Page 111 of Death on Gallows Path

She waited.

When I didn’t have the reaction she wanted, she insisted, “Your dreams were about the murder.”

“If they were, they sure weren’t about the solution,” I said glumly.

“Don’t give up so easily. So, we have building the gallows, letter by letter, until you have a word.”

I felt the weight of her expectant look on the left side of my face. “No word comes to mind.”

“Okay, okay. There’s more to work with. You said passengers in a trolley. That must be everyone involved, right? All going to the same destination?”

“Where?”

“That’s what your dream should tell you.”

“You don’t think I would have led with that if it had?”

She grimaced, possibly expressing doubt about my ability to find the lead.

“What else? A treasure chest, a map. Damon cheated people out of their money — that’s treasure, right? Like Oscar’s money, his treasure, that was going to give Jean the trip she’d always wanted.”

“I don’t know.”

“Don’t give up. There was the calendar, with doors— Oh, that’s got to be your Why now? question, don’t you think?”

“Honestly, Clara, I don’t feel capable of thinking right now.”

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll think about it and you’ll get some rest and it’ll— Look who’s here.”

I turned my head to see Bryon Georger entering the large dog enclosure.

“Hadn’t told you yet, but I heard he wasn’t at the sheriff’s department yesterday and stayed at a hotel.” Clara’s voice dropped as he came closer. “Also heard they told him not to leave the area, though the person who said that does watch a lot of cop shows on TV.”

“Hi. Clara, isn’t it? And Sheila?” His vague gaze left it unclear if he knew which of us was which. “Thought I might find Donna here.”

“She comes much earlier in the day,” Clara said. “But if you’re looking for Izolde, Zoley had her as of Monday night’s class.”

“Zoley did?” He twisted his head sharply. “She was on and on about getting a dog. Then she couldn’t be bothered. Then nothing could stand in the way of taking classes. Then she told Donna to take both dogs. And now she takes it back?”

Sounded like the last step surprised him the most.

He also seemed tired and impatient.

He’d leave any second. No easing into this.

“You and Damon didn’t seem to be getting along at class Thursday. Yet, you said he confided to you someone had been in his papers.”

“Wasn’t confiding. He thought someone had been in his papers. Said that when we first got to the Tavern for dinner. As for friendly . . . it came and went.”

“What happened that made it go that evening?”

“Nothing specific.”

None of us believed that.

The choice now was whether to keep drilling on that topic — expecting to meet resistance — or to go wide.

I opted for wide. “Did you do business with him?”