“Payback.”

Her eyes hardened. “If I did, he deserved it. Do you know what Dave Mullins is?”

She told him in terms that made his ears ring, bitterness rolling off her in waves.

Man.

Carrying around that much hate would cast a cloak of misery over a person so thick that no sunlight could ever penetrate.

It was a terrible way to live.

But Jordan Lee Thompson’s attitude issue hadn’t prompted today’s visit.

“I’ll repeat my question. Did you call in the tip? I’m asking because other than the murderer, only you know the connection between Dave, Mavis, and Fred.”

She blanched. “I had nothing to do with their deaths.”

“Then you were the tipster, not the murderer.”

A few seconds passed as she mulled over the options he’d given her.

“Yes. It’s not a crime to call in a tip to the police. In fact, it’s encouraged.” Her chin rose a hair, but the strain in her voice undermined her defiant body language.

“That’s true—as long as the caller is innocent.”

“I haven’t done anything wrong. And I have no idea who’s blackmailing Dave or running the scheme he’s fronting. I just wanted to make his life miserable.”

“It already was.”

“Okay. More miserable. And don’t bother trying to play the guilt card. He brought on his own problems.”

There was no disputing that.

“What do you know about Lorraine Meyers?”

Her face went blank. “Who?”

Unless she was a stellar thespian, Lorraine was a stranger to her.

But some murderers were excellent actors.

“Where were you on Wednesday?”

She frowned. “What is this all about?”

“I’m looking for an alibi.”

“For what?”

“Another murder.”

She drew in a sharp breath and latched on to the back of a chair inside the front door. “I was visiting a friend in St. Louis for the holiday. I can give you her name and contact information.”

He lifted his notebook. “Whenever you’re ready.”

Yet as he jotted down the information, he mentally crossed Thompson off the suspect list. If she had an alibi, Mullins was right. This woman wasn’t a murderer.

However, intimidated subjects who wanted to avoid being labeled suspects often offered helpful information in the course of trying to prove their innocence.

He finished writing . . . and waited.

She filled in the silence.

“Listen, I called the tip in to spite Dave, okay?” She shoved her hair back, fingers trembling. “The first I heard of the scheme was the day he came to the shop to ask me if I had any idea about who could be behind the blackmail.”

“Do you?”

“No. I told that to Dave. I never mentioned him by name to anyone while I was seeing him. I don’t know who took the photos at the inn and the reservoir.”

So much for gleaning a helpful lead or two from this visit.

Nate closed his notebook, pulled out a card, and passed it to her. “If any information you think may be helpful comes to mind, I’d appreciate a call. Whatever your feelings toward Mr. Mullins, multiple people have died. They deserve justice.”