Sorrow Road (Bell Elkins #5) - Julia Keller Page 0,12

was too stunned at first to offer more than one word. It was impossible to believe. Just a few hours ago she had been sitting with her in the bar. She could remember the way Darlene’s hand looked when she lifted the whiskey glass. She could remember the sound of her voice, the expression on her face. And now all of it—the hand, the voice, the face—was gone. Darlene Strayer was dead.

Bell realized that she and Oakes were standing in the foyer, facing each other, in radically different states of attire. She wore a pink chenille robe and sweats and slippers. He wore a brown uniform and a black wool greatcoat, and a black toboggan instead of his usual flat-brimmed hat. The snow was melting from his boots onto the wide-plank flooring. Already two pools had formed around his feet.

In other circumstances, the disparity in their appearances would have amused them. Neither commented upon it now. Not even Oakes, who presumably kept a few choice wisecracks on ice just in case he ever encountered a prosecutor in a bathrobe.

“Anyway,” he said, “I needed to notify you ASAP. And get a few basic facts for the timeline.”

“Yes. Of course.”

He sensed her shock and kept his demeanor businesslike. Normally, Jake Oakes was a joker, a scamp, a cutup; he and Bell often clashed over his reliance on the inappropriate quip as his primary communication tool. Not today. He was suitably serious. She appreciated that.

“We met at the Tie Yard last night,” Bell went on. “I know Darlene from law school. Haven’t seen her in years. She’s originally from Barr County. Lives in D.C. now. But she wanted to get together. She left the bar just a few minutes before I did. And she’s a good driver, far as I know.” Bell realized she was still in the grip of the present tense. It was too soon to change.

“Right.” He wrote some words in his notebook.

“And like I said, she left before me. Why didn’t I come across the accident? It doesn’t make sense.”

“Can’t say.”

Bell put her left hand on the newel post of the stair railing close to where she stood. She needed to hold on to something. Oakes knew better than to offer assistance.

“What was the cause, Jake? I mean—yeah, the roads were in bad shape, with the snow and all. That switchback can be a bitch. And it was dark. But Darlene knows her way around these mountains. Was there anything else? Any other contributing factors?”

Oakes looked at her.

“Ma’am?” he said. He seemed slightly perplexed.

Bell waited. She did not know what was going on, and waited for him to enlighten her.

“Ma’am,” Oakes repeated. He was tentative now, as if she might be testing him. “We don’t have the toxicology report yet, of course, but it’s an easy guess. There was a strong smell of alcohol on the body. And vomit in the car. She was drunk. That’s how she lost control and hit the tree. She was impaired.”

“No.” Bell’s objection was sharp and quick. “No way. I was with her. She had a few sips from one drink. That’s it. She was definitely not drunk.”

“Ma’am, I’ve already checked with the bartender at the Tie Yard. He was none too happy to have to answer his door first thing on a Sunday morning, but he remembered her right away. Recognized the picture. He served her four shots in a row. Some guy came in and sat down next to her at the bar, he said. Looked like they hit it off right away. The guy bought her a few more. By that time, she was slurring her words. Bartender finally had to cut her off.”

Bell was irritated now. “And I’m telling you he’s wrong. I was there, Jake. He’s got her confused with somebody else. Darlene had one drink. And we walked out together—just the two of us. She was fine. Totally sober.”

The deputy flipped a few pages in his notebook, finding the passage he wanted. “What time did you leave the bar?”

“Nine thirty at the latest. I was home by ten forty-five.”

“Well, that’s our problem, right there.” He tapped the page. “Bartender says he came on duty about ten. She was already there, shotgunning her drinks. She didn’t clear out until after one. She was pissed as hell when he told her she’d had enough.”

Bell let the information settle. “She must have gone back. She must have pulled over somewhere and waited for me to pass—and then doubled back. Returned