"Oh, wow. Really?" I frowned, trying to take it all in. "You did say strangulation is a crime of passion. And he could have killed his rival, too. He had the perfect access to Scott's patrol car."

"It's a pretty tidy package," Barr said. "But listen to this: Irene Nelson came in when we were talking to Zak and threw an absolute fit about him answering our questions. Then she told us Zak had been home with her during the timeframe of the murder. She said he'd been at CRAG, but that he'd gotten home before eight o'clock."

Shaking my head, I said, "But Irene is Chris' alibi. She can't be both, not unless Zak was with her at Chris' house." I scooped up my neatly arranged packaging materials and took them into my storeroom.

Barr followed on my heels. "When I pointed that out, she said she was lying about being at Chris' house"

"Was she?" I asked. "Or is she lying now to protect her son?"

"Your guess is as good as mine."

We clomped up the stairs to the kitchen. "My guess is that she's trying to protect Zak. After all, Ruth confirmed the group alibi at Chris' It's too bad. I like the kid, even if he does look like a walking magnet."

The screen door slammed, and a few moments later Meghan and Erin came into the kitchen.

"Hey, just in time," I said. "The rice'll be done in a jiffy, and the chicken and veggies are ready to hit the wok."

Erin looked horrified. "You're cooking chicken?"

"Uh, well, yeah. I thought you loved stir fry."

"Not chicken. God, Sophie Mae." She was still shaking her head in disbelief as she went out to the backyard to gather eggs.

I turned to my housemate. "What was that all about?"

"She won't eat chicken anymore. Don't tell me that surprises you." Meghan's tone was wry.

"Ah. Got it. The girls have made her a convert. She's a vegetarian now." I scrambled for recipes in my head that might pass muster with the newly militant member of the household.

"Oh, she's not a vegetarian." Meghan grinned. "She just won't eat chicken."

"I'm not sure whether I'm relieved or disappointed."

"Well, I'm glad you're not going to foist a bunch of rabbit food on me," Barr said.

Meghan laughed. "There's tofu in the fridge for her stir-fry. And I hope she likes it, because she's eating it."

TWENTY-NINE

ERIN ATE HER TOFU and claimed to love it. After dinner, Barr left to catch up on paperwork at the police station. While we did the dishes, I told Meghan what Barr had told me about Zak.

"I don't think he did it." She reached for the wok and began to rub oil onto the steel interior.

"Really?" I asked. "Tell me why."

"He's a nice kid."

I snorted. "That's what people always say about murderers." Playing the devil's advocate, though I felt the same way she did.

She placed the wok on a stove burner over a low flame to heat briefly, seasoning the metal. "He didn't try to hide where he was, or at least not very hard. It sounds like his mother is more worried about the police thinking he did it than he is."

"Which means his own mother thinks he killed that girl, and you don't."

"I'm not Irene Nelson." She pressed her lips together. "She can be a little…"

"Granted. Okay, then who did it?"

"You'd know better than I would. After all, you're the investigator."

"I am not! I'm just doing a little… extracurricular…"

"Snooping," she offered.

I raised my palms. "Fine. Have it your way."

The corners of her mouth turned up. "Better be careful, Reynolds. This is when things tend to get out of hand. But I'm going to bed."

"Goodnight," I said, a little sarcastic bite in my tone. Only a few hours earlier hadn't she said it wasn't my responsibility? "Don't forget to take the phone with you"

She grinned. "Remember when you and Barr talked on the phone every night?"

I had to nod. She was right. At least I got to see Barr; she and Kelly only saw each other every six weeks or so.

"'Night," she said. "Oh, and tomorrow is the last day of Erin 's math camp. It's a half day, and then we have to go pick Tootie and Felix up at the airport."

Tootie Hanover, part of the cruise set. Would wonders never cease?

"Noted. We can coordinate in the morning," I said.

Erin was already in bed, and with Meghan off to the land of nod, it was just Brodie and me. After everything that had happened that day, I should have been exhausted, but I felt like I was wired for sound.

Spinning had helped to relax me the other night. Might as well try it again.

After arranging the wheel, I oiled the moving parts, and attached the bands. Soon I was working my way through a length of off-white sheep's wool. It would be a while before I'd be spinning any more of Thea Hawke's light-as-thistle-down bamboo. The very thought of it left a sour taste in my mouth, after my bad behavior toward Gabi Kaminski. Tonight I even avoided the raw alpaca I'd given in and bought at the co-op. It seemed a good idea to go back to doing something I knew at least a little about.

But the act of spinning was just as soothing as ever. The Zen of it overtook me: the enthralling rhythm of the foot treadle combined with the soft whir of the fly wheel. The wool fairly flew out of my fingers, twisting into a uniform yarn and wrapping neatly onto the spool. It looked good. Really good. Way better than the stuff that had been used to strangle Ariel.

Ruth would be proud of me when I showed her.

The next morning I walked to the little house Ruth and Thaddeus Black shared and found their mint-green Buick gone from the carport. I knocked anyway. Rustling sounded from inside, and finally the interior door swung open. Thaddeus peered out.

Recognition dawned. He pushed the screen door open. "Sophie Mae! Come in, come in. Glad you dropped by. I'm not getting out as much as I used to, and it's nice to have a visitor"

"Hello, Thaddeus. Is Ruth around? I wanted to show her some yarn I spun last night."

"Nope. Went to the store. That woman shops for groceries every day. I just don't understand it." His cane thumped in exclamation.

"Oh" I couldn't keep the disappointment from my voice.

"She'll be right back, though. Never takes her long. You come on in and wait." He waved me in. The house smelled of fake lavender air freshener. I made a note to bring them some Winding Road gel fresheners, made with essential oils. Some nice soap, too, and bath salts. It was the least I could do to pay Ruth back for letting me borrow her wheel and teaching me so much.

Thaddeus trailed behind me into the living room. "I heard what happened to that little truck of yours. You're a lucky girl."

"Don't I know it."

He nodded. "Sit down for a minute."

I sat. No good trying to get out of a little socializing, and besides, I liked Thaddeus Black.

"Can I get you anything? Coffee, maybe?" he asked, the gracious host.

"I'm fine."

He settled into his own chair and smiled broadly.

I smiled in return. "How's Ruth holding up, with all the trauma and drama over at CRAC?"

"You mean that little girl getting herself killed?" He waved his hand dismissively. "Ruth and I go to a couple of funerals a month."

"This was a little different, wouldn't you say?"

"Well, sure. All I'm saying is that Ruth isn't exactly a wilting vine when it comes to the difficulties in life. She's gentle as a lamb, but tough as nails, too."

"I'm glad she was able to provide an alibi for Chris Popper," I said. "It saved Chris a lot of grief."