Dead Certain - Mariah Stewart [42]
Which was the real Amanda Crosby? he wondered.
And was either of them capable of murder?
Sean had been asking himself that all afternoon, ever since he’d interviewed Marian O’Connor and Iona McGowan, both of whom Amanda had spoken with about her partner’s black market purchase. Both had admitted that Amanda had been furious with Derek. And both, after he’d worn them down, had admitted that Amanda had made some pretty damning remarks.
“Ms. McGowan, what did Ms. Crosby say about Mr. England’s buying this vase?” he’d asked.
“It was a goblet,” Iona had replied.
“Right. Goblet. I know she discussed this with you. She had you get in touch with your sister—she told me that. So she must have said something to you about her partner buying it, and I’d like to know what that something was.”
Iona had stared at him for a long minute, then said, “Amanda was not happy that Derek had bought the goblet.”
“Not happy. Is that what she said? ‘Iona, I’m not happy that Derek bought this goblet’?” He had leaned forward just slightly. “Or did she say something a little stronger than ‘I’m not happy . . .’?”
His witness appeared restless then, and he knew his instincts had been right. They both knew what Amanda had said. He just wanted to hear Iona say it.
“Ms. McGowan?” He tilted his head to place himself in her line of vision, since she’d turned away from him just slightly, as if unable to meet his eyes. “Did Ms. Crosby say she was going to welcome Mr. England home with open arms?”
“She said . . . something about not being sure she wanted to continue the business partnership.”
“That’s all? ‘I’m not sure I want to be his partner anymore’?” He had stroked his chin thoughtfully. “Well, I guess I can understand that. The guy spent all their money on a black market purchase. I can see where she’d be really pissed. And she was really pissed off, wasn’t she?”
Iona had nodded stiffly.
“And she said . . . What else did she say?” he persisted.
“I don’t remember everything she said.”
“Oh, I’ll bet you do. I’ll bet she said something along the lines of ‘I could just smack him.’ Or ‘I could just shoot him.’ Or ‘I could just—’ ”
“Yes.”
“Yes, what?”
“Yes, she said something along those lines.”
“ ‘I could just kill him.’ ” Sean had watched Iona’s face. “That’s what she said, isn’t it?”
“She didn’t mean she’d actually kill him.”
“I’m sure she didn’t. But that is what she said, isn’t it?”
“Well, yes, but how many times have you been so angry at someone that you said that? Or something like that? I’ve done it.”
“We’ve all done it.”
“It doesn’t mean she killed him. She would never . . .” Iona had struggled for words. “She would never hurt anyone. Especially someone she loved. And for all their differences, all the ups and downs they’ve had over the years, she and Derek loved each other. They were like brother and sister. That’s how it was between them. She’d get angry with him, and at times he’d get angry with her. But she would never have hurt him, nor him, her.”
“Thank you, Ms. McGowan. You’re free to go.”
Even now, hours later, Sean wasn’t sure he didn’t regret having goaded Iona into the admission. It smacked of dirty pool, of the type of police interrogation he’d always tried to avoid. Of course he had thought that Amanda might have made a statement like that in anger. And Iona was right. He had said things like that himself over the years. The difference was, he had never gone and done it. It remained to be seen whether Amanda Crosby had.
“Certainly, if the stalker is someone you know, you need to tell him—or her—that they need to stop. Tell them you will go to the police—and then do it.” She seemed to be addressing a woman several rows back. Had they moved into Q and A already?
And then there was Marian O’Connor, the woman who owned the shop directly across from Amanda’s. She, too, had heard Amanda make damning statements, but she, too, had insisted that it had been nothing more than a reaction, words tossed off in the heat of the moment.
People often committed murder in the heat of the moment, he could have