Page 79 of Death on Gallows Path

“About what happened in Georgia?”

“Maybe. Though I was thinking more generally about Damon. Also,” I said slowly, while a recognition tickling at the back of my mind took its sweet time surfacing. “I think Willow might know or suspect about Damon having an affair with Zoley. Possibly Blanche, too.”

I explained about her different shade of rosy and saying I don’t know anything about that.

Hearing this scant support for my guess aloud, I finished with, “It’s thin, I admit— No, wait. She didn’t say I don’t know anything about that. She said, I don’t know anything about that man.”

Clara pounced on it. “That man — William. Has to be. And if Willow saw him hanging around, how could she miss Blanche? Plus, if the dog-walker knows or suspects, that must raise the odds of the wife knowing. So, there’s more motive for Pammy. Zoley, too.”

“We’ll have to figure out a way to get back in to talk to them. It could help us with Willow if we’ve pinned down what Pammy and Zoley knew.”

“No problem,” Clara said. “Let’s go.”

* * * *

Clara parked the van at the curb across the street from the Georgers’ house. She turned to look out the driver’s window.

“Look, Bryon’s leaving and he has—”

“Something’s going on.”

I’d turned farther around in response to the sound of rapidly approaching vehicles. Shifting to see between dog heads on alert over the activity, I recognized North Bend County Sheriff’s Department vehicles.

One pulled into the driveway, next to Bryon.

Another pulled across the end of the driveway, blocking it. More kept coming.

“—a suitcase,” Clara said. “Oh, my gosh. Are they arresting him? Are they charging him with murdering Damon?”

“I have no idea. I can’t see—” Despite straining and craning. “—if they’ve handcuffed him.”

“Me, either. All these vehicles and bodies in the way.”

“It looks like— Yes. They’ve put him in the back of one of their vehicles.”

The one blocking the end of the driveway moved forward.

“I see him.” The one he was in backed up into the street, coming alongside us.

Bryon Georger looked over at us, his face blank.

Then the sheriff’s department vehicle pulled away.

“Uh-oh,” Clara said. “Look who’s at the door.”

Deputy Eckles stood at the open front door, talking to someone I guessed was Zoley, but couldn’t say for sure.

He went in. More deputies and forensic types followed him.

“They must have a search warrant. If Eckles sees us here . . .”

Clara sighed at my implicit warning. “Don’t suppose there’s anything more for us to do here anyway.”

* * * *

My stomach declared that brunch had been a million years ago.

We picked up a pizza and returned to my house.