Bobo felt like he was shrinking moment by moment. Everything of hers was gone. They’d take her memories from him if they could. He wasn’t a person who’d cared about Aubrey, not to them. He was the person who’d ended her life. He shook his head to dispel the sensation. “Well, I won’t try to go since they don’t want me,” he said. “But . . . they know I’ve got an alibi that held up, right?”

“I made sure they knew,” the sheriff said. He seemed sympathetic. “Their good sense hasn’t caught up with their grief and anger.”

Bobo nodded. He could understand that. “Okay, then. I hope you find out who did this.” He didn’t think he’d really breathe deeply again until Aubrey’s murderer was caught and imprisoned.

Arthur Smith concentrated on his hat brim. “For what it’s worth, I believe you. But I have to investigate, and I have to be impartial, and I have to evaluate the evidence on its own. So far, the evidence says you’re telling the truth. But if anything I find contradicts that, I’m going to come down on you like a ton of bricks.”

“And I’d expect that. Hey, we’re bonding.” Bobo smiled.

The sheriff smiled back, albeit reluctantly. “You people who live in Midnight. You’re all marching to the beat of a different drummer.” Hat back on his head and tugged into position, he half turned, ready to leave.

Bobo smiled more broadly. “You hit the nail on the head. We are different, Arthur Smith. I’m the most average person you’ll meet here.” The smile faded.

The sheriff thought of another question. “And now I’ve got to go bother some of your neighbors. Is Olivia Charity around? I understand she has an apartment below the store?”

Bobo said, “Yeah. You can see if she’s awake, but please knock softly on the door marked B. The guy who rents A works nights, so he sleeps days. That’s why he wasn’t on the picnic.”

“Lemuel Bridger? I haven’t met him yet. I definitely need to talk to him. I’m interviewing everyone who knew her. I guess that would naturally include him since he lived in the same building.”

“Yes, he knew Aubrey, though I don’t think he knew her well. But you’ll have to wait until it’s dark. He really can’t wake up when he’s deep asleep.”

Sheriff Smith looked at Bobo, a little skeptically. “Even if I pound on his door, he won’t wake up?”

“You really don’t want to do that,” said Olivia, and the sheriff jumped.