Page 74 of Little Empty Promises

“It wasn’t a big deal.Not a big deal at all, no.No reason to make anything of it.No reason to talk about it either, in my opinion.I don’t even know why Samantha brought it up to you.Why would she?What would be gained?People argue all the time.It’s healthy for any relationship.Healthy is good.You know what I mean?”

As I stood there trying to piece together the speed round I’d just heard, I was reminded of the conversation I’d had with Simone.She’d described Johnny as a man who spoke fast, rambled, and went from one subject to the next.I was seeing that side of him now.While standing there, I’d taken the time to glance around when he wasn’t making eye contact.On the kitchen counter, I’d spotted a few small baggies filled with white powder.

Maybe Simone was right.

Maybe Johnny did do drugs.

Based on his behavior, I guessed the baggies may have been filled with cocaine.

And he still hadn’t told me what the argument was about.

“Why did you and Cordelia argue that day?”I asked.

“Oh, it wasn’t a big deal.”

“If it wasn’t a big deal, I don’t see why we can’t talk about it.”

“It’s just … she liked to do things one way, and I like to do things another way.I was her superior, in every sense of the word.I’ve been working there for years.She’d just started.I didn’t take kindly to her coming in and suggesting we do things in a different way just because she thought it would be better.”

“What was she suggesting you change?”

“She had a bunch of ideas about how we could engage the community in new ways, things she’d heard other libraries were doing.She knew we lived in a small town.She knew we had a limited budget.I didn’t understand why she was pushing something we couldn’t accommodate.We didn’t even know if the community would take to any of the ideas if we did try them.”

“Was Samantha involved in the conversation?”

He nodded.“I guess I raised my voice a little more than she would have liked at one point.She came over and asked me to keep my voice down.I agreed.I wanted to end the conversation.Cordelia wasn’t ready to, though.I started to walk away, and she came after me.”

“What happened?”

“She wouldn’t drop it, and I suppose it made me even more mad.There I was, willing to take the high road, and when she kept pushing her agenda, I lost it.”

“Do you mean in a verbal way?”

“Of course.What do you take me for, lady?I’m no abuser.I’ve never laid a hand on a woman, just so we’re clear.”

“I wasn’t suggesting you did.”

Johnny put the cat down and went quiet, no doubt wanting to end the conversation.He was fidgeting with his fingers, like his nerves were getting the better of him.Maybe he needed a fix.Or maybe my line of questioning had pushed him further than he wanted to go.

I still wasn’t getting the full picture of the argument they’d had or what ideas Cordelia suggested.I allowed the silence to go on for a time, watching him twitch and squirm in his chair.He didn’t seem to enjoy the silence any more than I did.

“You know I’m not responsible for what happened to Cordelia, right?”he said.“I’ve already spoken to the police, and they cleared me, and of course they did, because I didn’t do anything wrong.”

They hadn’t cleared anyone, to my knowledge, but I expected they’d offered him some assurance, making him believe he wasn’t a suspect.

He was rubbing his hands together now, and I worried he was about ready to clam up.I switched subjects.

“When I was speaking to Samantha earlier, she told me there was a man in the library during the time of your conversation with Cordelia, someone she considered odd.”

“People come in and out all day.What did he look like?”

“Tall, muscular, wearing a black leather vest, dress slacks.He was sitting off to the side, acting like he was reading a book when he wasn’t, watching people come in and out.Do you recall seeing a man who fits that description?”

“Nope.Not a one.”

“Are you sure?”

“Positive, though I’ll admit, if a man came in during my chat with Cordelia, I could have been a little too irritated to notice.When I get like that, I don’t always see what’s going on around me.Sorry.”

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