Part 35 (1/2)
”There was a crossword puzzle. Find me a crossword puzzle.”
”As a matter of fact...”
Cora's heart sank. Was the chief really going to throw a crossword puzzle in her lap, expect her to solve it on the spot? How was she going to tap-dance her way out of that?
”As a matter of fact what?” Cora said irritably.
”I was just going to ask you if perhaps there had been a crossword puzzle from some other source.”
Cora's heart fluttered and she sucked in her breath. Just the type of guilty reaction a cop would be apt to notice. Why was he asking her that?
”You're asking if someone sent me a crossword puzzle that would explain what this KenKen means?”
”I was not asking specifically if anyone sent it to you. I was asking if you got one from any other source. Like filched it from the crime scene before the cops could get a look.”
”I wasn't at the crime scene.”
”Yes, you were. I saw you there.”
”That was after you'd been there and searched it. You think I stole something from the crime scene you missed?”
”I don't know what you're capable of these days. Your ex-husband comes to town and you start acting different. I don't know what you're capable of.”
”I'm not capable of finding something that isn't there.”
”Not when I saw you. But had you been there earlier, before the cops? In time to spirit the evidence away?”
”Would that be a felony?”
”It certainly would.”
”Then I couldn't possibly have done it. I'm a law-abiding citizen.”
”If that turns out to be the case...”
”It won't. Because I didn't do it. This KenKen is as meaningless to me as it is to you. And I have no idea, whatsoever, of anything that might shed any light on it. Including, but not limited to, anything I might have found, seen, or heard of that could possibly relate to this jumble of numbers at all.”
”You're really worked up, you know.”
”Oh, right,” Cora said. ”Pester and goad me until I react and then tell me I'm really worked up.”
Harper nodded sympathetically. ”I can make allowances. I understand how you feel. I'm sorry I arrested your man.”
Cora's face reddened. Her eyes blazed.
”He's not my man!”
CHAPTER.
45.
”Sherry. Thank goodness you're home.”
”Of course I'm home. You've got the car.”
”Oh, that's right.”
”Where are you calling from?”
”Pay phone at the Country Kitchen.”
”You gotta get a cell phone, Cora.”
”Yeah, yeah. Look. You gotta do me a favor.”
”What?”
”Run down to the mailbox.”
”Why?”
”See if anyone sent us a puzzle.”
”What makes you think they would?”
”There was a puzzle when the banker got killed.”
”That led us to your license plate. I thought you weren't admitting that.”
”I'm not.”
”You think there's a puzzle this time?”
”I don't know.”
”Implicating you?”
”Or Melvin.”
”You're worried about Melvin.”
”Give it a rest, Sherry.”
”That's so cute.”