“What about you, Clyde?” Alex asked.
“I was so busy keeping track of the food and making sure things didn’t blow away or get lost in the dark that I didn’t pay attention to who was talking to whom. I didn’t notice Rafe at all until he fell in the center of the circle. I thought he was having a heart attack,” I said, and glanced at Diana. It couldn’t be easy for her to be reliving that night.
Diana nodded. “I didn’t pay much attention to what other people were doing, either. I was focused on the ceremony and what I needed to do.”
Mom, sitting next to Diana, patted her hand.
“Look, honey.” Mom sat back in her chair and scrutinized her layout. “The cards say Dylan didn’t do it. If I’m reading this right it was a woman who was responsible.” We all leaned forward. It did seem as though there was a female presence in the situation, but just like every other divination technique, it was open to interpretation.
“Let’s get out that pendulum thingy,” Seth said.
Alex put his head in his hands. A simple divination technique, the pendulum swings in a “yes” or “no” direction in response to questions. He had never been able to work the device and he was too competitive to just let it go. The pendulum had become his nemesis.
Vi picked up her tote bag, allowing her knitting to fall to the floor.
“Alex, I need to check on Clyde’s alarm system. Want to help?” Dad asked. He was no fan of the pendulum, either, and the two of them disappeared.
We spent about forty-five minutes with the pendulum with no results. Vi had just taken possession of the crystal to ask another question when the doorbell rang and triggered a clamor of barking and scraping of chairs.
Vi got to the door first. After peeking through a small crack, she swung the door only far enough so she could fill the opening.
“Hello, Officer Andrews.” Her voice was icy. “What can we do for you?” She crossed her arms, and I could tell she was blaming Tom along with all the other police officers for Dylan’s arrest.
“Can I come in, please, Miss Greer?” Tom’s voice floated in from outside.
“We’re really very busy right now trying to figure out how to get Dylan out of jail.”
“I know. That’s why I want to come in.”
Vi glanced back at Diana, who nodded her consent. Vi swung the door wide to a somber Tom Andrews dressed in his street clothes. He raised a hand in greeting.
“Well, let the man in, Vi,” said Dad. He and Alex had come to see what was happening in the front hall.
“I’m so sorry, Diana,” Tom said. His foot got caught in the welcome mat and he stumbled through the door. He stood up straight and smoothed his jacket. “I had no idea they were planning to arrest Dylan. I would have warned you, which is probably why they didn’t tell me. They seem to think he’s a flight risk.”
“Who’s ‘they’? And why is he a flight risk?” Alex stepped forward. He, Diana, and I had been inseparable in high school and his protective instincts were strong. Anything that upset Diana was sure to upset Alex.
“Mac and Charla. They have some evidence and are looking for more,” Tom said. “Dylan hasn’t exactly been easy to find over the past few years. He follows the art shows and even Diana doesn’t always know where he is. They were afraid he’d take off again if he knew they were coming to arrest him. Basically, I’m off the case.” Tom stood with his hands out, palms up. “Mac says I’m too close to Dylan and can’t be objective.” He let his hands fall to his side.
I gestured toward the dining room and the group moved in that direction. Dad and Alex abandoned their project and joined us. The pendulum forgotten, we gathered around the table.
Per Tom, several witnesses had come forward with stories of Dylan and Rafe arguing and someone claimed that Dylan had threatened to kill Rafe. Dylan had the opportunity to doctor the bread since he had easy access to Diana’s kitchen, and another witness had seen Dylan leaving Rafe’s house the day he died. Rafe had followed him into the yard and grabbed Dylan’s arm. Dylan shook him off, and Rafe fell. Apparently, Dylan just kept walking. Tom ticked these items off on his fingers.
“Isn’t this just circumstantial evidence?” Alex said.
Tom nodded. “But they found some fingerprints on the EpiPen. One of them was Dylan’s. One was Rafe’s, one was the paramedic who picked it up at the scene, and they’re assuming the last set would be Diana’s.” His head was bowed toward the table.
“We have to do something!” Vi glared around the table, daring anyone to contradict her.
“But what?” Seth said.
“We need more suspects, for one thing,” I said.