“Yeah, about that. Why did you end up back at the wedding reception? I called a cab for you. Isawyou get in the cab.” I frowned. “Next thing I know, you’re jumping out of the back of a van.”
“I didn’t want to leave Janelle. I know you don’t believe me, but I was just worried about her. Something’s been going on with her.”
“What do you mean by that?”
He looked uneasy. “I’m not sure if I’m supposed to say anything.”
“Why don’t you tell me why you disliked Archie so much. By all accounts, Janelle was in love with Archie. She was happy with him. He seemed like a good guy.”
He leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. “You say that because you don’t know anything about Archie.”
“So tell me, then, what is it I didn’t know about Archie?”
“Did you know he’d been married before?”
“Yes.”
He seemed surprised, but he gathered himself. “Did you know his first wife died?”
I nodded.
Looking vaguely annoyed, he asked in a challenging tone, “Okay, but do you knowhowshe died?”
“Nope.”
He gave a smug smile. “I do.”
“Okay, I’ll bite. How did she die?”
“She drowned.”
I grimaced. “That’s awful.”
“Yeah, it is.”
I frowned. “You’re telling me about her drowning like you think it means something. It’s tragic that his wife died that way, but people drown sometimes.”
“Yes, but drowning would be an easy way to kill someone.”
“Not necessarily. Drowning someoneisn’teasy.”
He huffed. “It is when you’re a guy against a girl.”
“Anyone drowning is going to put up a fight, Kobe.” I frowned. “I assume you’re telling me this because you’re implying Archie drowned his wife?”
“Bingo.”
“If Archie’s first wife drowned under suspicious circumstances, the cops would have immediately looked at him as a possible suspect. We always look at the spouses, friends, and family. If Archie drowned his wife, there would most likely have been scratch marks on his arms and possibly his face too. The police would have been looking for that stuff.”
“He might not have any marks if he surprised her or caught her off guard.”
I shook my head. “I don’t know about that. I suspect she’d still put up one hell of a fight.”
He sighed, looking frustrated. “Well, I think he killed her.”
“If you want me to be suspicious of his wife’s death, I’d need a reason. Do you have any facts, or are you just accusing him of that because you didn’t like him?”
“How about the fact that they never found her body?” He scowled.
