until now.
    â€œWhat did he say?” Jennifer probed. “I would have given anything to see you tell off that bastard at last.”
    â€œYou know, I didn’t wait to hear. I cussed him out, then turned my back and left.” Diane closed her eyes, as if savoring that moment. “God, that felt good.”
    â€œDid you leave then?” Kelly asked, watching Diane’s expression carefully for any sign of deliberate evasion, anything that might hint Diane was lying to them. After all, she’d lied to Lieutenant Peterson. Maybe Diane was lying now. But Kelly saw nothing, no shifting glance, no nervous mannerisms, nothing that aroused Kelly’s naturally suspicious nature.
    Diane looked Kelly straight in the eye. “Yes. I drove down that canyon as fast as I drove up, but I felt a helluva lot better driving down.”
    Kelly returned Diane’s clear gaze, still searching for some sign of evasion and seeing none. Kelly believed her. She couldn’t explain why she believed Diane, but she did.
    A wisp of an idea feathered in the back of Kelly’s brain. Another question. “Tell me, did you notice anything that looked unusual while you were there at Derek’s?” she asked. “Any sign of someone else having been there? Did he get any phone calls?”
    Again, Diane closed her eyes as if recalling the scene. “No, he was alone and nobody called while I was there. Everything else looked the same, normal, I guess. The alpacas were in the barn, and Derek’s car was parked in the usual spot, and…and…” Suddenly Diane’s eyes popped open. “Wait a minute! I saw another car coming up the driveway as I left. I forgot about that until now.”
    Jennifer and Kelly exchanged glances. “Do you remember what it looked like?” Kelly asked.
    Diane shook her head. “It was pitch-black outside, so all I really noticed were the headlights. But it might have been a dark color. And I think I remember another car parked on the side of the road as I drove off.”
    â€œDid you see anyone you recognized?” Jennifer pressed, leaning closer to her friend.
    A disgusted expression passed over Diane’s face. “No, I didn’t get a good look. I figured it was another one of Derek’s girls.”
    Kelly leaned back in her chair and sipped her coffee, her brain sifting through the tantalizing