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of
tracking down Judy Mason had been relatively simple. Since she had
no money, it was likely she’d apply for welfare. When she did, they
had her. But what they didn’t have was concrete evidence to link
her to the attempt on Juanita’s life.
    Then Juanita
dropped a bombshell that suggested Judy might already be a double
murderer. She’d told Slater about her suspicions regarding the
house fire that killed Matthew Gillingham -- Judy’s ex husband --
and his new wife, Fang Po Wong.
    “But the fire
department held an enquiry that ruled the fire was accidental,”
Slater pointed out. “There had been a party the night before and a
carelessly discarded cigarette was to blame.”
    Juanita had
disagreed. “I know there was a smoke alarm in Matthew’s house,” she
insisted. “Yet when I checked with the fire department they said
there wasn’t one.”
    This had made
Slater think she might just have something. “So you believe that
Judy planted the burning cigarette and removed the smoke alarm,” he
said.
    “She’s a crazy
wicked racist bitch,” Juanita had railed so venomously that she
flushed scarlet and grew breathless.
    “Try to stay
calm.” Slater had rang for a nurse.
    He’d taken her
suspicions seriously and investigated them thoroughly. But while he
suspected that Judy was indeed a double murderer, and that she’d
been trying to go for a triple when she’d run down Juanita, there
was not a shred of physical evidence to link her to either
crime.
    Slater got up
and walked over to the window. A curlicue of mist whirled around
the North Shore Mountains. It was an overcast day with a weak sun
drifting fitfully behind grey clouds.
    “So you said
there is news about that crazy woman?” Juanita said, after the
nurse had left.
    “Judging by
what we’ve learned so far,” Slater replied. “We’re certainly
interested in talking to her.”
    “I should
think so too” Juanita looked angry. “So why haven’t you? What the
fuck are you waiting for, until she kills somebody else?”
    “Look, I know
how frustrating this must be for you, but as it stands now we have
no evidence against her. If we pull her in for questioning it will
be a waste of time, and will tip her off that we’re onto her. I
suspect that she’d leave town after that, and there’s nothing we
could do to stop her.”
    “Okay, okay,”
Juanita sounded exasperated. “So what have you done?”
    Slater
hesitated. “All I can tell you is that we’re continuing to
investigate.”
    When the nurse
came back in, he took his leave. He promised Juanita that he’d keep
in touch.
    On the drive
over to the police station his mobile phone buzzed. It was the
detective who had gone undercover and was investigating Judy
Mason.
    “I have a gut
feeling that she’ll spill the beans soon,” he said.
    “If anyone can
get her to sing it’s you,” Slater replied with the utmost
sincerity. He had total confidence in Larry Holmes.

ABOUT THE
AUTHOR
     
    Karen Lewis is
an internationally best selling author. She won an award for her
suspense play, Hit and Run, and her short story, The Cellar Door.
Her novels are an intriguing blend of mystery, suspense and
erotica. They usually feature Detective Neil Slater.