Spin a Wicked Web Read Online Free PDF Page A

understanding. "There might be a conflict of interest for you, huh."
    "Gee, you think?"
    "I don't have much information," I said. "I found her is all. I
don't know her very well or anything."
    He came down the stairs, the heels of his cowboy boots sounding a sharp report on each step. He'd changed out of his dress uniform, and now wore mushroom-colored slacks, a blue shirt, and a
string tie from his considerable collection. This one had a copper
slide, beaten into the rough outline of a leaf.
    Leaning his elbow on the counter, he said, "What is it with you
and murder victims?"
    "Hey," I said. "It's not like I enjoy it. And come to think of it, I
didn't have this problem before I met you."
    "No. You met me because you have this problem."
    Okay. Technically he was right.
    "Are you going to sit in?" Robin asked Barr.
    "If you don't mind."
    She hesitated, at war with her affinity to play by the book.
"Shouldn't be a problem."
    "Why aren't we doing this at the station?" I asked.
    "There's still a lot to do here, and we thought you might want
to leave. But we need some information before sending you on
your way," Barr said.
     
    "Okay. Shoot."
    "How did you find her?" Robin asked, pen poised to take down
my answer.
    I told them, and after that there were more questions about
when I got there and how long it took before I called 911. We spent
quite a bit of time on the open front door, and why I went upstairs
in the first place. I explained that I thought an artist must have
come in to work and left the door open. Then we moved on to
Ariel herself. What did I know about her? Not much. I told them
Ruth Black would probably know more. Ariel had always seemed
kind of standoffish around me; my gender probably hadn't helped.
Ruth seemed to get along with everyone, though.
    "Did you see the yarn around her neck?" Lane asked.
    "You mean the yarn she was strangled with?"
    She nodded.
    "Oh, I saw it all right," I said.
    "Do you know if it came from here?"
    "I know it did."
    Lane looked the question at me.
    "It was mine. The first two-ply homespun yarn I ever made, and
Ruth was going to show me how to set the twist on it this week."
    Barr's eyes widened a fraction, but he didn't say a word.
    "I'm sorry," I said.
    "What exactly are you sorry for?" Robin asked, her tone suddenly hard.
    "For being upset about the stupid yarn," I said. "I really liked it,
though. Even if it was kind of lumpy and thick and full of slubs, it
was the first time I'd created a decent amount of actual yarn on
the spinning wheel."
     
    "Did you touch her?"
    "Only on the neck, to see if she had a pulse."
    Barr looked worried. Lane didn't look very happy with me,
either.
    "Oh, for heaven's sake, I can't possibly be a suspect," I said, exasperation leaking into my voice. "What should I have done? Assumed she was dead? What if she hadn't been?"
    Robin Lane studied me for a long minute. I struggled not to
look away or protest my innocence further.
    "You didn't like her, did you?" she asked.
    I blinked. "Well, we weren't best friends."
    I saw her name on those paintings." She indicated Ariel's work.
    "Yes. She was an artist." I managed to say it with a straight face.
    "Did she paint here?"
    I nodded. "In one of the studio spaces upstairs. I believe she
did almost all of her work here."
    "Was she interested in the yarn and knitting thing?" She couldn't
keep her disdain for such homey activities out of her voice.
    "Not that I know of."
    "Where was your yarn?"
    I tried to remember. "Last I saw it was right after Ruth showed
me how to unwind it from the bobbin onto the niddy noddy. We
tied the hank and hung it over the back of her spinning chair.
You'd have to ask her whether she moved it later."
    She scribbled in the notebook. "Do you know anyone who
might have a motive for killing the victim?"
    I stared at her for so long she stopped writing and met my eyes.
"You want my opinion about who could have murdered Ariel?"
     
    Her smile was wry.