Page 32 of Rocky Ride

“It does.”

“Let me think for a minute. It was something like, she hated to cancel but she wasn’t feeling up to going out.”

“Uh huh. Did she happen to mention anything else? Any trouble with her husband or with their marriage?”

“No. Nothing like that. Sandy was happy with Bob. He was a sweet guy. I don’t think she had any complaints about Bob Ellington.”

“Thank you for your time, Mrs. Reading.” He tossed a card on the coffee table. “Call the office if you happen to think of anything else.”

Petra picked up the card. “I will.”

Billy started the squad and turned on the heater. “What did you think, Virge?”

“I didn’t like her a bit and she wasn’t helpful at all. What did she tell us? The food is good at the Inn? We already knew that.”

“You’re right, she didn’t tell us much at all. Do you think she’s holding back something important?”

“Hard to say. I’m not so good at reading women, but there was something about her I didn’t like.”

Billy pondered Virgil’s observations while he drove to Shelby.

Joliceur Residence. Shelby.

Barb Joliceur, friend number two, was tall and pretty. Long dark hair and brown eyes. Billy asked her the same questions and got different answers.

“I saw Sandra last week,” said Barb. “She came into the bank and opened a new account. I thought it was a bit odd her coming to Shelby to my bank when she could’ve opened an account in Coyote Creek at the credit union.”

“But you didn’t ask her why she came to Shelby?” asked Billy.

“No, I didn’t bother. Her business where she wanted to bank. We talked a bit, and I was happy to see her. The reason she came to my bank didn’t matter that much to me.”

“Did she deposit a large amount?”

“No. She opened the account with a hundred dollars. Most people do exactly the same thing, then they can transfer money online or do whatever they want once the account is open.”

“Did you ever get the feeling Sandra was having trouble in her marriage?” asked Billy.

“No, I don’t think so. Bob made lots of money in his legal practice. Sandy had a beautiful home and nice clothes. She didn’t have to work. If you ask me, she had it made being married to Bob.”

“Thanks for talking to us, Barb,” said Billy. He left a card on the coffee table.

As they drove back to Coyote Creek, Billy asked Virgil’s opinion on Barb.

“I figure she was telling mostly the truth, but there was something underneath that was pissing her off.”

“Huh,” said Billy. “I thought she was a straight shooter.”

Blake Residence. Coyote Creek.

Cassie Blake lived two houses away from the Ellingtons on King’s Court, and when Billy and Virge arrived for the interview, Cassie began by crying her eyes out.

She was a small girl about five feet tall, cute with short black hair and a few years younger than the other girls. A newlywed, Cassie had recently moved onto the nicest street in town with her husband.

The first ten minutes of the interview were punctuated with sobs and periods where Cassie couldn’t talk at all. After she got over the initial crying jag, she settled down a little.

Billy went with the same questions, but Cassie came up with more interesting information than the other two friends.

“Do you think Sandra and Bob were doing well as a couple, Mrs. Blake?”

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