A Murderer Among Us Read Online Free Page A

happen to me,” Lydia said firmly, touched by her sister’s unusual burst of emotion.
    “Keep your doors locked and don’t go anywhere alone in the dark.”
    “I’ll be careful. Speak to you soon.”
    She hung up as Detective Molina returned to the kitchen. Talking to Samantha had bolstered her confidence and enabled her to ask what she’d been dreading to put into words.
    “Are you considering me a suspect, Lieutenant Molina?”
    Molina raised his eyebrows. “How can I answer that, Mrs. Krause? We’ve yet to determine whether this was a hit-and-run or an intentional murder. If it was, in fact, your car that struck Mrs. Weill.” He shrugged. “But if this case turns out to be a homicide, you had a motive of sorts, the weapon, and an alibi a good prosecuting attorney could rip to shreds.”
    “Well!” Lydia exclaimed, her confidence evaporating like raindrops on a hot summer day.
    He nodded to her. “That’s it for now. Thank you for your cooperation. I’d like to know you’ll be available the next few days. In case I have more questions.”
    “I’ll be here. You took my car, remember?” she said, trying for levity.
    “So we did.” He turned to leave.
    “By the way, that was my sister on the phone. She told me Mannes lost his investment advisor’s license when he went to prison. He’s violating that with impunity.”
    “It sure sounds that way.” Molina pulled out his notepad and wrote a few lines. When he was finished, he said, “Good-bye, Mrs. Krause. We’ll be in touch.”
    Fatigue washed over her like a giant wave. Lydia went into her bedroom. She longed to crawl under the covers and sleep the day away. But she couldn’t. She had to make sense of what was happening. Claire Weill had been killed, accidentally or on purpose. And if it proved to be murder, Detective Molina had made it clear that she was a suspect.
    Who killed Claire Weill? As an executive, Lydia had become adept at finding solutions to complex problems. Solving a murder couldn’t be that different, could it? What she needed were facts, information. Who hated Claire? Who hated her husband? Who wanted Claire dead? Did Warren/Marshall do it?
    Lydia reached for a pad of paper and a pen, and was about to jot down her ideas when the doorbell rang.
    “Damn!” she exclaimed. “What now?” She considered ignoring the intrusion when the bell sounded more insistently. She peered through the glass panel and groaned when she saw her next-door neighbor. Peg noticed her and waved.
    Reluctantly, Lydia cracked open the door. “Hello, Peg. I really can’t talk. I’ve been up all night.”
    Peg’s rabbity eyes gleamed with excitement. “I stopped by to make sure you’re okay.” She lowered her voice. “I saw the police car in your driveway. I knew it was that detective. His men are questioning practically everyone in Twin Lakes.”
    “Did you see anyone take my car this morning?” Lydia asked.
    “No—sorry. I went outside for my newspaper about eight-thirty, but didn’t so much as glance at your driveway. I told all that to the policeman who just left my house. Poor Claire.”
    “Yes, poor Claire,” Lydia agreed.
    Peg reached out to touch her arm. “I hope the police don’t think you had anything to do with this tragic accident.”
    “Actually, I believe I’m one of their chief suspects.”
    Peg gasped. “How awful!” A sly expression crossed her features. “It was eerie, how you recognized her husband after all these years.”
    Lydia pressed her lips together. “I wasn’t likely to forget his face.”
    “Really? Why?” When Lydia didn’t explain, Peg went on. “People are upset about the way you broadcast his past history. You can’t imagine the to-do after you left last night.”
    “Oh, yes, I can,” Lydia answered wryly. “Sally Marcus, who was all smiles and good cheer when I first met her, gave me the cold shoulder this morning.”
    Peg shrugged. “Friends of the Weills think you should have kept what you