I heard Rick say, “You need me to collect it?”
“Nope. Not evidence. A witness lost it. Just wanted you to be aware if you happened to wander up by the body again.”
“Gotcha,” said Rick.
As we arrived at the back entrance to The Last Drop, Jeff clipped his phone back on his belt. He held open the door and I went inside. By now, my khaki shorts and white blouse were soaked, along with my sandaled feet, so the blast of air-conditioning sent a shiver from bottom to top. I could feel the gritty grounds between my toes and it made me feel sick all over again.
After Jeff pulled the door shut and we were alone in a small hallway, he rested his hands on my cold shoulders. “You did good. Sorry you had to go through that, but it really helps us out.”
“I feel so bad for her, Jeff. She must have been terrified before . . . b-before she died.” I blinked back unexpected tears and glanced around. There was a restroom on the right and a storage room filled with huge, clear bags of coffee beans on our left. The aroma was so strong it could have knocked me flat. I wasn’t sure I’d ever love coffee as much as I used to after tonight. “What could she have possibly done to deserve that beating?”
“That’s what I have to find out. Let’s go sit down, talk about what you know about the victim,” he said.
“Can I rinse my mouth first?”
“Sure. Want some gum, too?” He patted his shirt pocket.
“No. I don’t want anything even marginally connected to the food pyramid.”
“Okay. I’ll meet you up front.”
I stepped inside the lavatory, closed the door and then leaned against it. I closed my eyes but that only made me see Verna Mae’s battered face again, the face that had been so happy when I’d brought Will to see her.
I looked in the smudged oval mirror across from me. My skin was the color of concrete and my hair was so wet it looked black rather than auburn. I stepped over to a sink that resembled the bottom of a dirty coffee pot, turned on the faucet and splashed my face. After I rinsed away the taste of bile, I stared again in the mirror, ran my fingers through my hair and pushed back my bangs. I looked like I’d been through a carwash without a car, but this was as good as it was gonna get. I went back out into the hallway and walked the short distance into the coffee shop to give my statement, thinking about Verna Mae lying dead so close by and knowing in my gut her death had some sad connection to my client.
A Wedding to Die For Page 26
