She made her way to the bar, masking the storm brewing in her chest with an easy smile. Brock still hadn’t noticed her, but Amka caught her eye.
“Hey, Olly. You hungry?” Amka asked.
Ophelia would puke if she tried to eat anything right now. “No, but thank you.” She sat on a bar stool next to Brock, not looking at him. “I hate to ask you this, but did you know that Jarod and Tamara Randsom had an affair that possibly started a year and a half ago and lasted until her disappearance this last May?”
Brock turned toward her. “You think this is the place?”
“Yes.” Ophelia would ask Amka in for a formal interview, but she wanted answers before Jarod had a chance to speak with his fiancée. “I’m sorry if that hurts you.” She was too tired to be smooth.
Amka’s chin lifted. “I heard rumors but didn’t know the full truth.”
“Did you kill Tamara?”
“Ophelia,” Brock growled. “What are you doing?”
She kept her focus on Amka. “My job. Amka?”
The woman’s dark eyes flashed. “No. I didn’t kill Tammy.”
“Do you think Jarod did?”
Now something undefinable flashed in those eyes. “No.” Her gaze flicked to his table. “He’s not a killer.” Did her tone lack conviction?
“When did you become engaged?”
Amka swallowed. “On New Year’s Day.”
Brock stiffened.
“Where were you when Hank died, Amka?” Ophelia asked.
Amka’s eyes widened. “That day was normal for me until I heard about Hank’s death. I came right to work, and the sheriff told me when he came in for a drink around lunch.”
Ophelia frowned. “The sheriff drank during the day?”
“Sure,” Amka said. “He and Hank had been friends for decades. Hank’s death tore the sheriff up.”
“Did you kill Hank?”
Amka stared at her. “Are you nuts?”
Maybe. “Yes or no?”
“Of course not.”
Ophelia continued smoothly. “When was the last time you saw Tamara Randsom?”
Amka twisted a bar towel in her hands. “I think I saw her during the kindergarten graduation. I don’t remember seeing her after that.”
Ophelia’s eyebrows rose. “Did the entire town attend that graduation?”
“Yes,” Amka said simply, looking at Brock for confirmation. “We all do. It’s an event.”
“Did Tamara leave the ceremony with anybody?” Ophelia asked.
Amka shook her head. “No. I remember seeing her flip off Loretta and leave on her own. I have no clue where she went after that.”
“What about you?” Ophelia asked softly.
