Page 14 of A Dark and Stormy Night

“Not ever.”

Silence.

“Did you hear about the other woman?” Rainbow asked.

“Karrin Ventura.”

“The children’s librarian.”

Kateri couldn’t believe it. “She wears cotton socks and organic cotton shifts.”

“She’s pretty and sweet.” Rainbow leaned forward and lowered her voice. “And apparently she knows how to research poisons.”

“The poison didn’t take effect right away. I heard he cleaned the kitchen and watched some TV before he started cramping. Then Cornelia called 911.” Kateri swallowed. “He died in agony.”

“Poor, cheating, murdering bastard.”

“Cute, though.” Kateri shoved her coffee cup toward Rainbow.

Rainbow filled it up.

It had been a soy latte, but a little straight coffee wouldn’t hurt.

Rainbow moved through the diner, filling everybody else’s cups, too.

No one was talking.

Everyone was whispering. In fits and starts.

No one was behaving normally. Except Cornelia.

When Rainbow came back, Kateri said, “This morning, Sheriff Foster, the dumb shit, arrested Cornelia. By then Karrin had heard that Mason was dead.”

“I was working.”Rainbow indicated her view of the Virtue Falls town hall. “I couldn’t believe it when Sheriff Foster drove up, lights flashing, and pulled Cornelia out of the car in handcuffs. I was headed out there to tell him what I knew when Karrin ran up, screaming, and slashed Cornelia's face with her nails.”

“Like a cat.”

Rainbow nodded. “Then Karrin collapsed, sobbing, and confessed right there in the street. It was the most dramatic scene I’ve ever seen in my life. Foster had to take his handcuffs off Cornelia to put them on Karrin.”

“So he looked like a fool. Good. That guy hasn’t done anything except give parking tickets since he solved the Banner murder case, and that was twenty-three years ago.”

Silence.

“What did Cornelia do then?” Kateri asked.

“She went in and gave her report. The phone company’s cooperating with the investigation, so Cornelia is free and expected to testify in Karrin’s trial.”

Silence.

The timer beeped in Rainbow's pocket. She pulled it out, looked at it, went to the refrigerator and took out the whole milk. She put it in the microwave for fifty-three seconds, went to the pie, measured the crust, cut it at exactly the right angle. Taking the warm milk and the pie, she walked to Cornelia just as Cornelia's computer pinged. Rainbow put the pie and the milk on the table. “Milk’s at 140 degrees. Today the pie is cherry, two inches at the crust.”

Cornelia looked at her. Just looked at her as she always did.

Rainbow delved into her pocket. “Look. This is a restaurant. We use knives a lot, so I keep antiseptic ointment here.” She pulled out the tube and showed it to Cornelia. “That scratch on your face looks painful. Want me to put some on your cheek?”

Cornelia blinked in surprise. “Yes.” She tilted her head.

Rainbow smeared ointment on the slash left by Karrin’s nails, capped the tube and turned back toward the counter.

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