Page 40 of Death on Gallows Path

“I was thinking that people who saw them interact includes us.”

* * * *

“But we already know what we saw,” Clara objected.

“We don’t know what the other one observed. We haven’t shared those observations. Not in any organized way. Like Pammy’s makeup from last night. Yeah, we both noticed it, but what did we think? To cover bruises or just a lousy makeup job?”

She opened her mouth to respond, I thwarted her by continuing.

“Let’s come back to that. First, what struck you when they came in for the first class?”

“The rivalry between Damon Swindell and Bryon Georger,” she said promptly.

I nodded. “The two women were the friends. The guys weren’t.”

“Agreed. Although . . .”

“What?”

“Did you get a sense of tension from the women?” she asked.

“Yeah, but that could be concern over how their dogs would behave, how they’d be perceived as dog owners.”

“I didn’t get the impression either one cared enough about her dog to be worried about that.”

I recalled the four humans and two dogs entering the training center for the first class. “You’re right. Neither handled her dog and they didn’t seem particularly interested. The guys were more focused on the dogs.”

“Competition,” she inserted. “Especially Damon Swindell. He wanted to beat Bryon Georger. He was like one of those over-the-top sports parents who expects the child to perform great so he can bask in the glory.”

Uh-oh. Was that what I was doing with Gracie? Pressuring her so there’d be a Lassie-like glow for me to bask in?

“The dogs are a means to an end,” she continued, apparently not picking up on my self-questioning. “Having Lucifer do better than Izolde, so Damon could feel like he’d beaten Bryon.”

“You’re right, Clara. It wasn’t the same with the women. They weren’t living out their competition through the dogs. Yet there was tension . . .”

We looked at each other.

“That look. Damon and Zoley having a thing,” Clara said.

“I think so, too.”

“You think Pammy knew? Or suspected?”

“That would certainly explain tension between the women.”

“Yet they seemed quite friendly and . . . and . . . Weird.”

“What?”

“I’d say there were significant looks between the women, too. Last night, when the two guys got bent out of shape about the tic-tac-toe game, you’d think one or both of the women would step in and smooth the waters, especially being good friends, as everyone says they are.”

“Are you questioning if they are good friends?”

“There’s definitely a connection,” Clara said slowly. “And from what Donna and Willow said, they’ve been friends a long time.”

“Then how could Zoley cheat with Damon, the husband of her good friend?”

“Maybe they hadn’t acted on it. Unfaithfulness by thought and look, but not the main event.” She didn’t believe that.