Martin Renzler raised his hand and took the oath. He was tall and slender with wavy gray hair. Wire-rimmed glasses made him look studious. Renzler adjusted his suit jacket when he took the stand.
'How are you employed, Mr. Renzler?'
,I'm the managing editor of the Whitaker Clarion.'
,is the Clarion the only daily paper in Whitaker County?'
'Yes.'
'On the morning of the day that Sandra Whiley's body was found did you receive a request from Sergeant Dennis Downes of the Whitaker police?'
Yes.
'What was the request?'
'He told me that the body of an unidentified female had been found in Wishing Well Park. Sergeant Downes asked if the paper would publish an artist's sketch of the woman because the police could not establish her identity.'
'Did the Clarion publish the sketch?'
'We ran the sketch on the front page.'
'When does the paper hit the streets?'
'I checked our records. The earliest the edition would have been out in the community is 2:30 P.m.'
'Nothing further,' O'Shay said.
Something Peter had read in a police report began to nag him. It had been a short report. Something about ... about ... 'The state calls Harry Diets.'
As Peter thumbed through the huge stack of reports, an overweight, thirtyish man in a business suit walked quickly up the aisle and was sworn.
O'Shay established that he was the manager of KLPN, the local television station. Diets had also been contacted by Dennis Downes.
'Mr. Diets, did you broadcast the police sketch of the murdered girl?'
'We did. In fact, we made it part of a special bulletin and slipped it in at 3 P.m because our next regular newscast is at S.'
Peter found the report he was looking for just as O'Shay called her next witness. As Wilma Polk walked to the witness stand, Peter read her statement to the police. By the time she had sworn to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth, the reason she, Diets, Renzier and Downes had been called to testify dawned on Peter.
As she testified to her recollections of the Harmon-Mancim wedding reception, Peter felt a sick, swirling feeling in the pit of his stomach.
Ulu you learn about anything unusual that had occurred in Whitaker on the morning of the wedding?' the prosecutor asked.
'My husband, Eric, is a policeman. He was 'called out early. When he came back, he told me that a young woman had been murdered in Wishing Well Park.'
'Did you discuss the murder with Mabel Dawes, a friend of yours, at the wedding reception?'
'Yes, I did.'
'Please tell the jury what happened while you were talking to your friend.'
'We were at the food table. Gary Harmon walked over. He had a plate of food. I remember that, because it was piled very high and I was afraid some of the food in ight fall off.
'Gary seemed very interested in the murder. I remember Mabel saying that she would hate to be the person who had to break the news to the parents.'
Did the defendant say anything to you at that point?'
'Yes. Yes he did.'
'What did he say?'
'He told us that the girl had been at the Stallion the night of the murder.'
Peter paled as he anticipated Becky O'Shay's next question and the answer he knew Wilma Polk would give.
'Do you remember when this converation with Gary took place?'
Harmon 6'Oh yes,' Wilma Polk answered with a vigorous nod.
,We were due at my daughter's house at two. My grandson, Kenny, was having a birthday party. He's three.'
'And the time?' O'Shay prodded.
'it was one-thirty. Eric said we had to hurry because the birthday was at two and it was already one- thirty.'
'One-thirty,' O'Shay repeated. 'And you're certain of that)'
'Oh'yes, because I looked at my watch. Eric said it was one-thirty and that was exactly what my watch said.'
Donna had stayed up until after midnight going through the investigative reports again, after Peter left the Harmon farm. The first job Peter gave her was to use a stopwatch while tracing the possible paths Gary could have followed on the evening of the murder so Peter could set up a time chart of Gary's movements. While she was making a list of all the routes she would have to walk, she noticed that she would be near the house where Sandra Whiley had lived with Marjorie D ling.
The boardinghouse was a yellow, two-story Vict nan with white trim. The lawn was neatly tended, but the front porch needed painting. A middleaged woman answered the doorbell.
'Good afternoon,' Donna said nervously. 'Is Marjorie Dooling in?'
'I believe so,' the woman answered pleasantly.
'Who should I tell her is calling?'
Donna hesitated before identifying herself. She wondered if Dooling would recognize her last name and refuse to see her. After a moment's reflection, she decided that it was best to be honest.
Donna looked around the entry hall while the landlady went upstairs. After a minute, Donna heard the landlady knock on a door on the second floor and call out 'Marge.' A few minutes later, the landlady descended the stairs followed by a girl wearing a Grateful Dead concert tee shirt and cut-off jeans. Her brown hair was cut short. Donna recognized J her because she had seen Mar'one Dooling testify.
J 'Ms. Dooling, I'm a private investigator working for Peter Hale.'
Dooling looked surprised. 'You're an investigator?'
'Just for this case,' Donna explained nervously.
'Most of the time, I'm a legal secretary.'
Suddenly, Dooling's brow furrowed. 'Isn't Hale the lawyer representing the ... the man who killed ... ?'
'We don't think he killed anyone 'I've already talked to the cops. They know your client killed Sandy. They told me he confessed.'
'The police can make mistakes. They're making a big one in this case.'
'T E:i 'Right.'
'Look, all I'd like to do is ask you a few questions 71d about your friend.
If it wasn't important, I wouldn't take up your time.'
Dooling worried her lower lip for a minute. Then she said, 'All right, but can you make it quick? I'm studying for a test.'
'I promise I won't be too long.'
'Come on up to my room.'
Dooling's apartment consisted of a large living room, a bathroom and two bedrooms. The living room walls were decorated with framed posters. Dooling sat on an old couch. In front of her was a low coffee table covered with textbooks and an open loose-leaf notebook. Across from the couch was a TV and a CD player. Two old armchairs made up the rest of the furniture in the living room. Donna took one of the armchairs and opened her notebook. She noticed that the door to one of the bedrooms was closed.
C, that Sandra Whiley's room?'
Was 'Yeah,' Dooling answered quietly.
'Do you miss her?' she asked.
Dooling gave the question a lot of thought. -we weren't super close, but she was nice. I guess I do miss
