during the last part of LaVerdiere’s interrogation, had worried him. She’d been holding her own. Then
she’d suddenly gotten that deer-in-the-headlights look on
her face and abruptly shut down.
It had been about the time LaVerdiere told her he wasn’t
kidding. Dan winced, realizing he’d just used the exact
same words the detective had “so you say.”
“LaVerdiere is just blowing hot air. If he had a case
against you, you’d already be in jail.”
For a second he thought she was going to keel over on
him. Her face lost every vestige of color. “They don’t …
he wouldn’t. . ” Her voice trailed off, but for once Dan
had no difficulty reading her thoughts. Anyone who watched
television news shows knew there were people on death
row who didn’t belong there.
“Maine doesn’t have the death penalty,” he blurted.
She pressed her palms against her ears and closed her
eyes. “This isn’t happening. I’m going to wake up soon
and find myself on the road somewhere. No bad knee. No
murder.” Bright spots of pink flared in her cheeks. “No
you!”
“Damn it, Liss. I’m on your side. I’m trying to help.”
Crossing to her, he wrapped his arms around her and
hugged, settling her head on his shoulder.
She went stiff as a board but he didn’t let go. If anyone
had ever needed cuddling, it was Liss MacCrimmon.
After a moment, she gave a little sigh of resignation and
relaxed against him. They stood that way, neither moving,
neither speaking, until the doorbell buzzed to announce
the arrival of the pizza delivery girl.
Liss ate three pieces of pizza, although she did refuse
a soft drink in favor of plain water. Dan polished off the
rest and waited until the box was in the trash and they
were settled on the sofa again before he broached the
subject neither one of them could afford to ignore.
“LaVerdiere’s dead wrong, you know. About you and
about Mrs. Norris. No way was she blackmailing her
neighbors.”
“Everybody has secrets, even if they’re just silly little
ones”
He chuckled. “Borrowed Moose Mayfield’s truck,
huh? Who’da thunk it?”
She punched him in the shoulder. “I’m not proud of
it.”
“But you wouldn’t have paid a blackmailer to keep it
quiet, either. Right?”
“Of course not” She almost smiled. “I can’t imagine
very many frugal Mainers would be willing to pay someone off just to keep them quiet about a youthful prank.
Not in this day and age. Most folks around here would
say `go public and be damned’ and that would be the end
of it. Besides, you’re right. I can’t see Mrs. Norris eking
out her retirement income with extortion.”
“Still, if anyone knew where all the bodies are buried
and who was carrying on with whom, it was Mrs. Norris.”
“But what information she collected was hardly secret. She didn’t gossip, exactly, but if I’d asked her questions she’d have given me an earful over apple pie.” Liss paused, looking thoughtful, then sent him a wicked smile.
“I wonder what she’d have said about you?”
Dan, who’d gotten caught up in watching her eyes
change from blue to green, didn’t immediately react to
what she’d said. Only when he realized she was waiting
for an answer… or a confession … did he blink and
pull back.
“No idea. I’m pretty sure I haven’t murdered anyone
lately and I haven’t got a wife or girlfriend to cheat on”
“Ever fool around with married women?”
“No” And it bothered him that she could think he
would.
She must have read his reaction in his face because
she dropped her gaze, staring at her tightly clasped hands.
“Sorry.”
“Forget it. The foot-in-mouth thing must be contagious. Anyway, my point was that LaVerdiere is wrong
about Mrs. Norris and he’s wrong about you.”
“I appreciate the vote of confidence, but as long as he’s
convinced I’m guilty, he’s not going to look elsewhere for
a suspect”
“He’ll have to
she’d suddenly gotten that deer-in-the-headlights look on
her face and abruptly shut down.
It had been about the time LaVerdiere told her he wasn’t
kidding. Dan winced, realizing he’d just used the exact
same words the detective had “so you say.”
“LaVerdiere is just blowing hot air. If he had a case
against you, you’d already be in jail.”
For a second he thought she was going to keel over on
him. Her face lost every vestige of color. “They don’t …
he wouldn’t. . ” Her voice trailed off, but for once Dan
had no difficulty reading her thoughts. Anyone who watched
television news shows knew there were people on death
row who didn’t belong there.
“Maine doesn’t have the death penalty,” he blurted.
She pressed her palms against her ears and closed her
eyes. “This isn’t happening. I’m going to wake up soon
and find myself on the road somewhere. No bad knee. No
murder.” Bright spots of pink flared in her cheeks. “No
you!”
“Damn it, Liss. I’m on your side. I’m trying to help.”
Crossing to her, he wrapped his arms around her and
hugged, settling her head on his shoulder.
She went stiff as a board but he didn’t let go. If anyone
had ever needed cuddling, it was Liss MacCrimmon.
After a moment, she gave a little sigh of resignation and
relaxed against him. They stood that way, neither moving,
neither speaking, until the doorbell buzzed to announce
the arrival of the pizza delivery girl.
Liss ate three pieces of pizza, although she did refuse
a soft drink in favor of plain water. Dan polished off the
rest and waited until the box was in the trash and they
were settled on the sofa again before he broached the
subject neither one of them could afford to ignore.
“LaVerdiere’s dead wrong, you know. About you and
about Mrs. Norris. No way was she blackmailing her
neighbors.”
“Everybody has secrets, even if they’re just silly little
ones”
He chuckled. “Borrowed Moose Mayfield’s truck,
huh? Who’da thunk it?”
She punched him in the shoulder. “I’m not proud of
it.”
“But you wouldn’t have paid a blackmailer to keep it
quiet, either. Right?”
“Of course not” She almost smiled. “I can’t imagine
very many frugal Mainers would be willing to pay someone off just to keep them quiet about a youthful prank.
Not in this day and age. Most folks around here would
say `go public and be damned’ and that would be the end
of it. Besides, you’re right. I can’t see Mrs. Norris eking
out her retirement income with extortion.”
“Still, if anyone knew where all the bodies are buried
and who was carrying on with whom, it was Mrs. Norris.”
“But what information she collected was hardly secret. She didn’t gossip, exactly, but if I’d asked her questions she’d have given me an earful over apple pie.” Liss paused, looking thoughtful, then sent him a wicked smile.
“I wonder what she’d have said about you?”
Dan, who’d gotten caught up in watching her eyes
change from blue to green, didn’t immediately react to
what she’d said. Only when he realized she was waiting
for an answer… or a confession … did he blink and
pull back.
“No idea. I’m pretty sure I haven’t murdered anyone
lately and I haven’t got a wife or girlfriend to cheat on”
“Ever fool around with married women?”
“No” And it bothered him that she could think he
would.
She must have read his reaction in his face because
she dropped her gaze, staring at her tightly clasped hands.
“Sorry.”
“Forget it. The foot-in-mouth thing must be contagious. Anyway, my point was that LaVerdiere is wrong
about Mrs. Norris and he’s wrong about you.”
“I appreciate the vote of confidence, but as long as he’s
convinced I’m guilty, he’s not going to look elsewhere for
a suspect”
“He’ll have to
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