However, with Will in the room, Steve Cochran seemed to fade into the drywall. Will’s attention was ostensibly on Cochran, but from time to time, Jen would look up to find his warm blue eyes on her. When that happened, she felt her heart do a little flip-flop and her breath quicken. She wondered how much time she would have to spend around the man before she became used to his presence.
“Yes, I dated Vicki,” Cochran said in response to Al’s question. “It was terrible what happened to her. I’d like to get my hands on the SOB that was responsible.”
“So would we,” Al said. “How did you meet Ms. Kaufmann?”
“At BodyFit Athletic Club. We were both members. I liked her, so I asked her out.”
“How serious was it between you two?” Jen said.
“It wasn’t. I liked her, and I guess she liked me. But we weren’t committed to anything. I guess you know she was divorced, but she hadn’t been on her own long enough to be interested in that even if I had been. I wasn’t seriously involved with her or anyone else at the time.”
Cochran paused and gave Jen a little smile.
“I’m still not.”
Jen got the message. Across the table, Will shifted position. She resisted the urge to sneak a glance at him.
“So it wouldn’t have bothered you,” Al said, “when she went out with her old boyfriend?”
“Which old boyfriend was that?”
“Let’s see, what was his name? Oh, yes, here it is. Wilson. Ron Wilson. They’d dated in high school.”
“Right. I remember.” Cochran’s jaw looked a little tight. “No, why should it? If she wanted to date the blue-collar type, that was her privilege.”
It always amazed Jen how quickly some men could lose their sex appeal just by opening their mouths. In the space of a few seconds, Cochran had gone from hunk to meathead. She glanced at Al, and he gave a slight nod. It was time for the only woman in the room to do a little prodding.
“How long have you been a member of BodyFit?” she said.
“Ever since it opened.”
“Do you go there often?”
“Nearly every day.”
“I suppose you dated some of the other women you met there?”
“Guilty.” Cochran smiled what Jen supposed he thought was a charming smile.
“Did you ever know a woman named Carla Edwards?”
“I don’t think so.” He laughed. “Is she good-looking?”
“She’s dead,” Jen said flatly. “Or don’t you read the papers? She was the killer’s second victim.”
Cochran was silent for a few seconds, looking from Jen to Al to Will, then back at Jen.
“I’m starting to get some bad vibes here,” he said. “Are you trying to connect me with both these women or what? Do you think I killed Vicki?”
“We don’t think anything at the moment, Mr. Cochran.” Al took over, his tone mild and reasonable. “But we have to question anyone and everyone that Ms. Kaufmann knew. I’m sure you can understand that. And since Ms. Edwards was also a member of BodyFit, we have to ask if you knew her.”
“Okay.” Cochran straightened in his chair. “I guess this is necessary, even if it does make me uncomfortable. As far as I know, I didn’t know this Edwards girl. Maybe I might recognize a picture, but the name doesn’t ring a bell.”
Jen handed a snapshot to Cochran. It was one they’d taken from the dead woman’s apartment. She would have liked to show him one taken at the crime scene to see his reaction.
“I don’t know.” Cochran swallowed rapidly a couple of times. His eyes shifted to Al, then Will, then Jen, and back down to the photo. “No, I don’t know her.”
He handed the snapshot back to Jen quickly, as if it were suddenly hot. Jen and Will exchanged glances.
“Are you sure you don’t know her?” Jen said.
“Sure, I’m sure. I mean, I may have seen her around the club, but I don’t recall.”
“Okay. Let’s go back to Vicki Kaufmann. When was the last time you saw her?”
“At least three weeks ago.” Cochran looked relieved at the change of subject. “We went out to dinner. I assume that’s what you mean. I did see her after that at the club, but we hadn’t gone out or anything.”
“Why so long?”
“She was busy. I guess her social calendar was full.”
“I thought you said you didn’t know she was dating other men.”
“I didn’t say that.” He looked angry. “I just said I didn’t know about that Wilson fellow. So what’s the problem?”
“I don’t have a problem.” Jen smiled. “Do you have one?”
He glared at her.
“No, I don’t.”
“So…you’re telling us that you hadn’t seen Ms. Kaufmann for approximately three weeks,” she said. “Is that right?”
“No, it’s not right. I said that was the last time we’d gone out. Like I told you, I had seen her at the club.”
“Is that the only place you saw her?”
Cochran nodded, his jaw clenched. He glanced at Al, as if looking for some support, but Al had busied himself with the papers in a folder.
“Well, now, you know that’s really strange.” Jen’s tone grew hard. “Since we have a witness who says he saw you parked in front of Ms. Kaufmann’s home a week ago.”
The surprise was evident on Cochran’s face, and a thin sheen of perspiration popped out on his forehead.
“A week ago?” he repeated, stalling for time.
“That’s right.”
“Maybe I might have been.” He nodded rapidly, as if his memory had just returned. “Yeah, now that you mention it, I did stop by to see if Vicki wanted to go for a ride.”
“Did she?”
“Well, no. I mean, I never got around to asking her. I changed my mind
