“In Mississippi,” Kanesha said, “murderers are not allowed to profit from their crimes. If one of the beneficiaries in the will is found guilty of Mr. Priest’s murder, he or she will not inherit.”

“Is this true?” Julia looked right at Miles Burton.

“I’m sure Deputy Berry knows this particular statute better than I,” Burton said. “Since the crime occurred here, that law would obviously be in effect.”

Julia now directed her gaze at Willie Clark. I had been watching her in fascination, seeing a side of her that I hadn’t expected to see. She was far more avaricious than I would have guessed, judging by her behavior these last few minutes.

Julia pointed across the coffee table to Willie. “I think you have a pretty darn good motive. Plus, I know you were in the hotel that afternoon.”

“Me? You’re nuts, Julia.” Willie’s voice came out in a squeak.

“I saw you,” Julia said. “In the revolving door as I was leaving.” She sat back and crossed her arms across her chest. Her smile was grim.

Willie laughed, startling us all. “Yes, I was there. I went to see Godfrey to talk about the new book. Not the one that’s coming out next year, the one after that.”

“And you got into a fight and bashed him over the head.” Julia nodded. “I can see it now.”

I looked to Kanesha to intervene, but she didn’t. She simply stood there and watched.

“Well, I saw you too, Julia.” Willie did not appear in the least perturbed by Julia’s accusation. “But you’ve got it backward. I was in the revolving door with you, but I was the one leaving, not you. I saw Godfrey around two-thirty, after waiting for him almost twenty minutes. He was upset about something when I finally did get in to see him, and he said we’d have to talk later. By then I couldn’t really hang around any longer either. I was due back on the reference desk at three. One of my staff called in sick that morning, and I had to take his stint at the desk.”

“The reference desk?” Julia had paled.

“Yep,” Willie said. “At three, and in full view of plenty of people for two hours, because I manned the desk until five. Then I had a meeting with the chair of the history department, and I was with him until nearly six.”

It appeared that Willie had a pretty good alibi for Godfrey’s murder. Based on what Julia had told me, it was nearly three when she left Godfrey. That statement lent credence to Willie’s assertion.

But if she had lied about when she saw Willie, had she lied about anything else?