One Dog Too Many (A Mae December Mystery) by Lia Farrell Page A

“I appreciate how difficult this must be for you.”
    David was quiet for a moment. “I really don’t know. I wanted to reconcile with Ruby. I still hoped we’d have a family. I went over to the house about a month ago to talk to her. There was a car in the driveway I didn’t recognize. When she opened the door, I could hear music playing in the background. She didn’t invite me in, so I assumed there was a man in the house.” David grimaced at the memory. That really made him angry, Ben thought.
    “Why do you think Ruby was opposed to the road widening? You were still together when all this started, so you must have some idea.”
    “Ruby didn’t want to lose even a foot of her property. That land was all she had left from her father. She wanted to limit development as much as possible. She is, I mean she was, a real fighter. She saw ‘eminent domain’ as an injustice and an attack on the residents of the street. I think she probably would have made a fine lawyer.” The sheriff noted a faint look of pride on David’s face.
    After a brief silence he added, “Ruby wasn’t as successful financially as she wanted to be. She also thought she might get more money from the county for the easements if she held out longer.”
    “Were the two of you having financial problems?”
    “Not really, but she would have had trouble keeping the place up on her income alone. The house needs a lot of work.”
    “Why were you divorcing?”
    “She was a difficult woman to live with, Sheriff.” David sounded resigned. Despite the long silence that followed, he said nothing more.
    Johns asked David Allison if he had any other laundry from the evening in question. He followed Allison out of the room and when they returned, Hadley had a pair of sweats, socks and underwear bagged.
    “We’ll be getting back to you.” Sheriff Bradley said.
     

 
    Chapter Twelve
March 22
Detective Wayne Nichols
    A fter their early morning meeting, Detective Wayne Nichols called James Connolly’s home. A woman answered and he asked her if Mr. Connolly was at home. She told him her husband was at his office.
    He introduced himself and said, “Actually, I’d like to stop by and ask you some questions, Mrs. Connolly.”
    “Me? What’s this about, Detective?”
    “We’re investigating Ruby Mead-Allison’s murder. I have a few questions for you.”
    “I don’t know that I should answer them.”
    “This is very informal, Mrs. Connolly.” He kept his tone light and reassuring. “Could we stop by in about fifteen minutes? We won’t stay long.”
    “Well, I guess that would be all right.”
    Detective Nichols and CSI Tech Emma Peters arrived shortly thereafter at the imposing residence. Emma was in her early twenties with dark curly hair. She was skilled at the tedious work of DNA analysis, but always seemed pleased if she was asked to do a site visit. Connolly’s housekeeper answered the door and showed them in. At a gesture from Wayne, Emma engaged the woman in conversation and the two of them disappeared down a wide hallway.
    At that moment a tall, thin woman, wearing what looked like designer exercise clothes walked into the foyer. She wore her blond hair tightly pulled back from her face.
    “What’s going on here?” Laura Connolly’s voice combined tension and belligerence in equal quantities.
    “I want to reassure you, Mrs. Connolly, we’re only here to eliminate your husband as a suspect in this investigation.”
    “My husband?” She seemed surprised but then rapidly changed her attitude. “Oh, fine then.”
    She closed the door behind them and led Wayne into the living room, where she gestured to the dark leather couch and they both sat down. Laura Connolly sat at the edge of the sofa, her back ramrod straight. Tightly wound, Wayne thought, or she has something to hide.
    “Were you with your husband on the night of March fifteenth? We already talked with your husband’s secretary. That was the evening you went to the