“About Burton. Do you have any idea what’s going on?”
“What do you mean?”
“Ernie Carpenter came by the office and showed Burton his father’s dog tags. Said they’d found those with the skeleton up in the glory hole. Ernie mentioned the dental records, I guess, but he didn’t talk about them very much.”
“What’s the problem then?” Joanna asked. “I thought that’s what you wanted, for someone to figure out for sure whether or not the body belonged to Burton’s father and to tell Burton with out letting on that some of the information came from you.”
“That’s true, but it’s not all,” Linda said. She sat down on the couch but remained stiffly upright, nervously running her good hand back and forth across the already smooth material of her skirt.
“What else?” Joanna asked.
Linda Kimball took a deep breath. “Ernie Carpenter seems to think Burt may have had some thing to do with Uncle Harold’s death. He asked Burt where he was on Tuesday afternoon. They had a big fight, you know.”
“Who did?”
“Burt and Uncle Harold. Earlier in the day. Over Uncle Harold’s proposed settlement with Holly.”
“So where was Burt? Did he tell you?”
Linda sighed. “He went to a bar. He hasn’t done that in years, not since the night before we got married. He says he stayed there most of the afternoon.”
“Which bar?”
“The Blue Moon. Up the Gulch. But now you’re asking about it, too. I’m telling you, Burton Kimball didn’t kill his uncle Harold. Surely, you believe that, don’t you?”
“Linda,” Joanna cautioned, “what I believe and what I don’t believe aren’t important. Homicide detectives like Ernie always ask questions. It’s their job. The mere fact that they’re asking some one questions doesn’t necessarily mean they think that person is guilty of any crime. By talking to lots of people, interviewing them and asking questions, they get to the bottom of what really happened.”
“That’s exactly what I want Ernie to do,” Linda Kimball declared. “I want him to get to the bottom of it and find out what really happened, because if he doesn’t…”
Sobbing, she broke off. Unable to continue, she went searching in her purse for that same thin packet of tissues, just as she had done earlier that same afternoon.
“Linda,” Joanna said kindly. “I don’t under stand. What’s wrong?”
Linda shook her head. “I’ve been married to Burton Kimball for a long time. I know him almost as well as I know myself, but I’ve never seen him the way he was tonight. I can’t stand seeing him like that.”
“Like what?”
“Afraid.”
“Afraid of what?”
“Of himself,” Linda answered. “He’s afraid he did it.”
“Did what?”
“He thinks he murdered Uncle Harold and that he doesn’t remember it because he was drunk. Of course, that’s just ridiculous. Burton would never do such a thing. He’s the kindest man in the world. I can’t stand seeing him so upset.”
“Upset about his father? Upset about being a possible suspect in a homicide investigation?”
“Both, I’m sure,” Linda assented. “Finding out about his father has been a terrible shock, but I don’t think that’s the real problem.”
“What is?”
Linda Kimball’s double chins trembled dangerously. “I’m afraid he’s making this whole thing up, building a case and blaming himself in order to save Ivy.”
“How and why would he do that?” Joanna asked.
The other woman stared vacantly off into space for several long seconds. “We met while Burt was in law school, and I was still an undergraduate. Burt refused to get married until after he was out of law school and on his way to having a practice. We’ve had a very good marriage, but I’ve always known about the competition.”
“Competition?” Joanna frowned, offended by the idea that someone as seemingly upstanding as Burton Kimball might be two-timing his wife.
“Ivy,” Linda Kimball answered simply. “He’s always worried about her more than anyone else in the whole world. He’s always tried to take care of her, to protect her.”
“You don’t mean…?”
“Oh, no,” Linda answered quickly. “Nothing nasty or improper-nothing like that. If he hadn’t cared about her so much, I’m sure he wouldn’t have blabbed to her about Harold wanting to make a settlement. And then, abracadabra, before Harold can make good on what he said, before he can change any of his other arrangements, Harold Patterson is murdered. And who benefits from those changes not being made? Ivy, that’s who! No one but Ivy.”
“You think your husband is lying about what happened? You think he’s deliberately shifting blame to himself in order to protect her?”
“No,” Linda Kimball returned somberly. “I think he really believes he did it. He was drunk and doesn’t
