“Hi.” The woman walked into the conference room.
Laurel motioned to one of the chairs. “Take a seat.”
“Thank you.” Ms. Carrington pulled out a chair and sat. She had angled bone structure, dark brown eyes, and long brown hair with very obvious and lovely blond streaks. Did Zeke like blondes? Like to kill them?
“Would you like a glass of water, Ms. Carrington?” Laurel asked.
She shook her head. “Call me Uma.”
Laurel studied her. “Uma is one of the names of the goddess Parvati, a principal deity of Hinduism. I think the word means light or tranquility.”
“Or fame,” Uma said, smiling fully now. “In Hindu mythology, she is also known as the goddess of love and devotion.” She lifted one dark eyebrow. “You’ve done your research.”
“I like to read,” Laurel noted. “I read that somewhere years ago.”
“Ah,” Uma said, settling back in the chair. She appeared comfortable in a long green skirt with a white-and-green sweater. Her earrings dangled in colorful beads of red, white, and green. “Pastor Caine said you needed to speak with me?”
That was an interesting way to speak about her boyfriend. “Yes. He alleges that the two of you are in a relationship?”
“Yes,” Uma said, her high cheekbones accentuated perfectly with shadow and blush. “We have been dating for a couple of months now, I suppose.”
Laurel leaned forward. “If you don’t mind my asking, how old are you?”
Uma laughed. “I don’t mind at all. I’m twenty-four.” She brushed her hair back from her face. “I know there’s an age gap, but I find Zeke to be knowledgeable and, frankly, a lot of fun. He has a zest for life you don’t see in people my age sometimes.”
“I see,” Laurel said. The woman appeared intelligent and yet apparently had no idea that Zeke Caine was a predator. She supposed he could be charming when necessary and wondered if she should warn the young woman. “Could you please tell me where you were last Wednesday into Thursday morning?”
“Of course,” Uma said. “I made dinner, a chicken cacciatore, on Wednesday night for Zeke and myself. Then we stayed in and watched a movie.”
Laurel couldn’t see Zeke as being the domestic type. “What movie?”
Uma waved a hand in the air. “There was an old movie marathon on one of the channels. So we caught the end ofShawshank Redemptionand then watchedBack to the Future. It was a lovely and perfectly mellow evening.”
“And then?”
She shrugged. “After the movies, we went to bed.”
“All night?” Laurel asked.
Uma met her gaze, her brown eyes wide. “Yes. The pastor stayed all night. In the morning, he cooked banana pancakes for me and then left once he received a phone call about the body found at the church who turned out to be poor Mrs. Bearing. He did not leave all night.”
Laurel tapped her fingers on the table. “Can you be sure that Zeke didn’t leave all night?”
“Of course I am certain, or I wouldn’t say so. I’m a very light sleeper, Agent Snow. If Zeke had left, I would’ve heard him. He was with me all night.” The woman showed no obvious signs of falsehood. Her brow remained clear, her body relaxed, and her voice level.
“Are you familiar with Teri Bearing?” Laurel asked.
Uma placed her hands on the table and clasped them together. Her nails were cut short with white tips. “Of course, I know Teri. We attend the same church. I’m very sorry to hear that she was the victim found by the river. She’s always been very nice to me.”
Laurel couldn’t detect a lie in the words. “Do you know of anybody who would want to kill her?”
“Oh, no. Not at all. I suppose her husband wasn’t too happy with her, considering she was sleeping with Pastor John.” Uma shook her head sadly. “I could not believe it when Zeke told me that last week.”
Laurel leaned forward. “Zeke told you that last week?”
“Yes.” Uma winced. “It’s not a huge secret, to be honest. They haven’t hidden it very well. I’m surprised her husband didn’t know. Perhaps he did.”
Laurel needed to see Saul Bearing sooner rather than later. “What do you do for a living, Uma?”
