Page 22 of Death on Riddle Road

She finished that with more fire than anything else she’d said.

Was it cynical of me to think she’d used that line before?If so, I was alone in that cynicism.Mamie and Clara appeared quite affected, while Robbie remained stoic.

“Do you believe Jaylynn knew about you and Derrick?”

Like a light on a dimmer, her fire slid down, but not completely out.“I don’t know.I hate to think she knew...”

“But if she did, how do you think she found out?”

The dimmer switch slid up.“Well, I did not tell her.Why would I?And neither did Derrick.Besides, he told the deputies from the start that he was with his cousin that evening.

“But they didn’t want to hear it.They buried it.That’s why it never came out until the trial.And then that prosecutor had the nerve to make it sound like it was a last-second thing the defense brought up.When they knew — they all knew — all along.”

She seemed to think that settled everything.

“It didn’t have to be that night,” I said mildly.“He could have told her about your relationship earlier.”

“He didn’t,” Robbie snapped.“You heard what my mom said.Besides...”

“Besides what?”

His gaze cut to Dova.I couldn’t tell from where I was if she was eye-warning him not to speak or giving him a go-ahead or remaining neutral.Whatever her response, he said, with an air of grievance, “If you want to know who probably told her, you should talk to that sister of hers.Real piece of work, that one.”

Dova put one arm partway around his shoulders and he shifted toward her, opening space between him and Mamie.

“I’ve often thought that there’s a connection between us — Jaylynn and me,” Dova said.“Not the one most people might think of, having been married to the same man.But through our loving Robbie.I like to think she’d approve of the job I’ve done raising him.And be as proud of him as I am.”

He said nothing, but I thought I could almost hear his internal rendition of the embarrassed teenager plaint ofMo-om.It made him seem like more of a normal kid.

****

In the car,I asked Clara, “Derrick had an alibi?A cousin?”

“Yes.”There was something more to this than that short confirmation.She added, “The prosecutor laid out a timeline that would have made it possible for Derrick to commit the murder.”

Ah.So not, truly, an alibi.And with her being inclined to think Derrick didn’t kill his wife, she’d been reluctant to spell that out.

“You think there’s more to that?”Clara asked.

“Could be.”I heard the doubt in my own voice.“We have other things to pursue, but maybe we can find out more while we’re also doing something else.”

She nodded decisively.“Like taking the dogs to the park tomorrow.We’ll have to go early to overlap with Donna.”

Donna unofficially ran the dog park and knew as much about the community as Ruby, though often stingier about sharing.

I suppressed a sigh.Morning is not my favorite time.Have I mentioned that?Still, it would be worth it, even if we only wrapped up loose ends.

Speaking of timelines, we had the clock ticking to wrap up this day of inquiry because Clara and Ned had plans tonight.

First, we swung by Teague’s apartment to get Murphy.

“C’mon, Clara—” I said from the sidewalk.She’d barely opened the passenger door.

“Hold your horses, Sheila.You’re not usually this impatient.”

That took me aback.

Not because I felt chastised — hard to feel that way when Clara said it — but because she was right.