Snuffed Out - Tim Myers [17]
She glanced up at the restaurateur, then back at her soda. “Sure, why not?”
“How about you? What are you drinking?” April asked me.
“I’ll have what she’s having.”
“Two Dr Peppers and a large Heaven Scent. Back in a shake.”
“You can stop it now,” Heather said as soon as April was out of sight.
“Stop what?”
‘Trying to cheer me up. I’m in no mood for it.”
I said, “Listen, I’m sorry about what happened to Aaron.” The last thing Heather wanted to hear were my suspicions about Aaron’s demise.
“It wasn’t an accident,” Heather said, her gaze on her glass and not on me.
I remembered what Markum had told me and wondered what had brought Heather to the same conclusion. “Why do you say that?”
“Aaron never threw his work on an electric wheel,” she said. “Somebody should tell the sheriff.”
“He already knows,” I said, “And he doesn’t believe it was foul play for a second. According to Morton, Aaron was experimenting. That’s why he never noticed the frayed cord, he wasn’t used to working on that wheel.”
“That is complete and utter nonsense,” Heather said. “You didn’t know Aaron all that well, but I can tell you, he was a fanatic when it came to keeping the equipment in his shop in good working order. I’d like to see that cord myself. How badly was it frayed?”
I admitted, “It was pretty bad. But who would want to kill him?”
“Do you mean besides me?” she asked sullenly.
“Come on, you can’t believe anyone would think you were a suspect.”
Heather started to say something, then stopped when April came up with our drinks. She noticed the truncated conversation, and for a change April dropped off the sodas and scampered away without comment.
“You were getting ready to say something,” I nudged her.
“It’s not important. Listen, thanks for trying, but I can’t do this.”
Before I could stop her, Heather was gone.
I thought about going after her, but when she was finally ready to talk, Heather knew where to find me.
A few minutes later April slid the large pizza in front of me. She said, “Please tell me Heather went to the little girls’ room.”
“She walked out on me,” I said.
“And you didn’t stop her?” The cutting tone of her voice raked into me.
“It wasn’t up to me. I did what I could.”
April studied me a second, then said, “I know it’s not your fault. That girl’s taking this hard.”
“She knows we’ll both listen when she’s ready to talk,” I said. “There’s not much else we can do.”
“That’s the truth. Well, enjoy.”
I looked at the pizza, wondering how in the world I was going to make even a dent in it when Erin walked up.
She smiled broadly. “Harrison, are you stalking me?”
“I was just going to ask you the same thing. I was here first, remember? Care to join me?”
“I don’t want to intrude. I’ll just sit with you until your guest comes back.”
I said, “Then you’re in for a wait. She just walked out on me.”
Erin asked, “What in the world did you say to her?”
“I offered to listen,” I said as I took a piece of pizza. “Help yourself.”
She took what should have been Heather’s plate and served herself a slice. “Thanks, I’m starving.”
April came over with another soda and grabbed Heather’s glass. “I see you’ve made a new friend,” she said to me.
We both nodded, then I said, “I started kayaking today. April, this is Erin Talbot.”
April looked at Erin and said, “You let him get started on the Gunpowder? You should have had him try the French Broad first. Now that’s a kayak ride.”
“So you two know each other,” I said as I took another bite.
“We’re in Micah’s Ridge, Harrison, not Charlotte. It’s tough not knowing everyone around town.”
To my surprise, Erin and I managed to polish off the pizza without any help. When April slipped the bill beside my plate, Erin said, “Let’s split that.”
“Are you kidding? This is the first date I’ve been on in six months. Don’t spoil it for me.”
Erin smiled, took a ten-dollar bill from her purse and slid it across the table. “Sorry to burst your bubble, but this wasn’t one either.”
“So where would