“You’re jumping to conclusions.” To Alvarez, he said, “Check it out. I filed the report with Chas Aiken in Theft, about five weeks ago.”
“It was the Friday after Thanksgiving,” Bess clarified.
“You’re right,” he agreed.
With a sigh, Bess said, “Let’s just get on with this.”
Brewster turned his attention to Alvarez once again. “I think we can keep this short.” An order. Not a question.
“We’re just trying to learn a little more about the judge’s life,” Alvarez said to Brewster’s wife.
“From me?” With a questioning gaze to her husband, Bess said, “Kathy and I were close, but really, she was a very private person. This whole thing is awful. Just awful! I just don’t see how I can help.” Her fingers played with the collar of her prim jacket for the third or fourth time since being seated, and realizing she was fiddling, she quickly folded her hands in her lap, forcing a smile.
She hates this, Alvarez decided. “Do you know if the judge was seeing anyone?”
“You mean dating? You think I would know that?” She shot another disbelieving glance across the desk at her husband. “If Kathy had a boyfriend, or was dating someone, I didn’t know about it.”
“She’d been on a dating service.”
“Really. Well, she never brought a man with her to any of the church functions. The last one I saw her with, at least romantically, was Georges.”
“What can you tell me about her family?”
She thought for a moment. “I know her parents are gone, her brother and she don’t speak much. Her son and granddaughter were close with her, though I’m not really sure about the daughter-in-law. Cee-Cee and Winston never attended church or Bible study despite repeated invitations by our minister and several of the elders. Cort, you talked to Win once or twice, didn’t you?” she asked, her neatly plucked brows drawing together.
The acting sheriff rotated his hands, turning his palms toward the ceiling. “Probably. I don’t remember specifics if I did.”
“There’s just nothing more I know about her.” Bess touched her collar again. “I’ll help with the funeral arrangements when the time comes.” She glanced at her husband pointedly. “I hear the body hasn’t been released.”
“Today,” he said.
“Oh, that’s good. The ladies of the church are helping with the gathering afterward, coordinating the service with the meal. We’re expecting quite a crowd.” She actually seemed more interested in the ceremony than her friend’s death.
As if she’d read Alvarez’s thoughts, she frowned slightly an
d said, “A lot of people knew and respected Kathy. We have a big job on our hands.”
Alvarez asked a few more questions, but Bess didn’t offer up anything further on the judge’s private life. “Did she ever mention the sheriff?” Alvarez finally asked.
“Cort?” She turned to her husband. “Just in casual conversation, asking me what we were doing.”
“She’s asking about Grayson,” Brewster said tautly.
“Oh. Oh.” She flushed as she realized her gaffe. “No, not that I remember. They knew each other, of course, but how well? I have no idea.”
“No romance between them?” Alvarez asked.
“Kathy and Dan? I don’t think so. I suppose it was possible, but he’s not a member of the church.”
“Meaning?” Alvarez questioned.
“Well, it’s just that I don’t see Kathy seriously dating anyone outside the congregation. Georges, you know, was a very devout man.” She was nodding, her eyes again on her husband, her fingers toying with her collar once more. “An elder. Like Cort.” She turned her gaze to Alvarez. “Is there anything else? I promised Heidi I’d take her shopping this afternoon. She has some Christmas presents she wants to exchange. Teenage girls, you know. They live and breathe on their phones and make ‘shop till you drop’ their mantra.”
“Yeah, we’re done here,” Brewster said and Alvarez silently agreed. If Bess Brewster knew anything important about her deceased friend, she wasn’t offering it up.
“If you think of anything that might help, or you may have forgotten—” Alvarez began.
Bess cut her off with, “Really, I’ve told you everything. I can’t help you any more. You just need to find her murderer and put him away.” Again she glanced at her husband.