She turned up her palms. “The end. Not the one I’d planned, but exactly what that bastard deserved.”

I let the story wash over me. “Not exactly the end. Because next, you tried to pin his death on Milt.”

“Not very nice of me, I guess. But Ryan, Milt’s not exactly a nice guy, either. And he has no life. I doubted he would be convicted, but if he was, the world would keep spinning. On the other hand, I had everything to lose.”

“You killed a man.”

“I was out of my mind. My world was falling apart. I’m not a murderer, just a woman who was treated badly. It’s an old story.”

“Without his gun, there’s absolutely nothing to tie Milton Kearns to Calvo’s death. He didn’t even use his real name when he registered.”

Her eyes widened. Obviously that surprised her.

I nodded. “You missed that, didn’t you? So now there’s no record Kearns was ever at Golden Aspen. He paid cash. He left with the gun, the bloody jeans, Calvo’s watch and wallet. They’re gone forever, and nobody’s looking for him. But if I were the sheriff, I’d sure be looking for the pretty blonde who fought with Calvo in the bar that morning.”

I was due one small lie after listening to so many. “Milt told me several people saw your fight. He certainly did. Another guest, an employee in uniform, both of them witnessed it. I’m not going to turn you in, but somebody else may. I guess you were right all along. You really aren’t safe.”

She tapped her fork against her salad bowl, but not in rhythm to Clint Black’s “Killin’ Time,” the eerily ironic title of the selection playing over our heads. “You’re not going to tell me where you found him, are you? You never were. You’re not going to give me a chance to talk to him.”

I shook my head. “I don’t think a conversation with Milt is what you had in mind.”

“You want me gone, don’t you?” she said.

“First I wanted to be sure. But you know? Now, I really do.” I leaned closer. “I want you gone for good. I don’t want you to ever come near your daughters, including me. I want Bryce to have closure and the divorce he so richly deserves. I want Mom and Dad to mourn you and move on. Maybe you can find a good life for yourself, but I don’t want to know, because if you ever come near anybody I love, I’ll turn you in. Without a second thought. I’ll write down every single detail of this meeting, and I’ll willingly share it with the Santa Fe sheriff’s department. That’s how serious I am.”

“Be sure you write down that Calvo’s death was an accident. A dumb stunt, but an accident. If you’re going to tell the truth, that’s it.”

I wondered if any of us would ever know. I found it doubtful, since Wendy had tried to frame Kearns, maybe even, as he’d guessed, by drugging him first. But could I prove what I suspected? It was a safer bet to threaten her with exposure. Safer for everyone.