Colby Velocity by Debra Webb

more. “But I’m not making any promises that I’ll answer all of them.”
    Kendra nodded. “Fair enough.” Big breath. “First, and this one doesn’t count, what’s your name?”
    One second, two, then three passed before she caved. “Delilah.”
    â€œNice to meet you, Delilah.” Kendra offered her hand. “I’m Kendra.”
    Delilah reluctantly accepted the handshake.
    â€œFirst question, were there any witnesses to the accident?”
    â€œWhat accident?”
    Kendra dredged up some additional patience. “You know what accident I mean.”
    â€œYep.” Delilah lit another cigarette. Coughed. “But what you read in the papers or whatever the cops told you was wrong.”
    Kendra waited for her to continue. She wasn’t going to waste question number two if she could help it.
    â€œIt was no accident.” She looked past Kendra then met her eyes once more. “He hit her on purpose.”
    â€œHe?” Damn it. The question was out of Kendra’s mouth before she could stop it. But he? According to Roper it had been Mrs. Castille.
    â€œYeah. A guy. Dark hair. Young. I didn’t see him up close so that’s all I know. But I won’t forget that big fancy white car he was driving.”
    Delilah witnessed the accident? Kendra’s heart hammered in her chest. She only had one question left for the fifty bucks. Think! “This man had some beef with Aleesha?”
    Delilah shook her head. Took another draw from her cigarette. “I don’t think so. I guess he could have been one of Aleesha’s friends, but it was the car that I recognized.”
    Kendra held her breath. Prayed she would keep going. Any information she could provide might kick-start this investigation.
    â€œThat old bitch had been stalking Aleesha for weeks.” Delilah threw down her smoke and stuck out her hand. “Give me the money.”
    Was she referring to Sharon Castille? Kendra needed to know who Delilah was. Was Delilah a professional name? Did she live in the area? Finding her again was essential. “I might have more.” She dug around in her purse. Pulled out her sunglasses and thrust them at Delilah. “Hold that for me, will you?”
    Delilah huffed with impatience, but she wrapped her fingers around the sunglasses.
    Three, five…Kendra had five more dollars. She added that to the fifty along with one of her business cards and offered it at the woman. “Will that get me one more answer?”
    Her face puckered with annoyance, Delilah shoved the sunglasses back at her. Kendra accepted them by grabbing the very end with her thumb and forefinger.
    â€œDepends on the question.” Delilah stuffed themoney into her tiny shoulder bag without counting it or noticing the business card. “Make it fast. I got stuff to do.”
    â€œDo you know the woman’s name? The one who was stalking Aleesha?”
    Delilah held Kendra’s gaze, clearly wrestling with the decision to answer. “Castille. Sharon Castille. That senator’s wife.”
    Kendra kept the shock off her face. She wanted to ask so many other questions…wanted to know more—needed to know more. More than anything she didn’t want to let this woman go but she was out of cash and pushing the limitations of her patience already.
    Hesitating as she stepped around the barrier still in her path, Delilah searched Kendra’s face. “Aleesha didn’t have no sister.”
    â€œYou’re right,” Kendra admitted. “I wasn’t completely honest with you but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to right this wrong.”
    â€œShe’s dead. You can’t right that.”
    â€œWait!” Kendra needed to know her last name. “Delilah what? What’s your last name?”
    The woman kept walking. Didn’t look back.
    Kendra wandered back onto the sidewalk. Even if Mrs. Castille was