killed?”
“Like the doc said, within the last hour. At least, that’s when she died. She could have been coshed earlier.”
“You mean lay there awhile and then died?”
“It’s possible.”
“While she was waiting for the EMS unit?”
“Don’t start with me.”
“Just making an observation.”
“Yeah, well, you got a newspaper reporter in the family.”
“You think I went home last night, woke him up? I haven’t even seen him this morning.”
“You wouldn’t give him a hot tip on that angle of the story?”
“Hadn’t occurred to me. Now that you mention it…”
“Don’t mess with me, Cora. I’m not having a good time here.”
“Hadn’t noticed.”
Harper took a bite of muffin, chewed it around. “Anyway, it’s official. She was murdered. So, any thoughts?”
“I think it’s a pretty stupid crime.”
“You think she was assaulted?”
“Only if the killer had an icepick,” Cora said. Harper gave her a look. “No, I don’t think she was sexually assaulted. I think she was just killed. It doesn’t look like a robbery. Nothing seems to be taken. It seems a rather pointless crime.”
“Except she was a witness in the town hall break-in.”
“A witness to what? She didn’t see anything. She didn’t know anything.”
“Maybe the killer thought she did.”
“Why? What would make him think that?”
“The fact we questioned her.”
“That makes no sense at all. The killer finds out we questioned the town clerk, says, ‘Gee, I’d better kill her in case she knows something she didn’t mention to the police the first time they questioned her that she might mention the second time’? What kind of a person thinks like that?”
“A paranoid killer?” Harper said. “All right, put it like that, it sounds silly.”
“No kidding. And, no, I don’t think it’s connected to the murder in New York.”
“How’d you know I was going to ask you that?”
“I know how you think. And, no, I don’t think it is, unless there’s some crossword puzzle or sudoku you’re holding out on me.”
“There isn’t.”
“Then I don’t see it. The motive is different. The means of death is different. The location is different. The gender of the victim is different. I can’t think of a single similarity except both of the victims are dead.”
“They’re both connected to you.”
Cora stared at the chief. “Excuse me ?”
“You found the body in New York, and you picked a fight with this woman just the other day.”
“Picked a fight?”
“Let’s not quibble. The point is, you questioned her in the course of a police investigation. That makes two police investigations you’ve been involved with. In both cases, one of the participants wound up dead.”
“Both of the victims used toilet paper, and in each case they wound up dead.”
“Your interrogation of the town clerk was quite heated. I practically had to pull you away from her.”
“Does that make me a suspect? Should I be calling Becky Baldwin here?”
“You have the right to an attorney. I can’t imagine why you would need one.”
“Then stop playing up my motive.”
“I didn’t say it was a motive.”
“Well, if you’re going to nitpick about the wording.”
“Cora. It’s me. Calm down. I don’t think you killed anyone. I’m just pointing out the way it looks to other people.”
“People? You’re spreading it around I didn’t like the victim?”
“Well, if I’m asked the direct question.”
“Who’s asking you direct questions?”
“I got a call from Henry Firth.”
“Of course you did. He’s the prosecutor, he wants someone to prosecute. So, you trotted me out as a suspect?”
“Of course not.”
“So what’s Ratface got to do with it?”
“Nothing. You just wanted to know who’s asking me questions.”
“Chief. I asked you if you were telling people about me and the victim. You said if you were asked a direct question. I said who’s asking direct questions, you
“Like the doc said, within the last hour. At least, that’s when she died. She could have been coshed earlier.”
“You mean lay there awhile and then died?”
“It’s possible.”
“While she was waiting for the EMS unit?”
“Don’t start with me.”
“Just making an observation.”
“Yeah, well, you got a newspaper reporter in the family.”
“You think I went home last night, woke him up? I haven’t even seen him this morning.”
“You wouldn’t give him a hot tip on that angle of the story?”
“Hadn’t occurred to me. Now that you mention it…”
“Don’t mess with me, Cora. I’m not having a good time here.”
“Hadn’t noticed.”
Harper took a bite of muffin, chewed it around. “Anyway, it’s official. She was murdered. So, any thoughts?”
“I think it’s a pretty stupid crime.”
“You think she was assaulted?”
“Only if the killer had an icepick,” Cora said. Harper gave her a look. “No, I don’t think she was sexually assaulted. I think she was just killed. It doesn’t look like a robbery. Nothing seems to be taken. It seems a rather pointless crime.”
“Except she was a witness in the town hall break-in.”
“A witness to what? She didn’t see anything. She didn’t know anything.”
“Maybe the killer thought she did.”
“Why? What would make him think that?”
“The fact we questioned her.”
“That makes no sense at all. The killer finds out we questioned the town clerk, says, ‘Gee, I’d better kill her in case she knows something she didn’t mention to the police the first time they questioned her that she might mention the second time’? What kind of a person thinks like that?”
“A paranoid killer?” Harper said. “All right, put it like that, it sounds silly.”
“No kidding. And, no, I don’t think it’s connected to the murder in New York.”
“How’d you know I was going to ask you that?”
“I know how you think. And, no, I don’t think it is, unless there’s some crossword puzzle or sudoku you’re holding out on me.”
“There isn’t.”
“Then I don’t see it. The motive is different. The means of death is different. The location is different. The gender of the victim is different. I can’t think of a single similarity except both of the victims are dead.”
“They’re both connected to you.”
Cora stared at the chief. “Excuse me ?”
“You found the body in New York, and you picked a fight with this woman just the other day.”
“Picked a fight?”
“Let’s not quibble. The point is, you questioned her in the course of a police investigation. That makes two police investigations you’ve been involved with. In both cases, one of the participants wound up dead.”
“Both of the victims used toilet paper, and in each case they wound up dead.”
“Your interrogation of the town clerk was quite heated. I practically had to pull you away from her.”
“Does that make me a suspect? Should I be calling Becky Baldwin here?”
“You have the right to an attorney. I can’t imagine why you would need one.”
“Then stop playing up my motive.”
“I didn’t say it was a motive.”
“Well, if you’re going to nitpick about the wording.”
“Cora. It’s me. Calm down. I don’t think you killed anyone. I’m just pointing out the way it looks to other people.”
“People? You’re spreading it around I didn’t like the victim?”
“Well, if I’m asked the direct question.”
“Who’s asking you direct questions?”
“I got a call from Henry Firth.”
“Of course you did. He’s the prosecutor, he wants someone to prosecute. So, you trotted me out as a suspect?”
“Of course not.”
“So what’s Ratface got to do with it?”
“Nothing. You just wanted to know who’s asking me questions.”
“Chief. I asked you if you were telling people about me and the victim. You said if you were asked a direct question. I said who’s asking direct questions, you
Similar Books
