“Killing is killing,” Vinner said. “Don’t matter if that man was a pastor or the local garbage man. It ain’t right, no matter who it is.”
“Didn’t you have some trouble with the pastor?” Cordelia asked, and Belinda Sue kicked her under the bar. She winced and rubbed at the knot on her calf.
Vinner narrowed his eyes. “I’ve had trouble with damn near everyone in town who blames me for their loved one’s alcoholism.” He gave Cordelia a pointed look that had her shrinking in her stool. “That’s the burden of owning the only bar. That don’t make me a killer.”
“Of course not.” Belinda Sue shot Cordelia a look implying she ought to zip it before she got both of them thrown out. “The madam wasn’t suggesting you had anything to do with it. She’sjust wondering if someone might’ve taken your cause into their own hands.”
Vinner frowned. “I know the people who drink in this bar. They can get rough and tumble from time to time, but they’re good country people. If the sheriff wants to look into me or anyone else I’m associated with, he’s more than welcome, but I’m willing to bet the call on the pastor’s life came from inside his own home.”
“He means the church,” Belinda Sue whispered out of the corner of her mouth.
“I got that,” Cordelia said, wondering why they hadn’t put any members of the church on their list sooner. Aside from Honey Stevens, who was only there because Daisy had a personal grudge. “Have you heard about any of the congregation being mad at him?”
“Well.” Vinner picked up a glass and began polishing it with the filthiest rag Cordelia ever set her eyes on. A mischievous grin tugged his lips. “They might not have liked how much time he spent down at the Chickadee with Miss Daisy.”
Cordelia gave him a tight smile. “Noted.”
“You’ve been a big help, Vinner.” Belinda Sue stood and poked at Cordelia’s back to indicate she should do the same. “We appreciate your hospitality.”
“What’s your interest in this case, anyway?” Vinner asked. “He died after a break-in at the church. That don’t seem like it has anything to do with you ladies.”
“Arline don’t get out much these days and she likes her gossip.”
Vinner chuckled. “Fair enough. Tell her I said hi.”
“We will.” Cordelia rushed out the door faster than double-struck lightning before Vinner could ask more questions and start connecting dots.
If he was already suspicious of why they were asking afterthe pastor, it probably hadn’t been a good idea to ask him outright about the wine, but he didn’t know about the palytoxin. He wouldn’t put two and two together. Hopefully. At least their visit into town hadn’t been completely worthless. Both he and Martina had pointed them in the direction of new suspects.
“You were about as subtle as a fox in a henhouse. It’ll be a wonder if Vinner doesn’t call the sheriff on the two of us,” Belinda Sue said.
Cordelia threw up her hands. “I’m doing my best here. And the trip wasn’t a total waste. He had some good ideas about where to look next.”
“I know what you’re thinking,” Belinda Sue said. “But we didn’t come here to open up a whole can of suspects. We just came to gather some additional information, but I don’t know why we’re not putting all our efforts into investigating Corbin and Edna.”
“Because he made a good point about the members of church being more likely suspects. They had direct access to him, and whoever gave him that wine must’ve been someone he trusted, or why else would he accept it?” Cordelia asked.
“Ain’t no one in the congregation going to murder the pastor because he enjoyed Daisy’s company. Half the men in that church enjoyed Daisy. That’s not a good enough reason for murder.”
Cordelia trod carefully with Belinda Sue as they got back in the car and pulled out of the parking lot. Daisy peppered them with questions, but they decided to wait until they got back to the Chickadee so they wouldn’t have to tell it twice. Cordelia had some thoughts, but she wasn’t ready to voice them yet. Not until Belinda Sue had a drink in hand and loosened up some. The rain had slowed to a dull drizzle, but it was still too nasty for cocktail hour by the pool. They’d have to settle for tea in Cordelia’s apartment.
As they pulled onto the dirt road leading to the Chickadee,several large trucks passed them in the opposite direction with the wordsO’LEARY DEVELOPMENTprinted on their sides. Rocks and other roadside debris pinged against Cordelia’s car in the cloud of dust they kicked up. All the vehicles carried large metal structures out to the small piece of land Corbin had managed to purchase before being shut down by Penelope for the rest.
Belinda Sue kept a beady eye on the trucks. “What’s that snake up to?”
“Whatever it is, he best keep it to that spit of land he calls his own,” Cordelia said. She might’ve been willing to bargain with Corbin before she found out what his family did to Belinda Sue’s father, but she’d sooner bed down on a mattress from the side of the road than give him an inch. “If he steps a toe over the property line, I’ll sue him into oblivion.”
The ghost of a smile played over Belinda Sue’s face, pinkening her pale cheeks. “I still think we’ll get him another way. This is far from over yet.”
Arline was already waiting inside Cordelia’s apartment when they returned. How she entered was anyone’s guess since Cordelia kept her place locked, but it wasn’t important enough to make it an issue. They shared what they’d learned at the library and the bar.
“That wine label looked expensive,” Arline said. “I could’ve told you Vinner wouldn’t have anything like that on hand at the Orb. I’m surprised he even had Boone’s Farm.”
Cordelia paced, restless as a cat in a tin barn during a rainstorm. “I thought it was necessary to make sure. We did go there with the intention of finding information.”
Arline picked up her tablet. “I tried out the Google while y’all were gone, and Dew Valley wine can only be bought at a market up in Bramble Park. They sell it by the crate to restaurants. Individuals can’t buy single bottles.”
“Google. That’s a good one.” Belinda Sue gave Cordelia an accusatory look. “Shouldn’t you have thought of Google?”
