Miranda James - Murder Past Due

“Of course. How stupid of me.” Julia shook her head. “Godfrey wanted to give me a check, but he didn’t have a pen. I had Ezra’s things in my purse, so I must have pulled out that pen and then left it behind.”

“Godfrey was alive when you left?” I hated to ask it, but I had to.

“Yes.” Julia’s eyes flashed. “Alive and mad as a hornet.”

“Why?”

“Because I read him the riot act,” Julia said. “I went there expecting to find Justin with him. And he wasn’t. When I asked Godfrey where Justin was, he told me they’d argued and why.”

“So you lit into him?” I had to suppress a smile. I recalled that Julia had a rather fiery temper as a girl.

“I did,” Julia said with a trace of satisfaction in her voice. “I told him he had to think more about what was good for Justin, and not what he wanted. He got the point.”

“I’m sure he did,” I said. “How long were you there?”

Julia thought for a moment. “No more than fifteen minutes, maybe only ten. I had to get back to the hospital.”

“What time was that?”

“I got back a little after three. They were changing shifts.”

“So you left Godfrey alive before three?” I was trying to get the chronology straight in my head.

“Yes.”

“You didn’t try to find Justin before you went back to the hospital?” I asked.

“No. I was concerned about him,” Julia said. “But I had to check on Ezra, and I wanted to stop by the bank to deposit Godfrey’s check. Justin would have called if he needed me.” She turned away for a moment. “Or so I thought.”

“You’ll have to tell the deputies about this,” I said.

“I know. They’ll think Justin or I killed him. Or maybe that we did it together.” Julia rubbed a hand across her eyes as she faced me again. “Lord, I wish I could hear what’s going on in your kitchen right now.”

“I know. I wish I could, too,” I said. “But there’s nothing we can do at the moment except wait.”

Julia nodded.

“It’s possible they might think you or Justin killed him,” I said. “Depends on what they think your motive is. Revenge, maybe.”

“Why would I suddenly decide I wanted revenge now?” Julia snorted. “If I’d wanted to kill Godfrey because he got me pregnant and ran out on me, I would have done it years ago.”

“Possibly,” I said. “But now your husband is terminally ill, Godfrey appears and wants to take your son back to California, and maybe you’re so stressed you lose control and strike him down.”

Julia blanched. “I hadn’t thought of that. It does sound plausible when you put it that way. The Lord knows my stress level is through the roof.”

“No wonder,” I said in sympathy. “Anybody’s would be, with what you’re going through with Ezra.”

Julia smiled her thanks. “But I didn’t kill Godfrey, and neither did my husband nor my son.”

“Then we have to look elsewhere.” I paused. “How often did Godfrey come back to Athena over the years?”

Julia thought for a moment. “Every few years, probably. A few times he came on a book tour. Other times for research of some kind.”

“Once his parents left Athena, did he have that many ties here, other than college?”

Julia didn’t appear to have heard me.

“What is it? Have you remembered something?” I leaned forward in my chair.

“Talking about book tours made me think of it,” Julia finally said, focusing on me again. “When I was leaving the hotel earlier today, I saw somebody at the front desk with a box of books.” She shrugged. “At least, that’s what I thought it must be, because I saw the name of Godfrey’s latest book on the side of the box.”

“Who was it?” A potential new suspect, I hoped. All the better for Justin and Julia.

“That woman who owns the bookstore on the square, Jordan Thompson,” Julia said. “And I know for a fact she hated Godfrey with a passion.”

TWELVE

“I didn’t think ministers’ wives listened to gossip.” I said it teasingly, but Julia didn’t take it that way.

“I don’t run around gossiping with anyone.” Julia’s tone was frosty enough to make me wish I was wearing a sweater. “But people tell me things, even when I don’t ask them to. Besides, Melba Gilley’s niece Patty works there. Has since she got out of high school five years ago. She used to babysit Justin, and whenever I run into her, she always wants to talk.”

I nodded. I knew Melba’s niece, Patty Simpson. Plus, I knew Melba. If Patty was at all like her aunt, she knew what was going on around her within a ten-mile radius.

“Okay, let’s say something happened between Godfrey and Jordan Thompson.” I regarded Julia warily. “Something that pissed off Jordan so much she wanted Godfrey dead. How the heck are we supposed to find out what that was? Other than calling up Patty Simpson and asking her, since she seems to know everything.”

“I’m not suggesting that.” Julia scowled. “Although I have no doubt Patty would be happy to tell you that, and a dozen other things besides.” She paused. “I know you go into the bookstore. I’ve seen you there myself, several times.”

“Yes, I do. I go in there at least every couple of weeks.” I have always loved bookstores, and though I have plenty of access to books through the two libraries where I work and volunteer, I can’t resist the lure of the bookstore.

“Then go by there tomorrow and talk to Jordan,” Julia said. “She’s fond of older men, from what I’ve seen. You can probably get her to talk to you.”

“Julia, I can’t believe you’re suggesting such a thing.” I pretended to be shocked, but I was more amused than anything. I couldn’t see myself in the role of homme fatal , persuading attractive young women to spill their secrets.

She didn’t respond. Instead, she turned in her chair and peered in the direction of the kitchen. “What’s taking so long? Shouldn’t they be done by now?” She started to rise.

“No, I’ll go.” I motioned for her to stay where she was, and she sat down again. “Kanesha won’t like it, I’m sure, but she’s probably already so annoyed at me it won’t make much difference.”

A few feet from the kitchen I could hear the low murmur of voices. Then one rose above the rest—Justin’s.

“Yes, I went back, but he was dead. I keep telling you that. Why do you keep asking me?”

The note of near-hysteria in the boy’s voice worried me. When I stepped into the kitchen, I could see Diesel in Justin’s lap, peering angrily at Kanesha. He looked like he was ready to launch himself over the table at her.

“Diesel, no.”

At the sound of my voice, the cat warbled, and I could tell he was upset. But some of the tension left his body, and he sat back against Justin. The signs of exhaustion in Justin’s face emboldened me.

Kanesha stood up and faced me. “I’d appreciate it if you’d remove that cat from the room.”

I didn’t care for the way she said that cat . “It’s his house too, and if he wants to be in this room, he can. What are you doing that’s upsetting him?”

The surprise in the deputy’s face pleased me. Obviously she hadn’t expected me to talk back to her. I pressed my advantage without allowing her to answer.

“I think you’ve had enough time now to ask Justin your questions,” I said. “He’s had a long and very upsetting day. Unless you’re going to charge him with something, I think this interview should be over.”

Over Kanesha’s shoulder, I caught sight of a smirking Bates. That wasn’t good. Kanesha might take it out on Justin because she knew she had to prove herself in front of her good ol’ boy of a subordinate.