Page 60 of Kiss Marry Kill

She shivered and hugged herself. “Was that all? Can I go now?”

“Uh, not just yet.” I cleared my throat. “According to you, Archie didn’t have any other relationships after his wife died, until you?”

“That was what he said.”

“You believed him?”

She frowned. “I had no reason not to.”

“All right.” I had trouble believing it, even if she didn’t. I’d know more when I got information back from the authorities in California. Hopefully, they could help me paint a clearer picture of who Archie was.

A tear dribbled down her cheek. “My parents didn’t approve of the fact that he’d been married before. They’re snobs, which I’m sure comes as no surprise to you, Sheriff.”

“But you went ahead with the wedding anyway?”

“Yes.”

“Did that cause friction?”

“Naturally.”

I studied her tense face. “Did they ever threaten to disown you if you married Archie?”

“My dad did, but he changed his tune. He was bluffing and throwing his weight around. When he saw I wasn’t going to call off my engagement, he got on board.”

“He must have still had some issues with Archie. Remember, Kobe saw them arguing right after Kobe’s little performance?”

She looked muddled. “I would think Dad would have been arguing with Kobe, not Archie.”

“I agree.”

“Kobe was a mess. He was so drunk, I’m not sure his version of events can honestly be trusted.”

“I don’t think he was so drunk he didn’t know what was happening. He saw you on the curb, and he saw the chauffeur Thomas arrive.”

She leaned forward, resting her arms on the table. She looked fragile, her skin pale and her eyes dark with pain. “I don’t understand how someone could stab Archie in broad daylight and just get away. How did nobody see it happen?”

“I wish I knew.”

She straightened, wiping at her eyes with her tissue. “What else do you need to ask me? I just want to get this over with.”

I glanced down at my notes, reminding myself of all the things I’d wanted to ask her. “Do you know anything else about Archie’s past that you think might be helpful? Enemies he might’ve had in California? Enemies he might’ve had here in Rainy Dale?”

“I’m not aware of any enemies he might have had, here or in California.”

“Did he have many friends?”

She grimaced. “Archie kind of kept to himself. He just worked really hard to build his business. I don’t know very much about his life in California, because he didn’t like to talk about that time in his life. I suspect it was because of Kimora’s death.”

“According to Kobe, Archie didn’t like to ever talk about Kimora.”

“No. He didn’t. Her death was a horrible shock for him.”

I studied her. “Kimora drowned, is that correct?”

“Yes.”

“They never found her body?” This was all stuff I’d be able to find out in more detail from the authorities in California. But it didn’t hurt to get Janelle’s take on things. Anything she knew would’ve come directly from Archie. That could be useful.