SEVEN
IT WAS ALMOST midnight before Judith and Renie finished
recounting their stories. Being questioned by Eugene Jarman
Jr. was like being on the witness stand. He was precise, exacting, and relentless. The hardest part came when he asked
about the items Judith had found at the bottom of the ice
cave.
“You actually went inside the cave?”
“Yes. There wasn’t much room because of the broken
branches, but…”
“Why did you go inside the cave?”
“To get a better look.”
“At what?”
“The body. And to see if there was anything that might
tell us who…”
“Aren’t you aware that a crime scene should never be
touched?”
“Yes, but I didn’t know it was a crime scene.”
If Gene was taken aback by Judith’s response, he didn’t
show it. “So you went ahead and disturbed the area around
the body?”
“I didn’t disturb it. I just picked up some things that were
lying on the ground. If I hadn’t, we would never have known
who…”
“Come now, Ms. Flynn, surely you realized that the
authorities would eventually search the cave. Why did you
feel compelled to do it yourself?”
right at the time.”
Gene’s tone reeked of disapproval. “Your heedless actions
may cause serious legal problems. Tampering with evidence
is a crime. On the other hand, we have only your word for
it that Barry Newcombe met with foul play.”
“Oh, come on, Gene,” said Margo. “If somebody finds a
dead body with something tied around its neck, what do you
think happened? I doubt that Barry was making a fashion
statement.”
“He did dress well,” Andrea noted. “And his shoes were
always so nicely shined.”
Gene frowned at both women. “Let’s skip the sidebar
comments.” He turned back to Judith. “Tell us exactly what
you found near the body.”
Judith listed the items. “That’s how we knew who it was.”
Suddenly she gazed around the room with a dumb-founded
expression on her face. “I still have those things in my purse.
Why didn’t any of you ask about them?”
