Emma glanced at him, then continued. “He could be doin’ it with anyone! Miss Julie never knows when he’s comin’ home. Once he even gave her a
Peggy was more surprised the housekeeper shared that information than she was by the fact. “That’s awful!”
“She was pregnant with the boy when the doctor told her. It wasn’t serious. He treated it. But she knew how she got it. Threatened to leave him.”
“Why did she stay?”
“She got all this.” Emma waved her hand around the huge kitchen. “And he always promised it wouldn’t happen again.”
“There was a woman who was at my shop with him.” Peggy pressed her for more information. “Tall, athletic. Dark hair. Anyone you know?”
“Sounds a lot like Mr. Warner’s secretary, Angela Martin.” Peggy was surprised by the housekeeper’s
“Really?” Peggy was surprised by the housekeeper’s response. Was there another woman in Mark’s life besides Ronda McGee?
“Yes. But he promised Miss Julie it was over between them.”
“But she didn’t make him fire her?”
“Mr. Mark says he can work with her without cheatin’. He says what happens at work is his business, and he can’t let someone go without good reason.”
“So she was still working for him?”
The housekeeper nodded. “Last I heard. They should check on what she was doin’ that night. Maybe they’d find the killer.”
“Did you tell the police that?”
“No. They didn’t ask me. Besides, Miss Julie won’t hear nothin’ bad about that man. But he deserved what he got, no matter. I hope his
“Did the police ask what Julie was doing that night?” Steve questioned.
Emma waved her hand. “Miss Julie wouldn’t kill that man! She got too much to lose! Besides, that night she was up with the boy. He was sick all night, coughing and running a fever. I saw her with him.”
When they were getting ready to leave, Emma took Steve to see her cat. The animal was curled up in a basket lined with an old blanket.
Steve crouched down to pet the white Persian’s head. “How long has she been this way?”
“I’m not sure. Sometimes she gets outside. A few days. I know it hasn’t been a week.”
He examined the cat, looking in her eyes and touching her stiff legs. “It looks like she got into something outside. I can’t tell what without doing some tests. If you’d like to bring her by, I’ll be glad to see if I can help her.”
“Thank you, Doctor.” Emma took a business card from him. “Could I bring her by later today? I get off at five.”
Steve agreed. Peggy thanked her for the tea, and they left the house.
“Who would ever guess they were so unhappy?” Steve walked beside Peggy down the front sidewalk. “I didn’t know them personally, but they were always smiling for the camera in the newspaper.”
“If ever a woman had a motive to kill a man, it seems to me that Julie did. But I don’t think she’s physically capable of the task. And Emma gave her a good alibi.”
“You were really thinking that Mrs. Warner killed her husband?”
“Somebody did. To save Mr. Cheever, I have to find out who.”
SHE WAS TEN MINUTES LATE for her chess game with Nightflyer. Hal Samson began sending the preliminary autopsy results for his poison case. He told her the police had questioned and released the woman’s husband. A South Carolina biohazard team was looking for the possible point of poisoning. They ruled out the bank where she worked and concentrated their efforts on her home.
Peggy made her first move on the chessboard. Black pawn to f4.
She barely noticed his move.
The game proceeded forward with no response from Nightflyer. Peggy admired his skill at chess. It was all she could do to keep him at bay. They chased each other across the virtual chessboard. Her gaze stayed glued to
